January 23, 2008

Karen Tse Leads Davos Exchange on the Prevention of Torture

DAVOS, Switzerland, January 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Rarely has such a question been posed among business leaders. But at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the business community is increasingly collaborating with civil society leaders like Karen Tse to take on the world's most pressing challenges. Together, they're working to ensure ordinary people never have to face the torture, arbitrary detainment, and denial of fair trial to which this adolescent boy was subjected.

Recognized as one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report, Tse is founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice (IBJ), a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to ending torture in the 21st century through the just implementation of criminal laws. At Davos, she joins top leaders from business, government, academia, civil society and the media to brainstorm and forge alliances to tackle critical issues on the global agenda.

International Bridges to Justice

"Through her work with IBJ, Karen is pioneering a practical approach to criminal justice reform, and, ultimately, the prevention of torture," said Dr. Henrik Naujoks, a Partner at the global consulting firm Bain & Company. "Rather than antagonizing state governments for past abuses, Karen collaborates to implement international and domestic legislation that has already been ratified, thereby protecting ordinary people from abuse."

Indeed, IBJ's efforts to work with businesses and state governments are directly in step with the 2008 World Economic Forum theme - Collaborative Innovation. It was this subject that provided Tse with the inspiration for her statement broadcast via Youtube - one which received nearly 100,000 unique views in just four days. (The full film can be seen at this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcKMCDn8v5o.)

As part of this year's event, Davos organizers invited citizens around the world to respond via Youtube to the question, "What do you think countries, companies or individuals should do to make the world a better place in 2008?" In her three-minute response, Tse laid out her vision for a world in which the most vulnerable populations have widespread access to highly trained and empowered legal counsel at the time of arrest. Among the potential beneficiaries: children like the 12 year-old-boy Tse encountered while working under the auspices of the United Nations in Cambodia. She also identified the need to embolden a broader group of stakeholders to take on the challenge.

"In the human rights of the new millennium...it is about working together with businesses, with civil society, with governments to support the process of implementing just criminal laws throughout the world," she said.

Increasingly, multinational corporations are responding. Business leaders understand that rule of law isn't only for those caught in the criminal justice system; it's also the backbone for investment, enforcement of contracts, economic growth and social stability. Working with organizations like IBJ provides them not only with an opportunity to give back, but it also gives them a tool to identify and develop new markets for their products and services.

Among the general public, Karen's message also seems to be gaining traction. Though the message was posted just four days ago, the video clip is already among the most viewed, discussed and highly rated films this month.

"When the rule of law becomes a living, breathing, practiced document, everyone wins," said Youtube user Marie Morohoshi. "There is no better candidate who will lead this movement to end torture in the 21st Century. Please lend your support to Karen Tse and IBJ's vision in saving and giving people back their lives - society needs them."

Karen Tse, Founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice

A former public defender, Karen first developed her interest in the cross section of criminal law and human rights as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow in 1986 after observing Southeast Asian refugees detained in a local prison without trial. She later moved to Cambodia in 1994 to train the country's first core group of public defenders and subsequently served as a United Nations Judicial Mentor. Under the auspices of the U.N., she trained judges and prosecutors and established the first arraignment court in Cambodia. After witnessing many violations of the rights of citizens, Karen founded International Bridges to Justice in 2000 to promote systemic global change in the administration of criminal justice. She has since negotiated and implemented groundbreaking measures in judicial reform with the Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambo­dian governments. Under her leadership, IBJ has expanded its programming to Rwanda, Burundi and India, and is now working to create a Global Defender Support Program that will bring IBJ assistance to public defenders worldwide. Karen is a graduate of UCLA Law School and Harvard Divinity School. She is the recipient of numerous awards and was recently named by the U.S. News & World Report as one of America's Best Leaders. As a leading social entrepreneur, she has been recognized by the Skoll Foundation, Ashoka and Echoing Green.

International Bridges to Justice

International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that was founded in 2000 with a vision to end torture in the 21st Century through the just implementation of criminal laws. IBJ's experience has shown that legal counsel at the earliest stages of defense can reduce instances of torture by as much as 80%. Thus, it works with the defender, or legal aid lawyer, as the primary leverage point for the legal transformation of its target countries. Since its inception, IBJ has pioneered this practical approach to torture prevention. It is now poised to implement human rights and fundamental freedoms in countries worldwide. For more information, see http://www.ibj.org/.

Press Contact:
International Bridges to Justice
Jean Amabile
Deputy Director
Phone: +41-22-731-24-41
Fax: +41-22-731-24-83
E-mail: jamabile@ibj.org
Internet: http:///www.ibj.org

CONTACT: Press Contact: International Bridges to Justice, Jean Amabile,
Deputy Director, Phone: +41-22-731-24-41, Fax: +41-22-731-24-83, E-mail:
jamabile@ibj.org