Written by Flora M, Year 13
Last Thursday, through the wonderful Sixth Form Perspectives programme, I had the pleasure of inviting Payam Akhavan to give a talk. He is a renowned human rights lawyer, who is a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague and co-founder of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Centre.
His talk about the theoretical underpinnings of human rights law with a spotlight on the Rohingya genocide, was both inspiring and informative. He spoke about the ongoing persecution and genocide faced by the Rohingya community in Myanmar, and his journey to deliver justice for them. He showed us the resilience and immense courage of the community in the face of such adversity.
Moreover, Year 13 students had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful discussions about this topical issue.
Overall, he was incredibly inspirational, encouraging others to follow a career path that leads to personal fulfilment and a contribution to society. I even overheard multiple people say “I’m going to be a human rights lawyer” after the talk, which showed just how much they were moved by Payam’s words.