Theology, International Law, and Torture:
A Conference on Human Rights and Religious Commitment

Starting: Friday, January 13 at 12 P.M.
Ending: Sunday, January 15 with Lunch at12 P.M.
Princeton Theological Seminary Campus
Convener: Dr. George Hunsinger
Registration CLOSED

Clcik for: Details, Schedule, and Presenters

The goal of this conference is to launch a national religious campaign against torture. Resources for local communities and congregations are being developed and will be made available.

"A time comes when silence is betrayal. People do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness so close around us. We are called upon to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation, for those it calls "enemy," for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers and sisters."

          -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presented by: Church Folks for a Better America (Princeton), Human Rights First (NYC),
The Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy (Washington DC) and The Peace Action Education Fund of The Coalition for Peace Action (Princeton).

Speakers:
Mark Danner - Longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and Professor of Journalism at University of California at Berkeley and Bard College. He is the author of Torture and Truth, one of the most thoroughly documented exposes on torture by the US.

Sister Dianna Ortiz - Torture survivor, Executive Director of Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) and a policy analyst of Foreign Policy in Focus. She is the author of Blindfold's Eyes.

Chaplain James Yee -  Former Muslim Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay.

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im - A Muslim originally from the Sudan, distinguished Professor of Law at Emory University. He is the author of Towards an Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights and International Law.

Rabbi Saul Berman -  Faculty Member at Yeshiva University and the Director of Edah.

Father William Byron -  Former President of Catholic University.

Father Drew Christiansen, SJ -  Editor of America magazine and longtime advisor on Middle East affairs to the US Catholic Bishops. He is co-author of Forgiveness in International Politics.

George Hunsinger - McCord Professor of Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He coordinated an Open Letter on torture to Alberto Gonzales at the time of his confirmation as Attorney General of the U.S. signed by over 225 prominent religious leaders. He is the convener of this conference.

Admiral John Hutson - Dean and President of Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire and former chief Judge Advocate General of the US Navy. He testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General of the U.S.

Mohammad Farooq -  Theologian, Islamic Society of North America.

Deborah Pearlstein - Director of the US Law and Security Program, Human Rights First and a former clerk for Justice Stevens of the US Supreme Court. She is a regular columnist for the American Prospect magazine.

Glen Stassen - Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary, former professor at Southern Baptist Seminary, author of Just Peacemaking and many other books.

And others from the fields of theology, law, government, and the military.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:  (possibly subject to minor changes)

Friday, January 13.
Noon-12:50pm - Lunch.
Welcome: Dr. Iain Torrance, Princeton Theological Seminary
Introduction to the conference: Dr. George Hunsinger, convener

1:00-3pm - Panel: Law, Morality and Torture.
Sr. Dianna Ortiz, TASSC
Karen Greenberg, NYU Law
Kim Lane Scheppele, Woodrow Wilson School
Mary Ellen O'Connell, Notre Dame Law
Moderator: *Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission

3:30-5:30pm - Panel: Government and Military Issues.
  Admiral John Hutson, Franklin Pierce Law
General Richard O'Meara, Kean University
Deborah Pearlstein, Human Rights First
Stephen Rickard, Open Society Institute
Moderator; Stanley Katz, Woodrow Wilson School

6:00-7:00pm -Dinner.
Greeting: Maureen Byrnes, Human Rights First

6:30-7:20pm Shabbat observance

7:30-9:30pm - Plenary Address..
Mark Danner, author, Torture and Truth
Respondents: Jeremy Waldron, Columbia Law, Scott Horton, NYC

Saturday, January 14

Breakfast. 7:00-8:20am

7:30-8:20am - Shabbat observance

8:30-10:00am - Panel: Theology, Ethics and Human Rights
Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, Editor, America magazine (Roman Catholic)
Glen Stassen, Fuller Theological Seminary (Evangelical)
George Hunsinger, Princeton Seminary (Mainline)
Katherine Sonderegger, Virginia Seminary (Mainline)
Moderator: Peter Paris, Princeton Seminary

10:30am-Noon - Panel: Theology, Ethics and Human Rights.
    Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im, Emory Law (Muslim)
Chaplain James Yee, author, For God and Country (Muslim)
Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission (Evangelical)
Rabbi Eddie Felt, Jewish Theological Seminary (Jewish)
Moderator:

12:30-1:20pm - Lunch.

