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Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards

To encourage a new generation of human rights activists, the Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards recognize youth leadership in the defense of, advocacy for, and awareness raising/promotion of awareness about human rights in the United States. The Awards are made annually to one individual and one group in the United States whose work explicitly or implicitly reflects and promotes human rights values. For more information about the Awards, please visit: HRE USA Youth in Action Awards website (En español). The 2024 Application nomination form will be made available in May 2024.

2023 YOUTH IN ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) is pleased to announce the winners of its newly established Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards. To encourage a new generation of human rights activists, the Awards recognize youth leadership in the defense of, advocacy for, and awareness of human rights in the United States. The Awards annually honor the work of both an individual and a group of young people of high school age. This year’s winners each received a $500 award and were recognized at HRE USA’s national Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
The 2023 individual awards go to two young activists, Reem Kamil Kirja, a student at Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa, and Clementine Causse, a student at Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades, California.

Before she even reached high school, Reem Kirja was an activist for equality. As a pre-teen she led an effort to include two of the holiest Muslim holidays in the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) calendar. After a four-year campaign, she achieved her goal and paved the way for the inclusion of other cultural/religious holidays such as Lunar New Year and Yom Kippur. An immigrant born in Sudan, Reem’s experience of discrimination has led her to give a voice to under-represented individuals in her school community. To create an equitable access to extracurricular activities, she and a friend started the West Student Fund, A scholarship-based program that offers financial aid to students who could not otherwise afford to participate in school sports and clubs.

Clementine Causse’s human rights advocacy started during her freshman year as an active member of the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force (HRWSTF). Throughout her four years of high school she has prioritized educating and inspiring individual and communal action against various human rights issues, especially the climate crisis. She has organized protests, led school-wide letter-writing campaigns, and headed the Pali Clean Energy Task Force, which encourages her school to keep its promises regarding renewable energy, climate education, and energy efficiency. She successfully advocated for the first-ever student resolution, which committed Palisades Charter High School to 100% renewable energy, climate education, and energy efficiency. Now a senior, she hopes to continue her studies in the environment and human rights in college.

The 2023 group awards go to Kittatinny Regional High School Holocaust and Genocide Resource Center in Kittatinny, NJ. Inspired by their study of Elie Wiesel’s Night, students wanted to know more about the Holocaust and other genocides and to do something, especially to educate others in their community. The result was the Resource Center, a dedicated space adjacent to the school library. In addition to books, films, and other resources, the Center includes student-created visuals such as a world map showing where genocides have occurred, a “Wall of Hope,” where people can leave encouraging messages and quotations, and exhibits by local artists, including a Holocaust survivor. More than just a location for learning, the Resource Center serves as a place of empowerment where students come together to do the hard work of making a difference here and now. They host many fundraisers to give to the less fortunate in their community. For their immediate school population, they have developed a “Take What You Need” corner, stocked with school supplies, hygiene necessities, and food for students who may not be able to afford them.

HRE USA is proud to honor these young peoplefor their dedication to furthering human rights principles in their community. 

Award videos:

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.