Faculty Spotlight: Prof. Elisa Marchi

Jan. 28, 2025
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Elisa Marchi

In spring semester 2025, Dr. Elisa Marchi is teaching "Advocating for Indigenous Women’s Rights through the UN System,"  an innovative course crafted in direct response to Indigenous women leaders’ requests for empowerment and practical advocacy skills. Developed in collaboration with Land is Life, a leading NGO in Indigenous human rights, this course provides a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity.

Dr. Marchi is a longtime member of the Human Rights Practice faculty and a member of the Executive Committee. She recently completed three years as an external legal adviser to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, who was based at the University of Arizona.  

As part of her teaching responsibilities within the Human Rights Practice Program in the School of Global Studies, Dr. Marchi has taught Strategic Litigation and designed "Decolonization through Indigenous Ontologies," a cross-cutting course that explores decolonization frameworks by centering Indigenous worldviews, knowledge systems, and governance models.
 
She also designed, in collaboration with the Red de Mujeres Indígenas por la Biodiversidad (Indigenous Women Network for Biodiversity), the course "English for International Negotiations" to support Indigenous women in navigating and participating in international negotiations related to biodiversity, climate change, and environmental governance. By enhancing their language and negotiation skills, the course empowers Indigenous women to advocate effectively in high-level global forums, including UN processes and biodiversity conventions.
 
Dr. Marchi’s current work focuses on grievance mechanisms, environmental justice, and protected areas. She continues to actively collaborate on UN human rights mechanisms and treaty body reviews, including the development of parallel reports addressing human rights violations resulting from conservation measures.
 
You can read more about Dr. Marchi in her profile on the Human Rights Practice website