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Voices Against Torture: Writers and Lawyers on the Way Forward

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008, ACS and the PEN American Center hosted a panel featuring writers and lawyers discussing their work and its relationship to combating torture. This evening of law and literature examined the roles that lawyers and writers have played, and continue to play, in exposing human rights abuses and in reminding nations of their human rights responsibilities. As lawyers have fought for legal rights to be enforced, writers have awakened the consciences of nations, reminding citizens of the values that undergird rights. This moderated conversation brought together novelists, journalists, legal advocates, and scholars.

The panel featured:

  • Moderator, Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor, Slate
  • Anouar Benmalek, Author of The Lovers of Algeria and Co-founder of The Algerian Committee Against Torture
  • Scott Horton, Professor of Law, Columbia Law School, and Contributor to Harper's Magazine
  • Elisa Massimino, Executive Director and C.E.O. of Human Rights First
  • Jane Mayer, Author of The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals and Staff Writer for The New Yorker

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012