ISHR congratulates 2017 alumnus Ariel S. Garfinkel on the publication of her book Scofflaw: International law and America's Deadly Weapons in Vietnam. The book examines the legacy of the Vietnam War on Vietnamese civilians and families, in particularly the on-going trauma caused by American weapons such as unexploded bombs and Agent Orange.
Garfinkel is a human rights scholar and activist with a background in international law and women’s rights and a focus on strengthening the enforcement of UN treaty law. She works with Just Associates (JASS), an international non-profit that partners with global grassroots groups using popular education to amplify women's voices and political influence in promoting the compliance of governments with human rights obligations. Garfinkel is also an officer of Chances for Children International (CCI), a non-profit that enables grassroots organizations in developing countries to ensure that children have access to an education.
Garfinkel previously worked with Girls Incorporated teaching women’s rights and financial literacy, as well as with AmeriCorps on food security for new immigrant families.
She holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University, and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College. A Massachusetts native, Garfinkel has lived and worked in Guatemala, Spain, Uganda, and Oman. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.
She can be reached at scofflawbook@gmail.com.
