Center for Human Rights & International Justice, Stanford University

The Center for Human Rights and International Justice is pleased to host Jared Genser on Tuesday, May 14th, for the Annual Lecture on Human Rights.

Genser will discuss the transformative potential of neurotechnology and the critical need for "neurorights" to protect mental privacy, agency, and integrity.

For more information and registration, please check out the Stanford Events Calendar.

In the summer of 1964, Luke Kabat, a Stanford medical student, traveled to Mississippi, where he taught high school biology and participated in voter registration efforts for Black citizens during Freedom Summer. Despite facing challenges, including being arrested for treating Black students to ice cream, Luke returned to Stanford with a trove of writings aiming to influence campus perspectives on Civil Rights and the Vietnam War. Tragically, Luke was diagnosed with cancer shortly after his return and passed away before his medical school graduation, leaving his writings unpublished.

Julie Kabat, his sister, has compiled his work into "Love Letter from Pig," a testament to Luke's activism and idealism, which she hopes will finally tell his story and inspire discussions on Freedom Summer and the Civil Rights Movement.

This event is co-sponsored by Irving Weissman, M.D.
Professor, Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine

This event is open to the public, for more information please visit Stanford Events Calendar.

The Center for Human Rights and International Justice is pleased to host Beth Simmons next Tuesday, April 9th, for the Annual Lecture on International Justice.

Simmons will provide an overview of global bordering trends, examining their impact on human rights amidst rising sovereignist attitudes and border anxiety, while exploring potential paths forward.

This event is open to the public, for more information please visit Stanford Events Calendar.

The significant deployment of Generative AI over the last year has underscored the urgent need to examine the human rights dimensions of artificial intelligence. This panel explores the relevance of human rights frameworks to the tech sector and regulators as they consider how to govern its use in ways that maximize the opportunities while mitigating the risks.

This event is open to the public, for more information please visit Stanford Events Calendar.

Stanford Libraries and the Center for Human Rights & International Justice, Stanford University are pleased to announce two new collections of digitized war crimes tribunal records that are now available online as a part of our Virtual Tribunals initiative — timed to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Prosecuting the war criminals of N**i Germany and Imperial Japan | Libraries Stanford FacebookStanford TwitterStanford LinkedInForward EmailPrint ArticleDecember 10, 2023 | Michael EastmanAmerican war crimes investigators question chief nurse Irmgard Huber about the mass killings that occurred at the Hadamar Institute. United States v Alfons Klein et al. Courtesy: National A...

"Coming to Stanford, I was really interested in migration. I’ve taken plenty of classes on the topic, whether focusing on the domestic context or on international patterns of migration. As such, one of my favorite classes I took was SPANLANG 108SL & HUMRTS 108. This class allows students to learn about migration policy in the U.S., as well as engaging in community service. Historically, the class has traveled to Dilley, TX to provide direct assistance to migrants at the border. However, due to the pandemic, the course shifted to a more virtual form of volunteering. Students now work with Freedom for Immigrants, which runs a hotline for immigrants currently detained in facilities across the country. Through this class and FFI, I spoke to several migrants a week, just hearing their stories. For many, they simply wanted ways to connect with their families or access books. There were some cases, however, that required more intervention, whether that meant connecting them to local legal aid organizations or reporting cases of negligence or abuse. This was a transformative experience for me as I heard firsthand the small (and large) ways that detention can dehumanize migrants.

Another great course I took was the gateway course for the minor in the winter of my freshman year. It was an amazing way to learn about the theoretical and practical underpinnings of the field, especially from Penelope, who is super knowledgeable and engaging. It was also during this class that we had a guest come in from Accountability Counsel, an organization that helps communities seek redress from international financial institutions like the World Bank. The advocacy work that AC does was incredibly moving and learning about the organization led to me working for them the summer after my sophomore year, taking HUMRTS 115: Corporations, Human Rights, and Social Responsibility and INTNLREL 63Q: International Organizations and Accountability with Dr. Erica Gould, and writing an honors thesis with the Center on Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law on the World Bank’s Accountability Mechanism.

