St. Paul, Minn. The Inaugural Ostermeier Human Rights Lecture with PEN American Center’s Suzanne Nossel is Thu., Oct. 17, 4:45 p.m., in the John B. Davis Lecture Hall, Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, Minn. Nossel’s talk is titled “The New Free Speech.”  The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information call 651-696-6290.

Suzanne Nossel is the Executive Director at the PEN American Center, an association of writers that promotes friendship and cooperation among writers, emphasizing the role of literature in the understanding of world culture, fighting for freedom of expression, and acting as a powerful voice on behalf of writers. Prior to her arrival at PEN, Nossel’s work in human rights has included positions as Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, Chief Operating Officer at Human Rights Watch, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State from 2009-2011, where she worked with Amy Ostermeier and her colleagues in the Human Rights, Humanitarian and Social Affairs Office at the State Department.  

The Ostermeier Human Rights Lecture brings leading scholars, advocates, professionals, and policy makers to campus to speak on pressing human rights issues and to share their insight and expertise. The lecture is made possible by the Amy Ostermeier Human Rights Education Fund at Macalester College, which supports educational opportunities for Macalester students to better understand the critical nature of human rights issues across the globe and the role that diplomacy plays in addressing these issues. Amy Ostermeier graduated from Macalester College in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She was employed by the U.S. Department of State as a Senior Human Rights Officer and Deputy Director in the Office of Human Rights, Humanitarian, and Social Affairs, where she was a key player in several crucial human rights achievements by the U.S. State Department. She passed away from cancer two years ago. 

Macalester College, founded in 1874, is a national liberal arts college with a full-time enrollment of 2,011 students. Macalester is nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to academic excellence, internationalism, multiculturalism, and civic engagement. Learn more at macalester.edu.

October 1 2013

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