To view the webinar of this program, click here.

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge welcomes the community to Lunch with the League at Noon, Tuesday, January 5. Meeting virtually due to the pandemic, the gathering may be accessed by following instructions provided at the close of this article.

Dr. Jonathan Ring, Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee/Knoxville and Director of student programs at the Howard Baker Center, will speak on “Current Issues in Human Rights.” Representing the minimum standard of state behavior that ensures each individual is able to enjoy a life with dignity, human rights are enshrined in numerous international agreements, including most famously, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By establishing these principles in international law, human rights represent a fundamental challenge to an absolutist interpretation of national sovereignty. Ongoing instances of inequity based on race, economic status, gender and sexual identity, however, continue to put human rights on the defensive throughout the world, including in countries we would consider well-established democracies. Dr. Ring will examine these challenges and how they may be addressed.

A native of South Dakota, Dr. Ring earned his B.A. from the University of South Dakota (2007), and M.A. (2010) and Ph.D. (2014) from the University of Iowa. He was a postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer at the University of Michigan (2014 – 2016) and an assistant professor at Cleveland State University in the 2016/17 academic year. He came to Tennessee in 2017.

Dr. Ring’s academic interests are in international relations, comparative politics, and norm diffusion—the process by which ideas and policies are spread from one country to another. He is particularly focused upon those human rights policy areas that have in recent years seen dramatic changes in terms of policy adoption but less change in terms of policy implementation. Addressing the discrepancy between professed human rights norms and actual practices, he will speak to both national and international issues and how we may begin to understand and address them.

A champion of human rights since its inception 100 years ago, the League of Women Voter’s founding and its continued purpose have been wrapped up in the pursuit of human rights. One of 43 NGO’s selected by President Truman to counsel the U.S. delegation in the formation of the United Nations, The League today is remains heavily invested in such global issues as the elimination of severe world poverty, mandatory education for girls and boys at the primary and secondary levels, climate change, opposition to human trafficking, and support of women’s economic and political empowerment—all critical components in the ongoing struggle for human rights.

Lunch with the League welcomes League members and nonmembers alike to this informative presentation. For instruction on linking to the live presentation, contact maryannreeves1 [at] att.net. A couple of days later, you may view the recorded session on the League’s website (https://my.lwv.org/tennessee/oak-ridge).

The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge is a nonpartisan political organization for men and women. It encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.