My broader interest in international human rights as a field also allowed me to take HUMRTS 117: International Human Rights, a class taught at the law school by Prof. Tendayi Achiume. It was truly an honor to learn from her on the landscape of international law, especially with peers hailing from the law school and other graduate schools. They also advised me for my human rights capstone project in my senior spring, where I wrote on the state of international law as it relates to climate-induced migration. My connections to the Human Rights Center truly guided me in my academic and career interests (shout-out to the Human Rights Careers Intensive) and I am truly grateful for how much I was able to learn about not only the world but about myself as well."

Gabby Crooks, Class of 2023
Human Rights Minor
International Relations Major

Looking forward to hosting our quarterly 'Family Dinner' with our Stanford campus human rights community.

We are very excited to host our annual Welcome Back Event, we are very excited to see our Stanford students back at the Center.

A big welcome to the Class of 2027 and all new transfer students!

The Center tabled for the TreeSources Fair on Canfield Court to speak to all prospective Human Rights Minors.

"I initially became involved because of my interest in conflict outbreak and resolution, specifically wanting to study it from the human viewpoint. I took the gateway course HUMRTS 101 and learned about the interesting courses and events the Center puts on. The staff, space, and community were very inviting and made it very easy to keep coming back!"

Sumayo Hassan, Class of 2023
Human Rights Minor
Political Science Major

"When I think about human rights advocacy, I think a lot about stories—who gets to tell them, how they are told, and whether they are listened to.

Since joining the Human Rights program, I've gotten to explore classes ranging in topics from transitional justice to freedom of speech to corporate social responsibility. It's been fascinating, and often heavy, to unravel the narratives of rights upheld and rights denied, whether told through legislation, media, or personal accounts. But it also drives me to better understand how inclusive, authentic storytelling can serve as an empathy-building exercise and a medium for human rights advocacy. As such, I'm excited to practice writing as an art next year as a full-time speechwriter at West Wing Writers.

I'm also deeply interested in the intersection of technology and human rights, particularly as it pertains to platform governance, content moderation, and Internet freedom. I recently completed an honors thesis with the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, in which I examined the role of public comment in Meta Oversight Board decision-making. Throughout my research process, I relied heavily on what I've learned from the Human Rights program to investigate the power of civil society and rights-based perspectives in regulating online content."

Sarah Lee, Class of 2023
Human Rights Minor
International Relation Major

Join us! "NEW DIRECTIONS IN GENOCIDE STUDIES", a panel discussion with Dr. Rhiannon Neilsen, Dr. Scott Straus, and Dr. Norman Naimark, moderated by Dr. David Cohen.

Tuesday, April 18th 4:00-5:30pm in the Lounge of the Center for Human Rights & International Justice, Encina Hall Central, Suite 030. RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/18April2023

Our Virtual Tribunals project with Stanford Libraries is in the news tonight, featuring the exciting launch of the Taube Archive of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.

Stanford University Digitalizing the Nuremberg Trials Archives The complete archives of the Nuremberg trials are coming together at Stanford University.

Excited to share this work with the world! Check out the Taube Archive of the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg, now available on ArcLight thanks to our collaboration with the Stanford Libraries

Stanford Libraries, in partnership with the Stanford Center for Human Rights and International Justice, has launched the Taube Archive of the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg, 1945-46 (Nuremberg Trial Archives), containing digitized versions of the original, unpublished, and complete official record of the IMT. Unique in the Taube Archive, multimedia research can be conducted on a single site combining audio recordings of the trial proceedings with courtroom documents and evidentiary films, all rendered browsable and searchable.

https://virtualtribunals.stanford.edu/nuremberg

https://humanrights.stanford.edu/

CW: Imagery and language presented in this archival material may be harmful or traumatizing to some audiences.

Join us Tuesday March 7th for a discussion with the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI): "Toward Socially and Environmentally Sustainable Oceans." Lunch provided. Co-sponsored by Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and Stanford Global Studies Division

RSVP at tinyurl.com/3fwbwhjj

students: Have you heard we have a Minor in Human Rights? In the words of one of our alumni, "It's not just a minor—it's a community!" Learn more about the program and tell us about your interests here:

https://humanrights.stanford.edu/minor-human-rights

The Stanford Global Studies Division summer film festival is underway! You can still catch fascinating films most Wednesdays until September 21. Join from the comfort of your home as we watch films from around the world that focus on the theme “Common Worlds, Limitless Realities: and in Global .”

