Ithaca City of Asylum’s writer-in-residence, Sonali Samarasinghe, has maintained a lively teaching schedule in her capacity as Visiting Scholar in Residence in Ithaca College’s Honors Program.  Her course Human Rights Litigation has brought a number of guest speakers to the Ithaca College (IC) campus, and March 22, the featured speaker will be Dr. Amii Omara-Otunnu, UNESCO Chair in Comparative Human Rights.

Dr. Omara-Otunnu

A professor of history at University of Connecticut, Dr. Omara-Otunnu has managed a dual career in academia and the movements for human rights, democracy, and social justice.  He has published broadly on the interplay of politics, the military, and human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, and at the same time has been actively engaged in numerous international boards and commissions.

Dr. Amara-Otunnu will present “The Challenge of Leadership and Human Rights in the 21st Century,” on Monday, March 22, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the VIP Lounge, at IC’s Athletics and Event Center. A reception will follow Dr. Omara-Otunnu’s talk. This event is free and open to the public.