In observance of United Nations Day and Conflict Resolution Day, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo International Student Services invites the public to an online presentation by Cynthia Tai on Tuesday, October 19 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Tai will share her inspirational journey from serving as the Hawai’i County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney to working at the International Criminal in The Hague, Netherlands for nearly seven years.
Since her return to Hawaiʻi Island, Tai founded Project Expedite Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to justice to survivors of mass atrocities in some of the world’s most marginalized populations in conflict and post-conflict areas. She and her team of attorneys around the globe have worked on cases ranging from human trafficking and forced labor in Cambodia, to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and other countries.
In 2020, Tai received the Champion for Social Justice Award from the Hawai’i State Bar Association. The award is given annually to an individual for their courageous legal work that helps promote the interests of justice. She hopes that as our society moves forward through COVID-19, people will do more to preserve what they value most.
The presentation will be of special interest to those interested in careers as an attorney and in the administration of justice, the foreign service, and social justice advocacy.
“I want people to know that you can do it,” said Tai. “I want kids to know that. You can grow up and be whatever you want to be. If you work hard, you can make a difference.”
Register for this free event online at http://go.hawaii.edu/PLm.
The presentation is sponsored by the UH Hilo International Student Services, Political Science/Administration of Justice Department, the International Student Association, and Rotary International’s Peace Action Group.
For more information, contact Dr. Su-Mi Lee at sumilee@hawaii.edu.