hreusa

Missed the 2021 Human Rights Day Celebration? Watch a recording of it here!

As we carry out our work to have Human Rights Education (HRE) become an integral part of U.S. public education standards and curricula, we believe it is vital to also articulate the connection between HRE and social justice advocacy. Recognizing and valuing these connections can help strengthen collaborations and clarify that all of us working in these arenas have common goals for positive social change that furthers equality, equity, justice and dignity for all people.

HRE and its connection to social justice advocacy:
Universal human rights are the bedrock principles that underlie all racial and social justice movements. The universal human rights principles, spelled out in such documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as expounded by HRE, provide practical and well-established legal and ethical foundations for use by all social justice movements, worldwide. When referenced and followed, universal human rights principles provide standards and norms that are invaluable tools to support social justice advocates in their struggles to overcome white supremacy and other oppressive ideologies.

Example of connection between HRE and Social Justice Advocacy: Our Human Right to participate in our government, secured through protecting the right to vote:
UDHR Article 21 states the following:
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his/her country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his/her country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Social Justice advocates like Stacey Abrams, her supporters at Fair Fight, as well as members of the
NAACP, Common Cause and Brennan Center for Justice, are among the many who are striving to ensure that every person can exercise their right to vote. The importance of this work could be further amplified by including reference to the significance of voting as a universal human right belonging to every human being, identifying the gaps that exist in preventing people from exercising each part of UDHR Article 21, and pointing to how each social justice effort is vital to closing these gaps.

Visit this page to get up to date on the latest HRE USA news.

November 16, 2021

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) announced today the winners of its 2021 O’Brien Award for Human Rights Education. Dr. Keith David Watenpaugh, Professor and Founding Director of Human Rights Studies at the University of California, Davis, is the recipient of the O’Brien Award for individual achievement. Executive Director Kate English will accept the O’Brien Award for organizational achievement on behalf of Educators Institute for Human Rights of Washington, DC.

Established in 2015 in memory of Edward O’Brien, pioneer human rights educator, the O’Brien Awards annually honor an individual and an organization that have made an outstanding contribution to human rights education in the United States. The 2021 awards will be presented as part of HRE USA’s Human Rights Day Celebration on Friday, December 10, at 3:30 EST.

Keith David Watenpaugh

2021O’Brien Award for Individual Achievement

A leading historian of human rights, Keith David Watenpaugh has led important educational initiatives at UC Davis and in collaboration with partners in the Middle East, efforts to advance the human rights of refugee students, including the Article 26 Backpack Project, an award-winning, cloud-based mobility tool that empowers refugees to safely store, curate, and securely share important educational and training documents. His dedication to expanding human rights education inspired him to build the UC Davis Human Rights Studies Program, the largest program of its kind in the University of California system.

One nominator has said of him: “Dr. Watenpaugh’s commitment to participatory student involvement in the construction and implementation of the Article 26 Backpack has impressed me most deeply. … [H]e prioritizes the engagement of students as peers, mentors, and leaders in the operations of Backpack.”

A colleague has said of him: “Watenpaugh founded the UC Davis ‘Human Rights Initiative’[because he was] inspired by a profound commitment to establish Human Rights as a central intellectual and ethical concern” on campus. … His courses provide a foundation at the general education level for human rights history, theory and practice for more students from diverse backgrounds in one year (1000+) than faculty in my program reach over four years. Moreover, he has led the first successful institutionalization of Human Rights Education in the UC system.”

Educators Institute for Human Rights (EIHR),

2021 O’Brien Award for Organizational Achievement

Human rights education is the foundation of Educators Institute for Human Rights (EIHR). Founded by teachers for teachers, EIHR provides training, develops materials, and supports networks of educators globally to work together to teach the history of mass atrocities, including the Holocaust. In the face of rising violent extremism and hate-filled rhetoric, educators in the United States and across the globe look to EIHR as a resource for prevention, response, and rebuilding community, as well as materials, and support to teach the next generation about these subjects responsibly and confidently. Based on five continents, staff members are able to provide a uniquely global perspective to this work.

One nominator observed, ”Unfortunately, in the United States, the topic of human rights is often viewed as an issue that impacts other parts of the world, not our own country. … Students need to be provided with opportunities and resources for frank examination and discussion of inequities and inequalities in our country. EIHR provides both and highlights the connections between historical events across centuries and continents. With this context and perspective, our students will be better prepared to take on the challenges of being a responsible and active global citizen.”

HRE USA is proud to honor Keith David Watenpaugh and Educators Institute for Human Rights for their commitment and service to human rights education in the United States.

• Learn more about HRE USA
• Learn more about the Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards
• Learn more about
  • Keith David Watenpaugh: https://human-rights.ucdavis.edu/people/keith-watenpaugh
  • The UC Davis Human Rights Program: https://human-rights.ucdavis.edu
  • The Article 26 Backpack Project: https://backpack.ucdavis.edu
• Learn more about Educators Institute for Human Rights: http://www.eihr.org
• Learn more about the HRE USA’s virtual 2021 Human Rights Day Celebration.

The 2021 Flowers Fund Grantees are NATALIA SANTOS OROZCO, Ph. D. (University of Puerto Rico) and MICHAEL BUCKLEY, Ph.D. AND DAVID FLETCHER, Ph.D. (The Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies, Lehman College). Read more about their projects here.

Announcing the 2021 Recipients of the UCCHRE Human Rights in Higher Education Award

The University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education (UCCHRE) announced the winners of its first Human Rights in Higher Education Award, which recognizes an individual, organization, initiative, or publication for its outstanding contribution to human rights education. The recipients for 2021 are two distinguished journals in the field: the Human Rights Education Review and the International Journal of Human Rights Education. As editors-in-chief, Audrey Osler, Professor of Education at the University of South-Eastern Norway, and Monisha Bajaj, Professor of International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco, will accept the award on behalf of their respective publications. 

The first international award in human rights education, the Human Rights in Higher Education Award, promotes work that embodies human rights principles and practices in teaching, learning, research, policies, and practices. The University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education works to further human rights learning, research, policy, and practices within and across university and college communities through collaboration.

For more about Human Rights Education Review: https://humanrer.org/index.php/human/about

For more about the International Journal of Human Rights Education: https://repository.usfca.edu/ijhre

Produced by CIVICUS and VUKA!, the Know Your Rights guide answers over 20 common questions on which activities related to peaceful protests are protected under international law. It covers important issues such as legal policing practices, accountability mechanisms for violations, as well as practical information on equipment and location considerations for peaceful assemblies.

This guide is available in four languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic

Join us on December 10, 2021 (10-11am PST/1-2am EST) to learn about global human rights and generate action-oriented dialogue with community members. Register here!