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TAAS Module 2: Election Protection Training: Protecting Access to the Right to Vote

by hreusaSeptember 22, 2026Leave a comment

The 2026–2027 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Voices for Justice: Human Rights, Civic Action & Creative Resistance.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as immigration reform, protecting democracy, protest rights, and various forms of creative resistance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action.
Those who attend six or more sessions will receivea certificate from HRE USA. 2026-27 TAAS Flyer

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Online book launch: Disciplinary Frontiers of Human Rights in Higher Education

by hreusaSeptember 21, 2026Leave a comment

Please join us for the online book launch of Disciplinary Frontiers of Human Rights in Higher Education (Cambridge University Press, 2026).

HREA Director Felisa Tibbitts, along with co-editors Cher Weixia Chen (George Mason University) and Jonathan Liljeblad (Australian National University), will present their new book that explores human rights education across 13 disciplines and professional studies areas.

In an era of multi-disciplinary human rights centres, the book presents how higher education is creatively engaging in human rights scholarship and teaching.

The online book launch will take place on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 9 EDT/15 CET. Please register here to receive a link.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Depolarizing Beliefs through Paradoxical Thinking

by hreusaSeptember 18, 2026Leave a comment

How can we maintain a multiple perspective under pressure? In times of great uncertainty and insecurity strong beliefs can easily become radical and dogmatic and fuel polarization. These beliefs – ideological, political, philosophical, moral, religious or a mix of all these elements – will be contagious and divisive, not only creating ardent supporters but also opponents with equally strong counter-beliefs.

In this context it will be challenging to maintain a multiple perspective. How do we keep our heads cool and mind open if we are under pressure? How can we stick to our ability to hold opposing ideas and avoid being drawn in destructive polarized cycle?

In our autumn webinar of the European Paradox Academy we will explore how paradoxical thinking can help us understand the mechanics of belief-based polarization and provide practical ways to transform it into respectful dialogue, understanding and connection.

We (Lotte Lüscher and Ivo Brughmans) are delighted to have an in-depth conversation on this topic with San Francisco based Human Rights educator and nonprofit leader Sandy Sohcot and Melbourne based artist and educational film maker Bruno Annetta. By doing so we will connect people and ideas of three continents.

Wednesday September 30, 2026 at 10:30am (Pacific)/1:30pm (Eastern), virtual

>> Learn more and sign up

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Greater Than the Sum of our Parts: Lessons from an Inter-field Collaboration in Parkersburg, WV

by hreusaSeptember 17, 2026Leave a comment

Sep 23, 2026 12:00 PM in Central Time (US and Canada)

Join us to explore how bridging, organizing, and participatory democracy can add up to more than the sum of their parts. What happens when bridging, community organizing, and participatory democracy work together? The Civic Action Lab (previously known as the SHIFT Action Lab) put this question to the test through a year-long pilot in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The Parkersburg Engagement Project leveraged these three approaches to engage hundreds of residents to take on the issue of substance use. This webinar builds on a recent article in the National Civic Review, which explores the pilot in depth — including key moments where each field’s unique skills proved indispensable. In this webinar, we’ll explore lessons from the Parkersburg Engagement Project and how bridging, organizing, and participatory democracy helped strengthen leadership, navigate challenges, gather community input, and turn more than 500 ideas into a community-driven action plan.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Masterpeace Foundation & SIMA Academy: International Day of Peace 2026

by hreusaSeptember 16, 2026Leave a comment

Every September 21st, people across the world pause for something rare: a shared moment dedicated purely to peace.

This year, MasterPeace Foundation and SIMA Academy are joining forces to mark the International Day of Peace with something a little different — a global film screening initiative that uses the power of storytelling to bring people closer together.

Movies have a strange kind of magic. A story told well can make a stranger’s struggle feel like your own, can turn statistics into faces, and can open a conversation that would otherwise never happen. That’s the idea behind this year’s campaign: instead of just talking about peace, we want communities to sit down together, watch, feel, and talk — really talk — about what peace means where they live.

This isn’t a one-city event. It’s designed to happen in living rooms, community centers, schools, and public squares, wherever people are willing to gather. Local partners and MasterPeace clubs will choose films that speak to their own context — stories about reconciliation, climate resilience, gender equity, migration, or simply what it looks like when ordinary people choose dialogue over division.

