Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director, National Democratic Institute

Dr. Chris Fomunyoh is currently senior associate for Africa and regional director at NDI. He has organized and advised international election observation missions to Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali and Nigeria. He has also designed and supervised country specific democracy support programs with civic organizations, political parties and legislative bodies in Benin, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, The Gambia, Senegal and Togo. In the course of his work, Dr. Fomunyoh interacts regularly with heads of state and government, cabinet ministers, elected officials and political and civic leaders. He recentlydesigned and helped launch the African Statesmen Initiative, a program aimed at facilitating political transitions in Africa by encouraging former democratic Heads of State to stay engaged in humanitarian issues, conflict mediation, public health and other key sectors of political, economicand human development on the continent.

As an expert on democratization in Africa, Dr. Fomunyoh makes frequently guest appearances on major radio and television networks including CNN, BBC, NewsHour, National Public Radio, Voice of America, and Radio France Internationale, and provides interviews for major national and international newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, Le Monde and International Herald Tribune.

Dr. Fomunyoh has traveled extensively in Africa, Europe and North America, and is perfectly bilingual in English and French. He holds a Licence en Droit from Yaoundé University in Cameroon, a Master's Degree (LL.M.) in International Law from Harvard Law School; and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston University. Dr. Fomunyoh is an adjunct faculty at the African Center for Strategic Studies and a former adjunct professor of African Politics and Government at Georgetown University. He also is the founder of a non profit organization www.tffcam.org interested in supporting democracy and humanitarian causes in Cameroon.

Meredith McQuaid, Associate Vice President and Dean, Office of International Programs, University of Minnesota

Meredith M. McQuaid is Associate Dean of Administration and International Programs. She supervises the offices of Student Services, Career and Professional Development Center, Facilities Management, Technology, and International and Graduate Programs. She is responsible for the management and oversight of the Law School's current efforts in China.

Dean McQuaid served as Associate Dean of Students for the Law School from 1995-2005, and as the Director of International and Graduate Programs from 1994-2006. She has taught Introduction to American Law (1999-2006), and LL.M. Legal Writing and Research (2003-2006).

Dean McQuaid earned her B.A. degree in Linguistics from the University of Minnesota and her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. Prior to attending law school, she was an English language teacher for two years in Tokyo, Japan. Upon completion of her J.D., Dean McQuaid became an Associate Attorney with Popham, Haik, Schnobrick & Kaufman in Minneapolis working in immigration law and civil litigation.

Dean McQuaid is President of the University's China Center Advisory Council. She is the immediate past-Chair of the AALS Section for Graduate Programs for Foreign Lawyers.

Alemayehu G. Mariam, Professor, Department of Political Science, California State University-San Bernardino

Al Mariam is a professor in the department of political science at California State University, San Bernardino. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota in 1984, and J.D. from the University of Maryland in 1988. His teaching areas include American constitutional and civil rights law, American legislative and judicial process and international law. Al has published two books on American constitutional law: American Constitutional Law: An Introduction to Powers and Structures (Vol. I), Ginn Press (1994), and American Constitutional Law: An Introduction to Civil Liberties and Civil Rights , Simon & Schuster (1999). Al has practiced in the areas of criminal defense, general civil litigation and immigration defense in asylum and deportation proceedings. He is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, District of Columbia Court of Appeal, United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Southern District of California, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

In 1997, Al argued People v. Peevy (1998) 17 Cal.4th 1184, 953 P2d 1212 (Cal.), cert. denied 525 U.S. 1042, in the California Supreme Court.That case challenged the use of admissions by criminal suspects in so-called "outside Miranda questioning" settings. Such questioning generally involves police interrogation after the suspect/defendant has expressed unwillingness to talk to police without the presence of a lawyer. Since the 1980s, it has been common practice among various law enforcement personnel in California to continue interrogation despite a suspect's refusal to answer police questions on the belief that such questioning is not in violation of law, and that any admissions by a suspect could be used for other purposes including impeachment of the defendant should the defendant testify in his/her defense.

The Peevy case has been instrumental in bringing about increased compliance with the police interrogation rules set in Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 US 436, which required criminal suspects and defendants to be advised of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and Sixth Amendment right to counsel before questioning by police. In its 2004 Legal Update, the California Commission on Peace Officer Training and Standards advised its members to avoid intentional violation of the Miranda rights of criminal suspects cautioning officers to "please not purposely violate Miranda" because the Peevy court "has hinted that Miranda violations stemming from any such widespread practice may cause [it] to create a new rule of suppression." See, http://www.post.ca.gov/training/cptn/pdf/2004LegalUpdateFebruary2004.PDF , p. 75. Peevy has been cited by numerous jurisdictions, including a recent California Supreme Court opinion in People v. Jablonsky (2006) 37 Cal.4th 774, 810, and a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court opinion, Missouri v. Seibert (2004) 542 U.S. 600, disapproving intentional violation of the Miranda rights of criminal suspects and defendants.Prof. Al headed federal relations at California State University between 2004-2006, and was responsible for congressional relations and advocacy and external relations with the California state legislature.

