Category: Take Action

We the People and Project Citizen program partners in states across the country will hold free, multi-day professional learning institutes this summer! Experience immersive professional learning with experienced educators and topical experts. Join the Center’s national network of civic education professionals. Receive materials that are ready to use with your students, along with ongoing mentorship support during the school year. Find out more and fill out an interest form at these links:

Literacy for We the People
(grades 3-8 teachers in Delaware)

Documents of Democracy
(grades 6-12 teachers in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and neighboring states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma)

Project Citizen: Integrated Civic Competencies
(grades 6-12 teachers in California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee).

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

Learn more and get tickets

Join Rethinking Schools for a conversation on how teacher unions are leading the fight against fascism and ICE in their communities and schools. In this webinar, we will learn, celebrate, and amplify the lessons of the people heroically fighting back against ICE occupation — from Chicago to Los Angeles to Minneapolis. From the classroom to the street, we need to defend our students and together learn the most effective ways to kick ICE out of our schools and communities.

Participants will need access to Zoom. Register for the Zoom link.

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026

Time: 4 pm PT/6 pm CT/7 pm ET

The event is free. To make events like this available to more educators and activists, we would greatly appreciate your solidarity donation.

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

Hosted by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT | (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT)|  Virtual Register Here

We invite you to Building a Truth Process in Minnesota: The Minnesota Truth Council & Lessons from Global Practice, a free virtual convening on April 28, hosted by the Humphrey School’s Global Policy program and University partners.*

As federal enforcement actions reshape communities across Minnesota, a growing coalition of advocates, legal experts, and community organizations is asking a foundational question: how will the Minnesota Truth Council, established by Executive Order, document what is happening and ensure accountability? And what can we learn from experiences elsewhere around the world.

This event brings together international experts in truth commissions and transitional justice with Minnesota-based advocates and community leaders, including those affiliated with the MN Truth Council.

Together, they will examine how truth commissions are structured, what they can and cannot accomplish, and how testimony from affected communities can be collected and preserved to support long-term accountability.

Welcome: Eric Schwartz, Chair Global Policy, Humphrey School

Introductory Remarks by Samantha Power, former USAID Administrator and author of “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.” 

Session One: Truth Commissions — Goals, Structure, and Outcomes

• Alexis-Clair Roehrich, Director of the Minnesota Truth Council, Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan
• Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Regents Professor and Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy, and Society, University of Minnesota Law School; and
• Michele Garnett McKensie, Executive Director, Advocates for Human Rights
• Moderator: Professor Christina Ewig, Director, Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Session Two: Collecting and Preserving Testimony for Accountability 

• Edwin Torres Desantiago, Manager, Immigrant Defense Network
• Tricia Olsen, Professor and the Stassen Chair of World Peace at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and Department of Political Science;  
• Deepinder Singh Mayell, Executive Director of ACLU of Minnesota,
• Other community representative to be announced
• Moderator: Dr. Carrie Booth Walling, Director, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota

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This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. 

*Co-sponsored by the University of Minnesota Law School’s James H. Binger Center for New Americans and Human Rights Center; the College of Liberal Arts’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Human Rights Program, and Immigration History Research Center; Humphrey School Global Policy program, and the Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy at the Humphrey School.

For questions or accessibility requests, please contact hhhevent@umn.edu.

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

Go beyond the headlines with our speakers as they share the challenges, risks, and defining moments of documenting ICE and pivotal current events shaping our world today.

Stephanie Heimann – Photo Director at The New Republic, a veteran visual editor specializing in politics, global issues, and the environment.

Ron Haviv – Emmy-nominated filmmaker and award-winning photojournalist, co-founder of VII, whose work on conflict and human rights has shaped global conversations and appeared worldwide.

April 25th, 10am- 11am EDT

Register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQOuy4AW0qqDa8QZRqV8yIPGoI2QFXYlC5CGH_mdlnpTmCOQ/viewform

@newrepublic@TheVIIFoundation@HREUSA#humanrightseducation

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

Monday, April 13, 2026, 7 pm ET Flyer
Module 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights Register here

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.

The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions

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

Monday, March 9, 2026, 7 pm ET 

Register here

 Flyer 

This module examines how digital technologies, including AI, surveillance systems, and data collection, impact democratic participation and individual rights. Participants will explore the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies on privacy, freedom of expression, and civic engagement. The module emphasizes strategies for protecting digital rights, promoting transparency, and fostering informed participation in online and offline democratic spaces. Through case studies and interactive discussions, participants will learn how to navigate the digital landscape responsibly while advocating for inclusive, rights-respecting digital governance.

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.

The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

Upcoming Session… 

2025–26 TAAS Sessions>> 2025-26 TAAS Flyer >> RegisterModule 8: Digital Rights and Democracy: Navigating AI, Surveillance, and Privacy 🗓️ March 9, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights 🗓️ April 13, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> Register>> See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions

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

This module examines how systemic inequalities related to gender and disability affect access to and participation in democracy. Participants will explore barriers that limit civic engagement and learn strategies to center marginalized voices. The module emphasizes inclusive civic education that empowers all individuals to engage meaningfully in democratic life.
Register here

Flyer 

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.

The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

Upcoming Session… 

2025–26 TAAS Sessions>> 2025-26 TAAS Flyer >> RegisterModule 7: Intersectional Democracy: Gender and Disability Rights 🗓️ February 9, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 8: Digital Rights and Democracy: Navigating AI, Surveillance, and Privacy 🗓️ March 9, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights 🗓️ April 13, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> Register>> See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions

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

Human Rights Educators USA’s annual Training as Action Series (TAAS) is a virtual training series focused on bridging personal and collective action on some of the most critical human rights issues of today. TAAS creates an educational space to connect and collaborate with others in human rights education and training. It also gives participants the skills and information needed to take action on rights issues in their communities.

The 2025–2026 Training as Action Series will center on the theme, “Defending Democracy and Human Rights in a Changing World.” This year’s sessions will explore urgent issues such as misinformation, protest rights, climate justice, and digital surveillance, highlighting how human rights education can equip communities to respond with clarity, courage, and collective action. Those who attend six or more sessions will receive a certificate from HRE USA.

Upcoming Session… 

2025–26 TAAS Sessions>> 2025-26 TAAS Flyer >> RegisterModule 6: Intersectional Democracy: Race and Migration 🗓️ January 26, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 7: Intersectional Democracy: Gender and Disability Rights 🗓️ February 9, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 8: Digital Rights and Democracy: Navigating AI, Surveillance, and Privacy 🗓️ March 9, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> RegisterModule 9: Action Lab: Strategies for Defending Democracy and Human Rights 🗓️ April 13, 2026    7PM-8:30PM ET >> Register>> See all recordings of past 2025-26 sessions

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