‘Hold the Line’: Oxfam America documentary, followed by panel discussion and Q&A

Hold the Line is a documentary that follows several human rights defenders from South Africa, Colombia and the U.S., who are fighting back against corporate destruction of their communities and the environment. The screening will be followed by a hybrid panel discussion with Carolyn Peter, one of the human rights defenders featured in the film; Andrew Bogrand, one of the film's co-directors; Thandeka Kathi, an environmental attorney based in South Africa and a graduate of the IHRL programme; and John Knox and Liz Umlas, both tutors on the programme. After the panel we will open the floor to the audience for Q&A.

Andrew Bogrand is the policy lead for human rights and natural resource justice at Oxfam, where he supports at-risk human rights defenders and advances protections for communities impacted by oil, gas, and mining projects. Andrew has also held positions with Democracy International and Human Rights Watch. He has helped secure the release of detained activists across geographies and regularly advocates in front of investors and major multinational companies. He is the author of Oxfam's Threats to Human Rights Defenders: Six Ways Companies Should Respond and the director of Hold the Line, a documentary about environmental activists in South Africa, Colombia, and the United States. His commentary has appeared in the Financial Times, Bloomberg, Al-Jazeera, and The Washington Post, among others.

Carolyn G. Peters is the founder and President of Concerned Citizens of Mossville (CCOM), a Louisiana nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental justice, community advocacy, and the preservation of Mossville’s historic legacy. For more than 40 years, she has championed the rights of residents affected by industrial pollution and environmental challenges, advocating for healthier communities and equitable solutions.

Carolyn led the successful effort to annex Mossville into the City of Sulphur to improve local infrastructure and public services. She has represented Mossville in national environmental justice discussions, hosted EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s Journey to Justice Tour, advocated in Washington, D.C., and co-starred in Oxfam’s documentary Hold the Line. She continues to lead grassroots efforts that strengthen community voices and protect residents’ health and quality of life.

Carolyn is an alumna of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana and has a pending doctoral degree in Counseling.

Thandeka Kathi is the Head of the Pollution and Climate Change Programme at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER)

Liz Umlas will be chairing this event. She is a tutor on the MSc in International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford. She is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

John Knox is a former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment. Currently, he's a tutor on the MSc in International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford. He's also a Professor of International Law, Wake Forest University, North Carolina.