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A network dedicated to building a culture of human rights

Category: News and Updates

2023 YOUTH IN ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

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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 will receive a $500 award and be recognized at HRE USA’s national Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, December 7, at 4:00 p.m. ET.*
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 people for their dedication to furthering human rights principles in their community. 

*Register for the virtual Human Rights Day celebration at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsfumgpzguH9NIpwGToV_nXoe0ET3YFinL#/registration

For more information:

Youth in Action for Human Rights Awards

Human Rights Educators USA: Dr. Alex Red Corn Receives 2023 O’Brien Award for Human Rights Education

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November 29, 2023

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) announced today the winner of its 2023 O’Brien Award for Human Rights Education, Dr. Alex Red Corn, Coordinator for Indigenous Partnerships and Co-Chair Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance at Kansas State University.

Established in 2015 in memory of Edward O’Brien, pioneer human rights educator, the O’Brien Awards annually honor outstanding contributions to human rights education (HRE) in the United States. The 2023 award will be presented to Dr. Red Corn as part of HRE USA’s virtual Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, December 7, at 4:00 ET.* 

Alex Red Corn, 2023 O’Brien Award Winner 

Dr. Alex Red Corn is a citizen of the Osage Nation in what is now Oklahoma. He is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Kansas State University (K-State) in what is now the state of Kansas, historically home to many Native nations. Dr. Red Corn specializes in teaching qualitative research courses and shares his research about the needs of American Indians in education in the university setting and well beyond. 

In addition to his full-time university position, he serves as Executive Director of the Kansas Association for Native American Education (KANAE), whose mission “is to support, promote, and advocate for the unique educational needs of American Indian/Alaska Native students, families, nations and educators in Kansas.” He has collaboratively created the Osage Nation Educational Leadership Academy, and he serves as the K-State Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance co-chair. He is also the Chair of the new Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education Working Group (KACIE-WG). 

Dr. Red Corn’s passion for advocacy and education has taken him across Kansas as well as across the country. He has helped current and future educators reexamine curriculum and resources to dispel myths and reframe thinking by including past and present Native American contexts. His work clearly reflects his belief in education as a means for social change. He has said, “Once people start learning and peeling back the labels, that’s when the actual change starts to occur.” 

One nominator said of him, “He brings together communities to learn [and] urges educators to move beyond land acknowledgements to taking action: ‘Do you actually want to improve learning about Indigenous peoples and nations? Or are you just trying to check a diversity box? To go beyond the acknowledgement and make them meaningful, we need to have action to go with it.’” 

Dr. Red Corn’s own words best summarize his dedication to this work: “Just as our ancestors have always done, we are persistent in asserting our rights to exist as a people. Our persistence must triumph [over] the pernicious status quo we are constantly enduring, because our future depends on it. So we press on.” 

HRE USA is proud to honor Alex Red Corn for his commitment and service to human rights education in the United States. 

*The HRE USA Human Rights Day Celebration on December 7, 2023 at 4 pm ET: Registration link.

Learn more about –

HRE USA: https://hreusa.org 

O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards: https://hreusa.org/awards-and-grant-opportunities/edward-obrien-award/

Press release contact: nancymaryflowers@gmail.com

Ignite and Unite for Human Rights!

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Human Rights Educators USA depends on thousands of volunteer hours every year and generous contributions from members and supporters. To sustain this vibrant and essential network, we aim to raise $20,000 by the 75th Anniversary of the UDHR on Human Rights Day 2023!

This is how you can support:
Ignite our campaign by donating here: https://lnkd.in/eKPXmf49
Unite by joining our membership here: https://lnkd.in/eGN8bFkB
Share this with your family and friends to magnify our efforts!

Social media image with donation link attached below + shareable letter linked here: https://lnkd.in/e8rBfHPB

Also, join us December 7th at 4 pm ET at our Human Rights Day Celebration! Register here: https://lnkd.in/eNuRaF88

Thank you so very much for your support!

