For 2011, the prestigious Robert and Elizabeth Knight Distinguished Visiting Lecture focuses on issues relating to the economic implications and consequences of human rights.

This year’s visiting lecturer is Diane Elson at the University of Essex in the UK, and a research affiliate of the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University. Her current research interest is fiscal and monetary policy and the realization of human rights, with a particular focus on economic development gender inequality. She has been researching and writing about development issues for more than 30 years, and has published widely in journals, conference proceedings, books and monographs.

From 1998 to 2000, Elson was special advisor to the executive director at UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women. She continues to provide advice for UNIFEM and also for other UN agencies. She was a member of the UN Millennium Project Task Force on MDG Goal 3: Promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Elson has provided advice to many development agencies including the Swedish International Development Agency and the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She has also acted as an advisor to several development NGOs, including Oxfam.

The University of Manitoba Global Political Economy Program and the Faculty of Arts are sponsoring two presentations by Elson on the subject of human rights and international economics:

“Human Rights and Budget Deficit Reduction: The Case of the United Kingdom,” on Monday, October 17, 2011, in room 409 Tier Building, from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. All are welcome to attend.

A second public presentation will be given, titled: “Human Rights and the NAFTA.” This will be a free public lecture by Elson on Thursday, October 20, 2011, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, in The Club Room, Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway Avenue. A reception will follow the talk. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The Global Political Economy Program thanks the following co-sponsors from the University of Manitoba: The Office of the President; the departments of sociology, anthropology, political studies, economics and history; and the labour studies program.

For more information, please contact Mark Hudson, sociology, at: 204-272-1655, or Shawn Jordan, communications coordinator, Faculty of Arts, at: 204-474-7100