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Oxford Human Rights Student Society

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About Us

Founded in 2021, the Oxford Human Rights Student Society's (OHRSS) mission is to help students attain careers in human rights law.

Through careers events with human rights law firms, organisations and personalities, we aim to highlight the human rights opportunities available to graduates and illuminate the process of applying to these positions. We also hope to connect students with a keen interest in human rights law to inspirational figures from a wide range of specialties in the field of human rights law, with intent to create a valuable and supportive network with industry experts.

Since our founding in 2021, we have been privileged to host events with some of the biggest names in human rights law: notable QCs, the former President of the UN War Crimes Tribunals, the Director of the Howard League,  the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Section Chiefs of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and more.  We aim to tailor offer a wide range of events to suit our members' varied human rights interests.  

Access to our events is free for all current members of the University of Oxford.  Sign-up to OHRSS membership below!
 

Events
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Membership

OHRSS membership is free and open to all members of the University of Oxford.  Our events are primarily aimed at undergraduate students, although may also appeal to postgraduate members!  Register for membership by filling out the form below or clicking the link above!

Sponor Us
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Sponsor Us

This is a very exciting time to get involved with OHRSS! In since our launch in September 2021 we have already gained 170 members as well as over 290 follows of our online presence. We have already hosted events with fantastic speakers such as noted barristers Helen Mountfeld QC and Amanda Weston QC, NGOs such as the Howard League for Penal Reform and REDRESS, senior representatives from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

The relatively specialised nature of our society means that our members are particularly passionate and dedicated to a career in human rights. This means that our events, online presence and mailing list are followed by students interested in your organisation's area of work.

Given the preoccupation with corporate law careers that dominates other law societies at Oxford, we are in the unique position of offering direct access to an audience that cares specifically about human rights.

Our Team
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Lucy O'Connell
President

Lucy is a third year law student at New College interested in pursuing a career in international public law. She is fascinated by the ways in which law can uphold and protect human rights, but also the application of human rights more broadly, and she is very much looking forward to learning more about non-legal application of human rights during our exciting events this term!

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Mert Ayik
Vice President

Mert is a second year law student at Wadham College, and Secretary General of the International Students Campaign at the Oxford SU. He is passionate about issues relating to democracy, institutions, and government and the way they serve to protect historically marginalised groups, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ rights. His favourite human rights activist is Nazhat Shameem Khan.

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Kobi Mohan
Treasurer

Kobi is a third year PPE student at Exeter College. She is particularly passionate about migrant rights and corporate accountability, and is inspired by the work of Coalition to Keep Campsfield Closed. Kobi is excited to work alongside and learn from others who are passionate about human rights whilst on the committee. 

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Tom McBride
Communications Director

Tom is a third year law student at Wadham College. His favourite human rights activist is Helena Kennedy KC, and he's most passionate about the ways in which human rights can operate to protect people in the more common, day-to-day scenarios in their lives (such as tenants' rights and workers' rights). He's excited to attend all of the events the committee will host this term!

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Juliet Van Gyseghem
Events Director

Juliet is a second year studying Law with French Law at Christ Church College. She is motivated by social justice, particularly migrant rights, corporate accountability and transformative criminal justice. Through her role in the committee, she hopes to encourage direct action with human rights issues, especially in the local area by increasing student engagement with the campaign to Keep Campsfield Closed. She also hopes to contribute to building a strong network of students committed to social justice and actively supporting the wider community beyond the academic bubble. Her favourite human rights activists are Naomi Klein and Angela Davis!

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Agnieszka Gryguc
Marketing Director

Aga is a third year Law with European Law student at Trinity. She is aspiring to one day become a human rights barrister, and has a particular interest in the rights of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, children's rights, and combatting human trafficking. She is currently working with Oxford Legal Assistance and Asylum Welcome, and has volunteered with Lawyers Against Poverty and Advocate in the past. Alongside these organisations, Aga also finds Goodwill Caravan inspiring. 