Human Rights Educators USA Honors William Fernekes

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November 27, 2023

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) announced today a special lifetime achievement award in honor of Dr. William R. Fernekes, a pioneer leader in human rights education. A dedicated educator, generous and serious scholar, and passionate activist, he has touched and inspired many lives. HRE USA will honor Dr. Fernekes at both the Human Rights Concert at the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, November 30th at the Omni Hotel at 8:00 p.m. Central and the virtual 75th Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, December 7, at 4:00 p.m. ET.*

Since the 1980s Dr. Fernekes has worked tirelessly to teach about and create infrastructure for human rights education (HRE) in every aspect of his professional life. Starting as a social studies teacher and department supervisor at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in New Jersey, he became an early advocate for HRE at the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) and Amnesty International, and was a founding member and remains a long-time leader of HRE USA. He has presented at and organized a multiplicity of educational conferences and introduced a new course on Human Rights and Education at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. At HRE USA he has overseen the Curriculum Integration Project, which includes 20 lessons created, field-tested, revised and published on the HRE USA website. Most recently he has served as host of the new HRE USA podcast, Human Rights Education. NOW!, which interviews prominent human rights educators.

As a scholar Dr. Fernekes has written and edited numerous publications, many in journals such as Social Education (1985, 1992, 2015). His books include Children’s Rights: A Reference Handbook (1986), co-authored with Beverly C. Edmonds, The Human Rights Imperative in Teacher Education: Developing Compassion, Understanding and Advocacy, co-edited with Gloria T. Alter (2022), and most recently Clifford Case and the Challenge of Liberal Republicanism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023). He has also spearheaded efforts through Amnesty International, NCSS, and HRE USA to bring HRE-related resources to educators across the country. 

Dr. Fernekes’ work has inspired numbers of educators in New Jersey and beyond, and by proxy, hundreds, if not thousands of their students, to bring not only human rights content, but also human rights principles into both their classrooms and their lives. As one nominator observed, ”Bill has been an exemplary model of professionalism, dedication, and principle in the work that educators can do to further promote human rights in their classrooms and their greater communities….[W]ithout him, I know my home state of NJ would not be anywhere near where it is at this moment in human rights education.”

Another nominator said, “ Dr. Fernekes is one of the most dedicated and generous people I know. He will take on leadership roles and do the hard work to create organizations, new programs, classes, and structures to support human rights education. His body of work and disposition exemplifies a life-time commitment to human rights education.”

HRE USA is proud to honor William Fernekes for his years of commitment and service to human rights education in the United States. 

  • The Nashville Human Rights Concert on November 30, 2023 at 8 pm Central: More details.
  • The HRE USA Human Rights Day Celebration on December 7, 2023 at 4 pm ET: Registration link.

Dignity, Freedom & Justice for All: A Human Rights Concert 

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Co-hosted by Amnesty International Nashville and Human Rights Educators USA

November 30, 2023, 8-10 pm

Location: Omni Nashville Hotel (Legends Ballroom E)

Please join us for an evening of music and celebration with inspiring Nashville musicians!  Together, we will honor the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the many educators, artists, and activists working to promote and protect human rights and the right to education.

Teach Climate Network turns focus to Storytelling

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In December, members of the Teach Climate Network will have the opportunity to hear from Matt Scott of Project Drawdown in a talk titled “Students Discovering Climate Stories.” We’ll discuss how narrative work and personal experiences connect each of us to climate change, climate impacts, and climate solutions. Register for this workshop and many more coming in 2024 by signing up for the Teach Climate Network!

REGISTER NOW

UN Advocacy Intern at Human Rights Watch

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Application Deadline: 24 November 2023

The UN Advocacy Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking interns for its Geneva office. Ideally, Interns will be available mid February 2024 through early May 2024.

Responsibilities:

The internship will focus on the activities of the UN advocacy team before, during, and after the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), as well as relevant developments at the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, various Treaty Body reviews and other meetings. The interns will be active members of HRW’s UN Advocacy Division and will work closely with other staff members. The internship will involve: 

  • Attending UN Human Rights Council sessions, negotiations of draft resolutions, and other UN meetings and taking notes to enhance understanding of the material and brief the UN Advocacy team on developments;
  • Researching human rights issues relevant to the UN human rights mechanisms in Geneva; 
  • Drafting correspondence and advocacy materials related to the UN Human Rights Council and HRW advocacy goals;   
  • Supporting the organization of advocacy meetings and side-events at the UN Human Rights Council;
  • Tracking key UN policy debates and official statements within UN New York forums as needed; and
  • Contributing to some administrative tasks related to HRW’s advocacy activities.

