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A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

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Two new episodes with Human Rights Watch Student Task Force on Human Rights Education NOW!

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We are pleased to announce the availability of our latest installment of podcast episodes in Human Rights Education NOW! Human Rights Watch Student Task Force is a youth leadership-training program that brings together high school students with educators and empowers them to advocate for human rights issues, especially the rights of children. Pam Bruns is the Founder and Executive Director Emeritus. Kristin Ghazarians is the Senior Manager. Ren Zhang and Clementine Causse are two students working with the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force.

EPISODE 11: Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, Part One

In Episode 11, Pam Bruns details the origins of the HRW Student Task Force (STF), and Kristin Ghazarians discusses her interest in human rights and eventual engagement with STF. Pam, Clementine, and Ren share their initial interest in human rights work, while Ren and Clementine share their thoughts on the Task Force Student activism programs. Additionally, Pam and Kristin describe their experiences involving school faculty in STF activities, while Pam, Ren and Clementine discuss HRE professional development advances and challenges with faculty, administration and students. Finally, Clementine and Ren expound upon obstacles they have encountered in educating their peers about human rights and climate change.

Topics discussed:

  • Origins of the HRW Student Task Force
  • Interest in human rights and work with the STF
  • STF activism programs
  • Involvement of school faculty in STF activities
  • Professional development advance and challenges 
  • Obstacles in educating peers about human rights and climate change

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.



EPISODE 12: Human Rights Watch Student Task Force, Part Two

In Episode 12, Pam and Kristin discuss human rights and the intersection of local community issues, as well as deploying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a framework for rights conversations. They discuss making personal connections to human rights, and the integration of human rights vocabulary into conversations at home and at school. Ren and Clementine share their thoughts on the importance of humanizing rights issues by describing their experiences related to human rights. They go on to discuss the link between compassion and advocacy; strategies to advance faculty understanding of HRE; and the importance of ongoing professional development and self-study about HRE. Pam and Kristin provide strategies for advancing HRE in the US, while Clementine and Ren share their thoughts on infusing HRE at home through family conversations, and the significance of learning how to engage with people who disagree with one’s views. The group then identifies their most influential role models in HRE, as well as the importance of perseverance in human rights work. Lastly, they each reference an impactful quote which sums up their views about human rights, and an important action they think would advance HRE in the US.  

Topics discussed:

  • Human rights and the intersection of local community issues
  • UDHR as a framework for rights conversations
  • Personal connections to human rights 
  • Integration of human rights vocabulary into conversations at home and school
  • Importance of humanizing rights issues by sharing personal experience
  • Link between compassion and advocacy
  • Strategies to advance faculty understanding of HRE
  • Importance of ongoing professional development about HRE
  • Advancing HRE at home through family conversations
  • Importance of learning how to engage individuals with differing views
  • Influential role models in HRE and significant quotes summing up views on HRE
  • Ideas about important actions which would advance HRE in USA 

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Two new episodes with Sandy Sohot on Human Rights Education NOW!

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Sandy Sohcot is the Director of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB) since January 2014, which is now a program of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League.  In July 2001, Sohcot became Executive Director of the Rex Foundation and served as ED through 2013.  With an MBA in finance, she has worked on a managerial level since 1976, founding Sohcot Consulting in 1984.  As Principal of Sohcot Consulting, she provided planning, control, and project management expertise to businesses and not-for-profit organizations across a wide range of industries and service sectors.  Sohcot has been an active participant in the small business and women’s communities of San Francisco. She is past president of the San Francisco Small Business Network, Co-Founder of the Women’s Leadership Alliance, and past president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.  In July 1999, the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women honored her with their Women Who Make a Difference Award.  Sohcot has served as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in March 2004, and completed her term in September 2008.  Sohcot holds a California Lifetime Teaching Credential for Grades K-6.  

