hreusa

Our hearts go out to the schoolchildren, teachers, families, and all those whose lives are being torn apart by the illegal and immoral war launched by the United States and Israel against the people of Iran. History teaches that the U.S. government cares nothing about democracy and human rights in the Middle East.

To help young people understand these events in context, teach about the 1953 U.S.- and Britain-orchestrated coup d’etat that toppled Iran’s democratically elected government. The Shah then took power and signed over 40 percent of Iran’s oil fields to U.S. companies.

Textbooks either ignore or minimize the impact of this history of imperialism, as high school teacher Ursula Wolfe-Rocca wrote in a critique:

American Journey says the CIA “backed” a coup in Iran; in reality that “backing” involved Kermit Roosevelt, CIA agent and grandson of Theodore, arriving in Tehran with suitcases full of cash to manufacture an opposition movement by hiring people to protest, bribing newspaper editors to print misinformation (real fake news), and creating a sham communist party to act as a straw man. American Journey says the Shah “cooperated” with the United States; it leaves out that such “cooperation” was defined by Iran’s purchase of billions of dollars of weapons from the United States as well as the CIA’s training of Savak, the Shah’s secret police force infamous for its human rights violations. Continue reading.

The same disinformation is perpetuated by politicians and corporate media today. For accurate news coverage, we recommend Democracy Now! Many of the interviews work well in the classroom.

For lessons on media literacy, find student-friendly articles at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. Norman Solomon’s book War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine and interviews offer clear analysis.>> See all resources 

• Teaching Activities (Free) Whose “Terrorism”?
• Teaching Guides Teaching About the Wars
• Teaching Guides Challenge Islamophobia
• Disguising Imperialism: How Textbooks Get the Cold War Wrong and Dupe Students
• Digital Collections The Costs of War

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

WEBINAR: Leveraging Global Human Rights to Protect our Cities 

Wednesday April 8, 6:00-7:15PM Eastern/ 3:00PM Pacific

Today in the United States we face a human rights emergency. The deployment of National Guard and ICE agents in major cities usurps the basic rights of residents as well as local authority. Rights to free speech and assembly are under attack, and courts are failing to hold leaders accountable to the law. The international human rights system can provide a court of appeal for situations like this. This panel of legal experts, advocates, and scholars will discuss how international human rights can be a tool for cities and local movements serving as the front line defenders of human rights. REGISTER HERE

Panelists:Lisa Borden, Deputy Federal Policy Director, Southern Poverty Law Center; Jamil Dakwar, Director, Human Rights Program, American Civil Liberties Union; Amy Berquist, Associate Program Director, International Justice Program, The Advocates for Human Rights (Minneapolis)Faciltiator: Manisha Desai, Director, Center for Changing Systems of Power at Stony Brook University & Board member, Human Rights Cities Alliance

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

Editor’s Note: STF collected more than 1,300 images of support, met with 7 consul generals and 4 US Congressional Representatives between 2013-2015, advocating for the Safe Schools Declaration.  March 12, 2026, Human Rights Watch: Reported findings that the United States is responsible for the recent deadly school attack in Iran, and that it was based on outdated targeting data, highlight the need for reform and accountability within the US military to minimize civilian harm during conflict, Human Rights Watch said today.The New York Times reported on March 11, 2026, that an ongoing US military investigation has preliminarily determined that the United States is responsible for a Tomahawk missile strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the town of Minab on February 28.“The findings of the US military investigation into the Minab school attack show a violation of the laws of war that cannot be boiled down to a blameless mistake,” said Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch. “Even if those responsible for the strike did not deliberately target a school full of children, the US military has an obligation to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm, which it clearly did not do in this case.”The New York Times reported that the investigation found that the attack was the result of a targeting mistake by the US military, which was carrying out strikes on an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base of which the school building had previously been a part. The report said that US Central Command officers created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.Iranian authorities told the New York Times that the attack killed at least 175 people, including scores of civilians. Human Rights Watch reviewed lists with dozens of names of children and adults reportedly killed in the attack, and was able to immediately match some names with ages and other identifying information on body bags and caskets.Under customary laws of war applicable to the armed conflict in Iran, an attacking force must do everything feasible to verify that targets are military objectives or cancel or suspend the attack if it becomes apparent that the target is not a military objective. The laws of war prohibit indiscriminate attacks, which include attacks that are not directed at a specific military objective. No evidence has been put forward suggesting that there was a military objective in or near the school grounds at the time of the attack.Even if the attackers were targeting a legitimate military target in the vicinity of the school, the laws of war prohibit attacks on military objectives if the anticipated harm to civilians and civilian objects is disproportionate compared to the expected military gain from the attack.Serious violations of the laws of war committed by individuals with criminal intent—that is, deliberately or recklessly—are war crimes. Investigations into the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school should consider all circumstances of the attack, including whether those responsible acted deliberately or recklessly, and what knowledge they would or should have had about the school before and during the attack, which took place during a school day.A government responsible for violating the laws of war is obligated to make full reparation for the loss, including compensation, rehabilitation, and other appropriate redress. Governments have an obligation to investigate and appropriately prosecute violations of international law, including war crimes, committed by their own forces. Those responsible for the Minab school attack should be held accountable, including through prosecutions where appropriate.US forces had improved targeting processes over recent years to minimize civilian harm, including relying on multiple intelligence sources, teams to advise on the civilian environment, and confirmation that the target is a lawful military objective before a strike is approved. If the attack on the military base in Minab relied on outdated or incomplete information about the site or if other changes in the targeting process resulted in less oversight of strikes, it suggests a breakdown in those safeguards.Congress should hold a hearing specifically to understand current US military processes to distinguish between civilians and combatants as required by international humanitarian law, including the role that any artificial intelligence or automated systems play in determining targets. The use of AI in military targeting decisions raises new risks for accountability in conflict. Military targeting decisions should not be made based solely on automated or AI-generated recommendations.“Accountability is not just about acknowledging what went wrong, but about ensuring that failures in intelligence, target verification, or decision-making are identified and fixed so this never happens again,” Yager said. “The United States should make the findings public, discipline or prosecute those responsible, and carry out reforms to ensure its forces are minimizing civilian harm to the greatest extent possible.”