Students will also have opportunities to attend lectures, trainings, professional development workshops, special events relating to human rights, as well as network with other HRW interns, volunteers, and employees. As an HRW intern, students will take skills acquired in school and apply them in a professional setting.

Qualifications: Applicants enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate-level academic program for the duration of the internship are highly preferred. In some circumstances, applicants can be recent graduates of their first degree (such as a Bachelor’s) who will be pursuing an advanced degree (such as Master’s or law degree). Strong proven oral and written command of English is essential and knowledge of French is desirable. Computer skills (Microsoft Office, Outlook, and internet) are required. Applicants should be well-organized, self-motivated, and reliable with a demonstrated commitment to human rights and/or international issues. The ideal candidate should be a disciplined self-starter and a strong team player. Knowledge of the UN system is highly preferred.

Applicants who are offered an internship must possess valid work authorization in Switzerland for the duration of the internship.

Compensation: Interns will receive a gross monthly stipend of CHF 1,550 per month, which will be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked, to help offset living expenses in accordance with HRW policy and the intern. Students are often able to arrange academic credit, as HRW internships may offer direct exposure to the workings of an international human rights organization, close supervision by the HRW staff, and interaction with other international organizations and foreign and domestic government officials. Students should check with their individual academic institutions for requirements. 

How to Apply: Please apply immediately by visiting our online job portal at: https://careers.hrw.org and attaching a CV/resume, letter of interest/cover letter, and brief writing sample.

No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted further.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, please email internships@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We do not discriminate in hiring practices and actively seek a diverse applicant pool. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, and those with criminal records to apply. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.

Apply here

Call for Proposals: CLW Featured Activities

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CivXNow invites Coalition members to submit proposals for a featured activity during Civic Learning Week. This year’s theme is Civic Learning as a Unifying Force Beyond 2024 and two to three events or activities will be featured each day during the week of March 11-15, 2024.

The criteria for a featured activity to be considered for Civic Learning Week includes:

  1. K-12 civic learning focused: Does the activity/event focus on K-12 civic learning?
  2. Non-partisan: Does the activity/event avoid partisan or ideological bias? Does it promote viewpoint diversity?
  3. Value: Is the event free?

We are also seeking representation from organizations that embody each of the civic superpowers including:

  • Amplifiers – An Amplifier’s work is highlighted by their skills in amplifying a message (through social media, traditional media, or other means) that ensures all young people have access to powerful civic learning.
  • Connectors – A Connector’s work is highlighted by their dedication to building partnerships and engaging in thought leadership to elevate the field and enhance the civic learning conversation.
  • Nurturers – A Nurturer’s work is highlighted by their ability to create resources–educational or otherwise–that empower others (educators, community members, etc.) to engage in more powerful civic learning.
  • Defenders – A Defender’s work is highlighted by bi-partisan advocacy at the local, state, and/or national level to affect the conditions that make civic learning more likely.
  • Fact Finders – A Fact Finder’s work is highlighted through a deeper examination of civic or historical issues through research or cultural institution exhibits that examine issues more deeply.

Proposals are due by January 4, 2024 and will be reviewed by the Coalition Advisory Committee. Organizations selected for a featured activity will be notified by January 18, 2024 and receive support with promotional efforts.

Human Rights Day (Virtual) Lecture

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Beyond the “War” on Covid: Portal to a More Just Society

Catherine Powell

December 6, 2023, 12:45 PM – 01:45 PM

https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95091807028

Zoom ID: 950 9180 7028

The Human Rights Day Lecture in honor of Shams Ghoneim

Building off my earlier work on the Color of Covid, this talk analyzes the wartime framing of “fighting” a war on COVID-19. The talk will question what is meant by “security”—by “racing” national security and interrogating what the concept of “security” foregrounds and erases. What kinds of expertise it empowers and whose knowledge matters in identifying threats?

Using feminist, racial justice, and other critical frameworks, I propose an alternative paradigm to meet the current moment with an ethics, politics, and law of care, rather than a framework of war, militarization and securitization, as this latter approach often promote “law and order” over justice.

Sponsored by UICHR, International & Comparative Law Programs, and Blacks of the American Society of International Law

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.