>> Learn more and join the campaign

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Zinn Education Project: Latinx Heritage Month: Teach Outside the Textbook

by hreusaSeptember 16, 2026Leave a comment

When we talk about American history, too often we forget that the Americas includes more than the United States.

Latinx (also called Latine) Heritage Month is a good time to remember how all Americans are part of an interconnected history. That is especially true today, when millions of immigrants from the Americas are being slandered and criminalized by the current administration. People have fled their homes in Mexico, Central, and South America often because of decades of U.S. military, economic, and climate policies that have exploited people and turned so many into refugees. And let’s remember, too, that much of the United States used to be Mexico, and that Mexicans have a history that stretches back to before there even was a United States.

In response to the disruptions wrought by U.S. policy, people throughout the Americas have sought to build lives of dignity in their original homelands, and also here. Whether we think of the Cuban Revolution, the election of the socialist Salvador Allende in Chile, the union activism of U.S. farmworkers, the Chicano student blowouts in East L.A., or today’s struggles against the racism and lawlessness of ICE — Latinx Heritage Month means we should teach about everyone’s work for justice. We offer free lessons and recommendations for books and films, including the titles below.>> See all resources

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

The Human Rights Careers Academy is now live

by hreusaSeptember 15, 2026Leave a comment

A new place for practical, self-paced learning in human rights

We are happy to share that the Human Rights Careers Academy is now open. It is a new learning space where we bring together practical courses to help you build skills, strengthen your applications and grow in your human rights career.

At the moment, the Academy includes three courses: Becoming a Human Rights Educator, Tailoring Your CV to Human Rights Jobs and Writing a Cover Letter for Human Rights Jobs.

Who should join?

The Academy is designed for aspiring and current human rights professionals at different stages of their journey. You may be preparing for your first role, trying to strengthen your applications, exploring a career change or looking for a more focused way to develop your professional profile.

You do not need to start from zero. Your experience already contains skills that are valuable in human rights work. The Academy helps you identify, develop and communicate them more clearly.

If you would like to join us early, you can get lifetime access for a one-time payment of $79. This includes all three courses, downloadable workbooks and templates, certificates, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

If it sounds useful to you, we would love to welcome you inside.

Visit the Academy →

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Smithsonian: Hispanic Heritage Month

by hreusaSeptember 14, 2026Leave a comment

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. While we celebrate Hispanic and Latino communites beyond this month, from September 15 to October 15 we give extra recognition to the many contributions made to the history and culture of the United States, including important advocacy work, vibrant art, popular and traditional foods, and much more.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. It began as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Johnson and was expanded to a month by President Reagan 20 years later in 1988. The month-long celebration provides more time to properly recognize the significant contributions Hispanic/Latino Americans have made in the United States.

Hispanic Heritage Month does not cover one single month but instead begins in the middle of September and ends in the middle of October. The timeframe of this month is significant because many Central American countries celebrate their independence days within these dates, beginning on September 15 with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. By aligning with these independence dates, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the resilience and determination of the Hispanic community. Key Independence Days celebrated within Hispanic Heritage Month include:

September 15 – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
September 16 – Mexico
September 18 – Chile
September 21 – Belize

>> Access resources and see upcoming events

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

Teaching for Black Lives Study Groups: Apply Today!

by hreusaSeptember 12, 2026Leave a comment

Are educators at your school or district looking for meaningful professional development and a supportive learning community?

Form a Teaching for Black Lives study group in your school, district, or statewide! You’ll receive support, resources, and encouragement to teach young people honestly about systemic racism and how to organize for justice. Educators report that the study groups not only deepen their knowledge and improve their practice — they also increase their resolve to continue teaching honestly. And they provide a community of accountability and mutual support.

Every group receives:

Teaching for Black Lives book copies
Rethinking Schools subscriptions
Study guides
Access to a network of social justice educators
and more!

Here are a few comments from past participants:

This Teaching for Black Lives study group is a place of refuge and also a source of strength to fight back.

Having a space where a group of us dedicate time and energy to tending our anti-racist and anti-bias muscles in service of our students and families, ourselves and our communities, is life-sustaining work! It’s one of the most meaningful parts of my work.

This Teaching for Black Lives book study was an important entry point to starting difficult conversations when facing the realities of our students. We read, we learned, we confronted realities, we identified barriers, and we brought our learnings together to develop solutions we could implement at our school.

These study groups are a project of the Zinn Education Project, coordinated by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change.

HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.