This year’s theme is Creative Resistance: Artivism, Technology and the Right to Dissent
Virtual and In-Person Registration Link
Hosted by the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton, SPHR26 will take place April 9–11, 2026, as a hybrid conference, welcoming both in-person and virtual participation. Each day features a keynote, plenaries, performances, workshops and concurrent roundtable discussions. There will be exhibits set up both physically and virtually throughout the conference for participants to engage with.
The Social Practice of Human Rights (SPHR) Conference convenes scholars, artists, activists, organizers and practitioners to examine how human rights are imagined, challenged and advanced in practice. In 2026, SPHR gathers at a moment of profound global tension and possibility; when dissent is increasingly criminalized, technologies both enable and constrain resistance, and creative practices have become vital tools for survival, solidarity and transformation.
SPHR26 explores how artivism, digital technologies, and creative forms of protest shape contemporary struggles for human dignity and justice. Across disciplines and movements, participants will interrogate how creative resistance confronts repression, mobilizes communities and reclaims public space; while also grappling with the risks, exclusions and ethical dilemmas that accompany these practices.
Of particular interest to you will be our workshop on human rights education sponsored by the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education (UCCHRE). The workshop will be held on April 10 from 10:30-12:30 EST. More information below. Mark your calendars!
Creating higher education spaces for human rights learning, voice, resilience and collective action in a turbulent world
Higher education, rights and democracy are threatened around the world, including in the United States. Higher education actors and institutions play an essential role in defending rights and shaping a democratic society.
During this workshop, we will examine rights-based academic freedom, activist educators’ pedagogies, and human rights changemaking innovations related to human rights education.
We will explore ways in which institutions, academics and students are engaging in and supporting human rights action in response to current threats. What shifts have occurred in the field of human rights learning and how can the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education (UCCHRE) members support each other, including through direct action?
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
HRE USA 