Programme Detail
PPID SHOWCASE: Lawyers against poverty
Committee(s)
President PriorityPublic and Professional Interest Division (PPID)
Session / Workshop Chair(s)
| Moderator | Joss Saunders |
|---|---|
| Law Firm / Organisation | Oxfam GB |
| Location | Oxford, England |
Description
Session highlighted as part of the President's focus for the IBA Task Force on 'Challenges for the Legal Profession post Global Financial Crisis'.Poverty lies at the root of the world's worst problems - hunger, conflict, poor health, low life expectancy, deprivation of justice and more. Almost half the individuals in the world live every day on less than the price of a cup of coffee. As lawyers, we champion access to justice, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. But, without tackling poverty, we're often attempting to address symptoms and not the root cause. Why then, as lawyers, do we spend so little time thinking about and acting to alleviate poverty? Why have we not been more visible at the forefront of the battle against poverty? What do we need to do to remedy this?
In this session, with the assistance of a small number of renowned keynote speakers, we shall be investigating the causes of poverty and identifying what we, as lawyers, can do to facilitate change. Our focus will cover a wide range of issues, ranging from the implementation
of austerity measures and the impact of trade and aid policies, land expropriation, commodities speculation and natural resource exploitation, to financial and fiscal issues such as anti-Corruption, the impact of tax havens and tax avoidance and the need generally for a more enlightened approach to the role and responsibilities of the financial services industry in global society.
The session will begin with one or two relatively short keynote addresses, after which a moderator will provide opportunities for the audience, which will contain representatives of relevant IBA committees and the local and international NGO community, to join the debate. Further contributions from the keynote speakers will be introduced as the session progresses. The proceedings will be brought to a close with a summary, which will include suggestions for further action, which the IBA will then expand upon, publicise and pursue. The session will be videoed and subsequently made available on the IBA?s International Pro Bono website.
The IBA Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee 2012 Annual Pro Bono Award will be presented at this session.
Coffee and tea breaks will be held between 1100 - 1130 and 1600 - 1630. To accommodate the flow of delegates through the Conference Centre please note the closest coffee/tea station to this session is in The Forum on Ground Level.
Speakers
| Speaker | Stanislaus Kennedy |
|---|---|
| Law Firm / Organisation | Focus Ireland |
| Location | Dublin 7, Ireland |
| Speaker | Thomas Pogge |
|---|---|
| Law Firm / Organisation | Yale University |
| Location | New Haven, USA |
| Speaker | Muhammad Yunus |
|---|---|
| Law Firm / Organisation | Yunus Centre |
| Location | Dhaka, Bangladesh |