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Meranie Kairu
Marketing Director

Meranie is a second year Law student at St Edmund Hall. Her interests span a variety of areas, including international workers' rights, the protection of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and children's rights to education. She also recently spent some time on a legal aid trip with the organisation Global Brigades Greece, and looks forward to being surrounded by like-minded people with a range of experiences and interests within the human rights field this term. 

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Ben Sheridan
Blog Director

Ben is a second year law student at Wadham. Inspired by the activism of Ida B. Wells, Ben has a particular passion for workers' rights and education, and is excited to meet like-minded people who share his interest in human rights and will hopefully expose him to new ideas and perspectives this term. 

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Yi Xuan Wong
Blog Director

Yi Xuan is a second year Law student at Worcester. She is especially passionate about decolonisation and women's rights, and has a particular interest in the work of AWARE Singapore. She hopes to foster a great space for academic discourse to take place and for awareness to be raised about various human rights issues around the world by running blog.

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Nadine Thompson
Membership & Sponsorship Director

Nadine is a second year student studying law at Christ Church. She is particularly interested in how the law can uphold and promote human rights, with a particular focus on gender equality across the world, and her favourite human rights organisation is ADVOCATE. She is also looking forward to promoting human rights causes and careers around the university. 

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Nina Sherwood
Events Officer

Nina is a second year law student at Wadham college. Inspired by the activism of Malala Yousafzai, she is extremely passionate about the enforcement of human rights and its relation to politics. This term, Nina is looking forward to hosting events which highlight issues not covered by the mainstream media. 

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Kathleen Lai
Events Officer

Kathleen is a second year law student at Exeter. She's especially interested in women's rights, the rights of immigrants and the treatment of asylum seekers, and is particular inspired by Nadia Murad and Human Rights Watch. As part of the events team, Kathleen is excited to organise events that increase students' interest and engagement with human rights, whilst also improving her own understanding of human rights issues by learning from everyone on committee.

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Ruby Rowlands
Blog Officer

Ruby is a second year studying law at Exeter. She is particular interested in access to education, healthcare equality and reproductive rights, and she is excited to help make human rights careers more accessible to everyone at Oxford. 

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Itsy Oyedeji
Blog Officer

Itsy is a second year law student at Mansfield. She's most passionate about carceral justice and asylum law, and is inspired by the work of Campaign Zero. As part of the OHRSS committee, she's excited to learn lots from others inspired by human rights. 

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Eryk Schumacher
Blog Officer

Eryk is in his second year studying law at Brasenose. He is especially passionate about workers' rights, corporate responsibility and the enforcement of international human rights law, and hopes to explore engaging issues through his role as blog officer. His favourite human rights activist is Howard Zinn. 

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Gaspard Rouffin
Blog Officer

Gaspard is a second year History and German student at St Anne's. In his role as blog officer, he is excited to write about current events throughout the world, and provide spotlights on issues that are less well known. His areas of interest include refugee rights, the freedom of the press, the right to privacy, and indigenous rights, and he finds the work of UNHRC, PEN International and Rainbow Railroad particularly inspiring. 

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Isabella Ayers
Treasury Officer

Isabella is a second year studying law at Keble College. She's looking forward to expanding the society's reach to different businesses and employers through sponsorships, helping to fund more society events and aid the career progression of its members. Inspired by the work of Amal Clooney, she is most passionate about promoting and protecting women's rights and gender equality across the world.

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Tasha Dambacher
Events Officer

Tasha is a visiting student from Yale studying Classical Archaeology and Ancient and Modern History at Oriel College. This term, she's excited to meet other students who are interested in human rights, as well as helping put on a full term of exciting events! Tasha is most passionate about migration issues and women's rights - especially the intersection between the two. Recently, she's been focussing her attention on the ongoing crisis in Venezuela. Tasha's favourite human rights activist is the human rights lawyer Samantha Power. 

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Copyright © 2022 Oxford Human Rights Student Society.

OHRSS is does not necessarily affiliate itself with the views of its partner organisations.   

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