Episode 9: Sandy Sohcot, Part One

In Episode 9, Sandy Sohcot, founder and director of the The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program, discusses her initial interest in human rights, and her work with the Women’s Leadership Alliance. She shares her background as the Executive Director for the Rex Foundation, and about the creation of The World As It Could Be. She expounds upon the significance of using the arts to advance human rights education (HRE), and how projects can help students connect in a more visceral way to human rights issues. She touches on the problem of cutting funding for arts education in the USA, and the importance of having administrator advocates in promoting arts and HRE. She then shares a bit about her work with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the ongoing obstacle to using human rights language in public forums. She further explains the importance of creating language that connects HRE to social justice movements  – emphasizing how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights relates to local issues and can be useful in advancing grassroots activism.

Topics discussed:

  • Initial interest in human rights
  • Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to HRE
  • Work as the Executive Director for the Rex Foundation
  • Creation of The World As It Could Be
  • Significance of arts in education and its role in advancing HRE
  • Work with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission
  • HRE and its connections to social justice movements

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE. Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Episode 10: Sandy Sohcot, Part Two

In Episode 10, Sandy Sohcot, founder and director of the The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program, shares more about her work with the Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to human rights education (HRE). She discusses her ideas around what she thinks ought to be future priorities in human rights education, as well as collaborations between HRE and social justice organizations. In addition, Sandy shares her ideas around the importance of forging links between HRE and social and emotional learning. She discusses co-authoring a book chapter with Rosemary Blanchard in Mindful Social Studies, and how Eleanor Roosevelt has been her most influential role model. Sandy shares her thoughts around one critical change she thinks would help advance human rights education, and what she sees as the federal government’s weak commitment to educating about human rights. Finally, Sandy shares a 2nd grade project as an example of how educators can integrate human rights education to help young people learn about human rights from an early age.  

Topics discussed:

  • Work with Women’s Leadership Alliance and connections to HRE
  • Future priorities of HRE and collaboration with social justice movements
  • Forging links between HRE and social emotional learning 
  •  Co-authored chapter in Mindful Social Studies
  • Eleanor Roosevelt as a role model for HRE
  • Federal government’s weak commitment to HRE
  • 2nd grade project highlighting the importance of HRE integration

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.Listen on our Buzzsprout podcast website HERE.

Disrupting the Grade Imperative in Education Through Critical Pedagogies Embedded into Human Rights Focused Literary Study (71201)

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Session Information: Interdisciplinary Education
Session Chair: Gray Felton

Monday, 19 June 2023 13:55
Session: Session 4
Room: Room B (Live Stream)
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation

This paper presents the story of what happened when I incorporated critical pedagogical practices embedded within a human rights focused unit of study into my literature classroom and examined the effect it had on my students’ perceptions regarding the purpose of their education. After providing a theoretical framework, positioning my study within existing research, and outlining my study, I then explain my methods for selecting research participants and gathering data, ultimately concluding with implications. This study took place within a highly competitive educational system embedded within a Korean American international school setting where grades, GPA ranking, and admissions into Ivy League institutions are perceived by most students to be the fundamental purpose of education. My study broadly begins by examining the learning environment, perceptions, and practices of one class as a whole, eventually narrowing my research to be focused on one student. This student’s story demonstrates that even within highly competitive schooling environments, where the purpose of learning has largely been reduced to rote memorization and GPA ranking, the introduction of critical pedagogies, within a human rights focused unit of study has the potential to disrupt paradigms surrounding the purpose of education; raise critical consciousness; and possibly foster transformative learning, leading to a greater sense of purpose regarding education as a means of connection to the world beyond the self.

Authors:
Jessica Terbrueggen, Teachers College Columbia University, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Ms Jessica Terbrueggen is a School Teacher/Instructor at On sabbatical year doing consulting work in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

Full Monday livestream schedule 

Information on how to attend the livestream sessions

Unicorn Authors: The Changemaker Authors Cohort 

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The program offers up to one year of intensive coaching and writing support to movement leaders, activists, and organizers. Selected applicants will be fully supported in 2023–24 to make significant progress with their project, which can include manuscript completion or having a submittable manuscript or book proposal ready.

We welcome applications from people working toward racial and social justice (for example: activists, organizers, popular educators) who:

  • Are not full-time writers.
  • Have a book in progress or a well-developed book idea.
  • Will consistently set aside time for their writing and attend online coaching appointments, cohort meetings, and a mid-year 5-day writing retreat.
  • Have a history of making community change and working on social justice issues.