1:30-3:30 - Strategy Seminars. Plenary (brief)
Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University
Jennifer Harbury*, TASSC (*invited)
    Presentation of the National Religious Campaign against Torture
    Break-out groups by religious tradition.  

4:00-5:30pm. - Plenary.
William T. Cavenaugh, U. of St. Thomas (Roman Catholic), author, Eucharist and Torture
Respondent: David Gushee, Union University, TN (Evangelical)

6:00-7:00pm - Dinner.

7:30-9pm – Video, "Weapons of the Spirit" -- The story of Le Chambon.

Sunday, January 15

8-8:50am -  Breakfast 
9:00-10:00am - Christian Worship--Trinity Episcopal Church, Sermon: Fleming Rutledge
9:00-10:00am - Break-out groups for Jewish and Muslim conferees.
10:30-Noon - Panel: Inter-Religious Concerns.
    Rabbi Saul Berman, former president of Yeshiva University
Fr. William Byron, former president of Catholic University
Ron Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action
Mohammad Farooq
Moderator: Daniel Swartz, Churches’ Center for Theology and Public Policy

Noon-1:00pm - Lunch.

 

Nearby Hotels

We have group rates and free shuttles to the Seminary at the Clarion Hotel / Palmer Inn and at the Hampton Inn. The Clarion Hotel / Palmer Inn is $89/night,and 5 minutes from the Seminary. Tel.: 609-452-2500.  Click on following email address to register or for more info.:  rachel@clarionpalmer.com.
The Hampton Inn is newly built, $79/night and 10 minutes from the Seminary. Tel. 609-951-0066. Web link to be posted soon. From the Hampton, a small ($1-2) tip for shuttle driver is appropriate.

Other nearby hotels:  the Courtyard by Marriot, 609-716-9100.
Staybridge Suites, 609-409-7181.the McIntosh Inn, 609-896-3700.

Directions

By Air (and driving directions)
Newark Liberty International Airport, about forty
miles north of Princeton, is the nearest major airport. To reach
Princeton from airport you can
take the New Jersey Turnpike south to Exit 9 (New
Brunswick, Route 1). Follow Route 1 south to Alexander
Road. Turn right on Alexander Road and continue to the
entrance to Princeton Seminary (the first left after
College Road); or

use the AirTran Newark monorail connection form the airport
to the Newark Liberty Airport station and take a New Jersey
Transit train to Princeton Junction. Then follow the instructions
below (“By Train”); or

take the Airporter shuttle service; if you ask, it will take you
to the Forbes College stop at Princeton University, which is
one block from the Seminary; or, call for schedule and
reservations (609-587-6600).

Philadelphia International Airport, is one hour south of
Princeton. The easiest way to reach the Seminary from this
airport is to drive, taking I-95 north to Route 206 and then
follow Rt.206 into Princeton. Turn right onto Library Place and
then left immediately into the library parking lot.

By Train
From New York (and north) and Philadelphia
(and south), New Jersey Transit services Princeton from the north
(New York, Newark), with connecting services from the south
(Trenton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington).

Some Amtrak trains stop at Princeton Junction.

Take the train to Princeton Junction and transfer to the shuttle train
(the “Dinky”) to Princeton.

Walk (2 blocks) or take a cab (cabs operate 24 hours a day)
to the Seminary.

More about the lead sponsor, Church Folks for a Better America
A Time Comes When Silence Is Betrayal
Church Folks for a Better America