The Foreign Service Journal, March 2014

56 MARCH 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Amy, continued from page 50. who delivered the first Amy Ostermeier lecture. Nossel, currently executive eirector of PEN American Center, served previously as head of Amnesty International USA, chief operating officer of Human Rights Watch, and as deputy assistant secretary in the International Organi- zations Bureau from 2009- 2012. In that latter capacity, she worked closely with Amy on America’s reengagement at the UN Human Rights Council and utilized multilat- eral organizations to assist human rights defenders and pressure abusive states. Nos- sel explained how Amy was at the center of an ongoing diplomatic struggle over the extent to which freedom of religion and speech can be limited by governments. Amy’s father David, a professor at the University of Tennessee, has been a driving force behind the Amy Ostermeier Fund, and the discussion provided him with a wide range of ideas to commemorate Amy’s impact at Macalester, at State and in the NGO world by facilitating greater interaction between them on the human rights issues she cared so deeply about. The two-day event at Macalester was a great success. It was a comfort to Amy’s family, friends, and colleagues; an opportunity for professional exchange between Macalester faculty and human rights profession- als from the NGO commu- nity, academia and the U.S. Government; and a source of inspiration to Macalester stu- dents, who could see in Amy a role model for how to wield influence in public policy, while remaining true to the core values that prompted her to pursue a life of public service. As we take advan- tage of the contacts made at Macalester to expand activi- ties under the Amy Oster- meier Human Rights Educa- tion Fund, you can follow our efforts at the website created by Amy’s brother Eric—www. amyostermeierhumanrights- fund.org—and learn how you can help us continue to celebrate Amy’s life. n Joseph Cassidy is the director of the Office of Policy and Regional and Functional Organizations in the Bureau of International Organizations.