>> Learn more and apply

The Peace Studio Fellowship

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September 2023 – September 2024, Kick-off Retreat: September 10th – 14th, 2023

The Peace Studio Fellowship is a year-long program advancing artists and journalists in becoming effective peacebuilders. This year, five artists and five journalists will be awarded a $10,000 grant to support socially transformative initiatives.

In addition to this monetary support, the cohort is granted access to The Peace Studio’s “Skills for Creative Peacebuilding” curriculum, as well as guided workshops, career development resources, and connection to a network of like-minded change makers. All fellows will be matched to a respective artist or journalist in an effort to facilitate thought partnership and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Peace Studio believes that a commitment to peacebuilding is living with intention and being accountable for the impact we have on ourselves, our family, our community and others. Leveraging the unique skills and platforms of artists and journalists we can work towards a better future.

Applications close Friday, June 16, 2023 9pm (ET)

>> Learn more and apply

Building Hopes: Engaged Educators Change the World Podcast

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Episode 3. Human Rights Education and Transformative Pedagogy in Higher Education

Guest: Felisa Tibbitts

Felisa Tibbitts is Chair in Human Rights Education, Utrecht University and UNESCO Chair of Human Rights in Higher Education. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field of human rights education. In 1996, she co-founded the Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), a global human rights education center based in the USA with human rights training programs around the world.  In this episode, we ask her about her personal experience and why and how she applies critical and transformative pedagogy when teaching human rights and peace education at Teachers College, Colombia University, USA, to students coming from all over the world.

Listen to the episode at:

>> RWI
>> Spotify
>> SoundCloud

Volunteers needed for UDHR75 campaign and Human Rights Education Now! Podcast

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We are looking for volunteers to work on UDHR75 promotional materials, events, and campaigns this Summer and Fall 2023!

Contact Jessica Terbrueggen (terbrueggenj@gmail.com) to learn more and apply.

Human Rights Education Now! Podcast
Social Media and Communications Intern 

Human Rights Education Now! is a podcast that aims to (1) inform a broader audience in the U.S. and internationally about human rights education (HRE) stories, practices, related issues, and theories, (2) expand awareness and knowledge about HRE USA and its programs, and (3) engage partner individuals, groups and organizations in changing the conversation about rights in the U.S. to one employing a human rights education lens. The content includes individual narratives of experienced HRE practitioners, theorists, scholars, students, and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) advocates. 

*Note: this is an online and unpaid volunteer opportunity. Current undergraduate students studying Communications or Advertising are strongly encouraged to apply.

Internship Duration: June 1st, 2023 – August 25th, 2023 with the opportunity to continue through the fall semester if desired. Availability during the first week of each month is mandatory to correlate with episode release dates.

To Apply: email your resume and a brief cover letter indicating your interest, availability, and why you are a good fit for this opportunity to terbrueggenj@gmail.com. Application accepted on a rolling basis.

Join HRE USA Steering Committee!

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Help shape the future of human rights education. Nominate yourself or a colleague to join our HRE USA Steering Committee.

Our rules call for the election every summer of new Steering Committee members to replace retiring members. This year there are 3 open seats to be filled, and we invite all members to make nominations for their replacements. You may nominate yourself or anyone who fits the criteria for membership and can fulfill the responsibilities of Steering Committee members!

Brief biographies of current Steering Committee members can be viewed here. A ballot will be sent to all HRE USA members in July.

Elected Steering Committee members will serve a three-year term beginning in August 2023.

DEADLINE: Monday, JULY 10, 2023

>> Learn more

>> Nomination Form

For further inquiries, please contact Kristi Rudelius-Palmer at kristi@hreusa.org.

We are grateful for the generous support of our members, individual donors, and The Puffin Foundation Ltd
The core values of HRE USA and its partner organizations include transparency and critical thinking skills. We believe that human rights--and human rights education--belong to everyone, and that the full realization of human rights means that access to human rights education materials must never be conditioned upon the subscription to any particular religious faith, ideology, political affiliation, or membership in any particular organization and that any organizational connections should be openly acknowledged.