Session with Gay J. McDougall
Connect, learn, and grow through expert-led group mentorship.
Session Description
My work has challenged inequality along the fault-lines of race, gender and economic exploitation in the American context and in countries around the world. I served as Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination on which I served for 12 years. I recently served as the CERD Rapporteur on Reparations. In 2005, I was appointed the first UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues in which capacity she traveled to 14 countries to report on their laws and practices affecting the rights of minority groups. Earlier I served on the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights as the Rapporteur on sexual slavery during wartime. I spent 15 years working closely with lawyers in South Africa and Namibia supporting their work to secure the release of thousands of political prisoners during the apartheid era. Because of those efforts, I was appointed as one of only 5 non-South Africans to sit on the electoral commission that in 1994 ran the first democratic elections in South Africa that ended apartheid and installed Nelson Mandela as president. For 14 years I was executive director of Global Rights, which worked with human rights advocates in 10 countries around the world to develop their strategies for justice. I was a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius” Award in 1999 for my human rights work and in 2015 the Government of South Africa awarded me their national medal of honor for non-citizens, the Order of O.R. Tambo Medal, for extraordinary contributions to ending apartheid. I received a J.D. from Yale Law School and LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. I have honorary Doctor of Law degrees from nine universities including the University to Witwatersrand (South Africa) and the University of London.
Upcoming Sessions
Cancellation Policy
Booking & Cancellation Policy 1. Booking eligibility Booking is open to registered members aged 18 and over who have created a free account and completed their profile. Profile completion is required before any session can be booked. 2. How booking works Mentors generously volunteer their time and pre-identify their availability on the site. Available slots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and group sessions are capped at five mentees to keep conversations small and substantive. You are welcome to book as many available sessions as you wish, with as many different mentors as you like. 3. Cancellations If you are unable to attend a session you have booked, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the session is due to begin. Cancelling in good time allows your place to be released to another mentee and respects the time of our mentors, who give it freely. 4. No-shows and late cancellations Failure to cancel at least 24 hours in advance, as well as failing to attend a session you have booked (a "no-show"), will result in your booking privileges being suspended. If your privileges are suspended, you will not be able to book further sessions until you have contacted the BASIL team to have your access restored. 5. Genuine circumstances We understand that emergencies and unavoidable situations arise. If something unexpected prevents you from attending, please get in touch with us at basil@konseye.org and we will do our best to work with you. 6. A note on respect and community These sessions are built on the generosity of mentors and the shared commitment of our members. We ask that you book thoughtfully, attend the sessions you commit to, and arrive ready to engage respectfully, so that this remains a valuable and sustainable space for everyone.