Madison Plemens-Schunk (they/them) is a Master’s candidate in Human Rights Studies at Columbia University who, prior to graduate school, spent two and a half years as Program Assistant for the University of Minnesota Human Rights Program, where they helped establish the Minnesota Human Rights Archive and rebuild the undergraduate human rights student group. Their current research centers on the role of dialogue in human rights education and organizing as a tool for fostering collective solidarity and encouraging people to be active participants in their own meaning-making, reflecting their belief that lifelong learning is essential to human rights activism. As a Kirby Edmonds Summer Fellow with HRE USA, Madison will creatively document the benefits and impact of human rights education and showcase HRE USA’s 15 years of accomplishments.
Background: Program Assistant for the University of Minnesota Human Rights Program, founder of the Minnesota Human Rights Archive
Degree: Master’s candidate in Human Rights Studies, Columbia University
Focus: The role of dialogue in human rights education and organizing as a tool for fostering collective solidarity and encouraging active participation in meaning-making
Experience: Deep background in human rights institutions in higher education
Edmonds Project: Creatively documenting the impact of human rights education and showcasing HRE USA’s 15 years of accomplishments
Read the full bio of our Edmonds Fellows at https://hreusa.org/current-fellows-and-research-scholars/ and explore the Training as Action Series project on our website to learn more about TAAS fundraising project at https://www.every.org/human-rights-educators/f/2026-27-training-as-action
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HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.