Annual Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights Announced

Since 1999, the Goldstein Lecture on Human Rights has brought distinguished human rights scholars and experts to the Nebraska community. This year’s speaker, Samuel Moyn, J.D., Ph.D., will continue that legacy.

Moyn’s lecture, “Humanitarian Law: Reducing Brutality in War Since the War on Terror”, seeks to reconstruct the origins of humanitarian law, while also reflecting on the implications of more recent wars.

Moyn currently serves as Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, and holds a doctorate in modern European history from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a law degree from Harvard University. His work can be found in the Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications and scholarly books.

Laura Alexander, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Executive Director of the Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center, said the Department of Religious Studies and co-sponsors look forward to hosting Moyn.

“UNO Religious Studies has a strong track record of bringing scholars who are both at the top of their fields and skilled in engaging a wider community in lively and thought-provoking discussions,” said Alexander. “Prof. Moyn is one such scholar. His work on human rights is wide-ranging, and in the last several years he has delved deeply into questions of humaneness in war and the quest for peace – questions that are both perennial and extremely timely.”

In addition to the lecture, the Goldstein Center for Human Rights and Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights will be hosting events throughout the week to highlight Human Rights Week.

Since its introduction to UNO in 2018, Human Rights Week has become an educational platform for those interested in deepening their understanding of human rights. The week’s events highlight the work that UNO members and the wider community have done to promote dialogue and understanding of human rights issues through lectures, panels, and informational tours. Human Rights Week is sponsored by the Goldstein Family Community Chair in Human Rights, a role held by Lana Obradovic, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science.

This year, events include tours at the Samuel Bak Museum, a forum on Latin America and human rights (in partnership with UNO's Office of Latino and Latin American Studies), and community lectures.