Learn more:
www.hrwstf.org
HRW’s Middle East/North Africa Page

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

The Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map is the first comprehensive look at the universe of organizations promoting healthy democracy in America.

REGISTER FOR A WEBINAR:

 Wednesday, March 25th, 2:30 ET 

Join us for this interactive call where we’ll briefly demo new features of the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map, but spend most of our time exploring the question: What’s next for the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map?

We’ll ask participants to:

• Help prioritize future functionality and improvements
• Share ideas for how the Map could better support:
• Volunteerism and coordination
• Community responses to and resistance against political violence
• Get-out-the-vote and civic engagement efforts
• Consider whether and how features like signal/chat-based connections could responsibly support this work

This is a chance to help shape the Map’s evolution as a shared resource for the field. 

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

The Master of Science in Humanitarian Action is a 100% online career-building advanced degree within the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. This program is designed for both recent graduates and experienced professionals and provides the opportunity for students to learn from executive-level directors, experienced consultants and regional coordinators who work directly for humanitarian-related organizations.

This master’s program takes a multidisciplinary approach to prepare students to become the type of critical thinkers and humanitarian leaders who will help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Blending conflict analysis, transformation and social innovation with peacebuilding practices, the MS in Humanitarian Action intentionally dissolves the barriers between international humanitarian and domestic emergency management.

The 20-month program admits candidates throughout the year to begin their degree in either the Spring, Summer or Fall. Students will take two courses during each 14-week term, focusing on one 7-week course at a time. Course curriculum includes topics such as assessing humanitarian needs, aid delivery, management and logistics, leadership, effective communication, and more. The program culminates in a capstone simulation exercise where students will tackle a complex humanitarian emergency demonstrating their learned skills and knowledge in order to design, implement and evaluate creative solutions in a real-time scenario.

• Learning mode: Online
• Pace: Part-time
• Duration: 20 months
• Tuition fee: $21,300
• Application deadline(s): March 6, 2026 (Priority application deadline) / April 3, 2026 (Final application deadline)

>> Learn more

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

For International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we offer a collection of resources, beginning with women in labor history. These women are often missing from textbooks and the media despite the diverse roles women have played to organize, unionize, rally, document, and inspire workers to fight for justice.

Resources include 

• Recording: Lessons in Liberation
• Women & Gender Toolkit From the SNCC Legacy Project
• Teaching With Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
• Seneca Falls Lesson: Women Organize for Equality

>> See all resources

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

Please join us to explore our understanding of democracy through an intergroup dialogue lens. This week’s focus will be on Freedom of Speech

Democracy Dialogues

6 sessions, join anytime!

One Friday a month 8am – 9:30am Pacific Time

Next session: Friday, March 27, 2026, 8:00 AM 9:30 AM (PT)

Action and Concluding Dialogue

All are welcome

Register here

Donations welcome to support this effort! Please Support Our Work

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

Our nation’s 250th anniversary challenges us to imagine and build a more inclusive and resilient democracy for the next generation and beyond.

The new Learning for Justice Anthology examines the foundations and future of democracy in the United States and education’s crucial role in building a more inclusive multiracial society that expands opportunities for civic and political participation.

This first volume of the new Learning for Justice Anthology examines the foundations and future of democracy in the United States and education’s crucial role in building a more inclusive multiracial society that expands opportunities for civic and political participation. This volume offers articles to frame the conversation, an introductory civics and democracy course and additional resources for learning and teaching.

Access the full Learning for Justice Anthology

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

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is pleased to open applications for the 2026 editions of its United Nations Young Leaders Training Programme, a 4-week online course introducing youth worldwide to the work and values of the United Nations.

The programme combines self-paced modules with expert-led webinars and e-workshops. Participants engage with UN officials and practitioners as they explore the UN system, multilateral conferences, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These sessions offer a clear and practical introduction to how international organizations operate. Across four weeks, participants develop skills in communication, negotiation, leadership, and global citizenship. Training in UN career development, Model United Nations (MUN), and conference diplomacy supports young leaders in navigating academic and professional pathways within international affairs. 

Each edition admits a maximum of 30 participants. Limited scholarships are available. 

Programme Dates 

➤ January Edition: 12 January – 6 February 2026 
➤ April Edition: 13 April – 8 May 2026 
➤ June Edition: 8 June – 3 July 2026 
➤ August Edition: 27 July – 21 August 2026 

Corresponding registration links are available under Programme Dates on the programme webpage. 

For information about content, tuition, requirements, or scholarships, contact multilateralism@unitar.org. 

>> Apply or learn more at the official programme website

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

This month, UHRI is proud to release 30 Rights in Motion, a video series based on the concept and craft of Michele Bury to bring the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life. Check it out, and share it to help the light of the Declaration burn stronger in these darkening times. We are excited to be sharing it at the upcoming Virtual Human RIghts Summit and to work with youth to create their own actions for human rights! (more information below)

Special thank you to Michele Bury and Malcolm Wright for creating this special project together.

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