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Professor George E. Edwards was recently chosen as a recipient of IUPUI’s Prestigious External Award Recognition (PEAR) after he received the National Bar Association (NBA)’s Ronald Harmon Brown Award of International Distinction. The award was established in memory of the first African American to become the United States Secretary of Commerce, Ronald Harmon Brown (1941-1996).

Professor Edwards, the Carl M. Gray Professor of Law and Director of the law school's Program in International Human Rights Law, was in Southeast Asia when the original Brown award was bestowed at the annual NBA meeting in August 2008. The following are excerpts from Prof. Edwards’ acceptance speech, delivered on his behalf: “I am proud that the NBA has permitted me to be a par t of its noble efforts to promote and protect international human rights, not only in the United States, but around the world…. We have made great strides towards ensuring human rights and the rule of law. But, much more needs to be done. Human rights protections begin with knowledge about what our rights are, who is responsible for ensuring our rights are not violated, what steps to take when our rights are violated, and how our human rights are to be enforced…. Knowledge is power. Power is meaningless, unless we take action.”

Professor Edwards was chosen in accordance with the NBA criteria, which specify that the Brown Award is given to a high profile lawyer or advocate with international distinction, in an area of international law, with outstanding domestic and international contributions, and with work that reflects or honors the contributions of United States Secretary Ronald Harmon Brown.  Former recipients of the Ronald Harmon Brown Award for International Distinction have included Judge Navi Pillay (2003, currently the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, former Judge, International Criminal Court & Judge, United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda); Dr. Penuell M. Maduna (2004, former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development for South Africa); U.S. Rep. John Conyers (MI) (2006, Congressman); Patricia Viseurs Sellers (2007, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia); Dr. Beverly Baker Kelly (2000, Deputy Registrar, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda).

IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz will present Professor Edwards with the PEAR award at the Chancellor’s Academic Honors Convocation on Friday, April 17, 2009.

Photo: Dr. Beverly Baker-Kelly (former Registrar of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, 2000 Brown Award Recipient); Judge/High Commissioner Navi Pillay (currently the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, former Judge, International Criminal Court & Judge, United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, 2003 Brown Award Recipient); and Professor George E. Edwards, at the NBA meeting in New Orleans in 2003.