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International human rights lawyer Julian Aguon ‘09 has been selected as the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for Fall 2024. Aguon will begin his residence on September 4, with a reading from his forthcoming book and a conversation moderated by Camille Nelson, Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law.
Aguon is the visionary behind Blue Ocean Law, a progressive firm that works across Oceania at the intersection of indigenous rights and environmental justice. For the past five years, Julian and his team have served as legal counsel to the Republic of Vanuatu, which has spearheaded the historic pursuit of an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice.
Aguon is an award-winning author of several books and articles, including To Hell with Drowning, which in 2022 earned him Pulitzer Prize recognition. He is also the author of No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies, a book that has been praised by everyone from Arundhati Roy and Alice Walker to Rebecca Solnit and Tommy Orange.
“Julian Aguon is a powerful global voice in the courts, on the written page, and on the ground in communities across Oceania,” says Dean Nelson. “Through razor-sharp legal analysis, searing political commentary, and moving storytelling, he urges radical listening to those most vulnerable. We are honored to have Julian join us for a semester-long residency at this critical moment in the climate crisis to uplift the rights and justice struggles of Pacific Island communities,” she continues.
Aguon will be in residency at UH Mānoa for the entire fall semester. During that time, he will co-teach (with Professor Susan Serrano) Pacific Island Legal Systems at the law school, while participating in class visits and community forums. The chair is hosted by the law school, together with the Department of American Studies in the College of Arts, Languages and Letters.
Established in 2005 by the UH Board of Regents, the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals brings significant public figures to Hawaiʻi to foster public discourse regarding democratic ideals and civic engagement. The program honors U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and his wife, Maggie, for their lifetime of public service.
Former Inouye chairs include acclaimed political activist and author Angela Davis, ACLU National Legal Director David Cole, Pulitzer-prize winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen, and more.
The opening event, “On Earning Hope for the Future,” will be held on Sep. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Orvis Auditorium at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Click here to register and find more information.
Read more about past Dan and Maggie Inouye chairs here.