Prof. Al also has a public access television show in San Bernardino, CA entitled "In the Public Interest" and available online at http://inthepublicinterest.csusb.edu/. The public affairs show focuses on regional and local issues in Southern California. Prof. Al is among the chief proponents of H.R. 5680, the Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Act. he is a member of theCoalition for H.R. 5680 and oversees the grassroots advocacy website www.hr5680.org.

Peter Takirambudde, Executive Director, Sub-Saharan Africa Program Human Rights Watch

Peter Takirambudde is the Executive Director of the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch - a post he has held since 1996. Based in New York, Peter is HRW’s chief strategist and spokesperson on Africa and is responsible for directing all the operations of the organization in the region. Prior to joining HRW, Peter, a national of Uganda, held the positions of Professor of Law at the University of Botswana and Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Lund, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund, Sweden. In addition, he served as the Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Botswana. Peter received his bachelor’s degree from Makerere University, Kampala in 1972 and a doctoral degree from Yale University in 1978. His academic honors include a Ford Foundation Scholarship (1974), World Order Consortium Fellow at Yale University (1976) and a Compton Fellowship at Princeton University (1977), as well as a British Council Visiting Fellowship in the Faculty of Law at Edinburgh University (1992). Peter has written on a range of human rights topics including : ”Civil Society and Poverty Alleviation: A Human Rights Perspective”, In Democratic Reform in Africa: Impact on Governance and Poverty Alleviation, Muna Ndulo (ed) Oxford-James Curry & Ohio University Press ; “Building the Record of Human Rights Violations in Africa: The Functions of Monitoring, Investigation and Advocacy”, In Effective Strategies for Protection of Human Rights: Prevention and Intervention, Trade and Education, David Barnhizer(ed) Ashgate/Dartmouth Publishing Company; New Labor Law in Botswana ( University of Cape Town) ; The Individual Under Africa Law ( University of Swaziland) ; Technology Transfer & International Law(Prager Special Studies, London/New York).

Birhanemeskel Abebe Segni, Former Legal Advisor, Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations Headquarters in New York

Birhanemeskel received his LL.B. degree in law from Addis Ababa University School of Law in Ethiopia. After graduation, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice which led to his appointment as High Court Judge. As High Court Judge, he served on civil, criminal, and labor benches. He later joined the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as legal adviser on international law. In that capacity, he represented the Ethiopian Government at various multilateral and bilateral forums including the Organization of African Unity (OAU, now African Union (AU)) and the United Nations (UN). From 2001 to 2006, he has served as legal adviser at the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations Headquarters in New York covering the work of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council as well as various regional bodies such as the African Union (AU) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Birhanemeskel has been a Research Fellow at the Human Rights Center of University of Minnesota Law School since October 2006. He is working on Human Rights Center’s online Research Library by focusing on human rights country situations in Africa.

Arnold Tsunga, Executive Director, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

Mr. Tsunga has a bachelor's degree in law and a master's degree in business administration. He is the executive director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and oversees organizational objectives focused on access to justice.  He is also the executive secretary for the society of Zimbabwe and the coordinator of the SADC Lawyers Association Human Rights Committee.  He has been awarded the 2006 Human Rights Watch Award and the 2006 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, whose jurors are the leading human rights groups globally. During his Humphrey year, he will explore the linkages between the practice of law, human rights, and sustainable human and national development.

Anna Ishaku, Director of Public Prosecutions, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Ms. Ishaku has a law degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980. She has worked for six years in private practice in the areas of Commercial and family law before joining the service of Kaduna State government as a State Counsel, in the Attorney General Chambers. Positions held include, Director of Public Prosecutions, Director Civil Litigation and Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice. Duties in the ministry include; prosecution of criminal and civil matters on behalf of government; giving legal advise to the State government, its agencies and the police; drafting legal documents; member of several ministerial and inter - ministerial committees; member of the state's Advisory committee on Prerogative of Mercy. An active member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Life member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Katsina, Registrar of the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna and legal adviser to several private schools and NGOs. Her focus for the Humphrey year is on Mediation and other Dispute Resolution Methods, to learn different skills, methods and practices for the purpose of giving citizens Alternatives to Litigation and thereby expanding Justice delivery and service; building community based Centers for handling disputes with the aim of promoting understanding and peaceful co - existence between the different religious and ethnic societies in the crisis ridden state.

Evelyn Jifon, Coordinator, Sistershare and Nsobahti Women's Associations, Cameroon

Ms. Jifon has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a master’s degree in Public Administration, and teaches management courses at the National Advanced School of Post and Telecommunications Yaoundé. She has worked in many capacities in the former Post Office Savings Bank Before taking off the year for the Humphrey Fellowship she was in charge of the Budget Department of the Cameroon Postal Services. She is also an active member of both SISTERSHARE and NSOBAHTI Women Yaoundé, associations, which are both women’s empowerment NGOs. During her Humphrey year, she will focus on Human Resource Management and Organization Development.

Aboubakary Mousmouni Moussa, Senior Advisor, Educational and Social Activities, GERED-ONG, Benin

Mr. Mousmouni Moussa holds a master’s degree in community development. He is the senior advisor in social and educational activities specializing in community development at GERED-ONG, a local NGO. During his Humphrey year, he will focus on non-profit management, and economic development.