Watch each film at a time that works for your schedule, then join us on Zoom for a post-screening discussion on the designated date.
More info: https://sgs.stanford.edu/events/summer-film-festival

Stanford human rights seniors and recent grads: consider applying for a Fulbright grant! Each year, some of our students, like Gabriela Torres-Lorenzotti (pictured), typically win a Fulbright to go abroad and foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. The program provides opportunities for personal and career development and international experience. The campus deadline is September 7. Learn more: https://bechtel.stanford.edu/fellowship/fulbright-grants

Fifteen seniors affiliated with the Center for Human Rights and International Justice have won the Stanford Alumni Association's Award of Excellence, recognizing the top 10% of the class. Congratulations to our seniors! Read more: https://humanrights.stanford.edu/news/fifteen-human-rights-students-win-award-excellence

Our Regional Programs Fellow Christoph Sperfeldt recently published a piece in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, entitled "The Perpetual Foreigner: among the Vietnamese Minority in ." He writes, "The case of the in Cambodia demonstrates the need to address historical exclusion from citizenship with much broader, deeper, and context-specific strategies than currently envisaged at international levels."
Read the article here: https://bit.ly/3xDZCxb

How can we work together to make research useful and available to make effective policy against child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking? Our staffer Jessie Brunner and over 20 researchers will present at the upcoming conference: "Generating Evidence to Support the Elimination of Child Labour, Forced Labour, and Human Trafficking" from June 27 to June 29. Join us!

Register here: https://bit.ly/3xrzHIN
More information: https://bit.ly/3xBH2p8

Recent graduate April Ball '22 has earned a Fulbright Award to study in Madrid, , where she will study the cultural and religious identities of second generation women. April will also be working with a local nonprofit that serves immigrant and second-generation communities to better her understanding of relevant cultural themes and gain greater trust among participants. Congratulations, April!
Read more: https://stanford.io/3zKDDab

Maria Clara Rodrigues da Silva, a student researcher with our joint Human Trafficking Data Lab, won both the Kennedy Prize and a 2022 Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for her thesis on corruption in the Brazilian "dirty list" of companies using slave labor.These prizes are awarded to the top undergraduate honors theses completed each year. Congratulations, Clara! Read more: https://stanford.io/3zML8xH

We were so fortunate to see grads from our classes of '20 and '21 during commencement weekend! It was lovely to catch up and meet their loved ones over dinner.

Pictured: Shikha Srinivas (L) and Mariam Noorulhuda (R) embrace while Hadil Al-Mowafak and guests look on.

Congratulations to Stanford's Human Rights Class of 2022! Our have been minors, office workers, summer fellows, research program assistants, careers intensive participants, service learning trip participants, and formal advisees to staff & faculty. We will miss you and wish you all the best. Please come back and visit us!

Throwback Thursday: As we prepare for this year's graduation, we remember our first (small but mighty) graduating class of students five years ago. Class of 2017, we miss you and wish you the best!

Human Rights Minor Karen Chen will soon be a Fulbright Research Scholar in South Korea, where she will help develop corneal transplant alternatives to treat blindness in the developing world. Her capstone advisor, Center Director David Cohen, said her capstone project on rhetoric about "displayed the deep empathy and human commitment to victims that have guided her throughout her career here in our Center." Congrats, Karen!..
Read more: https://humanrights.stanford.edu/node/9436

Check out this profile of our wonderful senior Human Rights Minor Maya Guzdar from Stanford Report. Be sure to watch the video in which she tells the story of her Stanford experience!
https://tinyurl.com/MayaGprofile

Stanford Human Rights Minor and human rights summer fellow Maggie Roache has been named a 2022 Ford Fellow by the Haas Center for Public Service. Maggie’s passion for international human rights issues, particularly related to transitional justice and refugee rights, has been a driving force behind her time at Stanford. Read more: https://stanford.io/3FXEOnM

Join us for a conversation online with Aakar Patel (Chair of Amnesty International India) and Meenakshi Ganguly (South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch), to understand the evolving human rights landscape in India on Wednesday, May 25, at 6:00pm Pacific. Full details: https://stanford.io/3LswfTp