The Business of Human Rights: 20 Years of Dialogue with the Chinese Government

The US-China Institute presents a talk with Human Rights activist and founder of The Dui Hua Foundation, John Kamm.

John Kamm began working on human rights in China in the immediate aftermath of June 4, 1989, and he has been doing so ever since.  His approach is strikingly different from that of other human rights activists.  He conducts a dialogue with China that is based on a relationship of respect and trust between his foundation (Dui Hua -- "dialogue" in Chinese) and the Chinese government. Best known for his work to secure the early release of hundreds of political prisoners, Kamm is less known for his work on broader, systemic issues including national security legislation in Hong Kong (Kamm lived there for many years), capital punishment and, most recently, juvenile justice. Among the topics covered by Kamm in his talk are Dui Hua's experience hosting the first delegation from China's Supreme People's Court to study America's juvenile justice system and Dui Hua's work promoting the idea of using the special pardon mechanism provided for in China's constitution to release large number of prisoners who have served the bulk of their sentences and who represent no threat to society.

Sponsors: USC U.S.-China Institute and USC Norman Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics