Edward O’Brien Award

Human Rights Educators USA (HRE USA) invites nominations for the Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards. These awards were established in memory of Ed O’Brien, pioneer human right educator and valued member of HRE USA who died suddenly in 2015.

There are two awards annually. One recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to human rights education in the United States. The other honors an organization, institution, or program that has made a similarly outstanding contribution to human rights education in the United States.

The 2026 Edward O’Brien Human Rights Education Awards will be presented on International Human Rights Day event.

Nominations for the 2026 O’Brien Awards can be submitted at tinyurl.com/hre-obrien-26-app

Please send inquiries:

Bill Fernekes, Chair, O’Brien Award Selection Committee at bill41@comcast.net

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.