Sharon Grimes Human Rights Fellowship

Human rights and the environment are inextricably connected. Human rights cannot be realized without a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and ensuring a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment requires the protection of human rights. Substantive rights related to the environment include the right to health, life, water, sanitation, and food, among many others. Indigenous rights are often deeply connected to the environment.

The Sharon Grimes Human Rights Fellowship, funded by a generous gift from Sharon Grimes, recognizes a Master of Human Rights (MHR) student who demonstrates a commitment to human rights and the environment. The student will receive an award amount of $1,000. Students may demonstrate their dedication to human rights and the environment through work, internships, advocacy, or academic experiences.

History

Sharon Grimes, initiator of this exciting and timely Fellowship, is a retired Communications Manager and EEO officer who worked at the U of M for many years. Her core values include social justice, human rights, and protecting the environment. Growing up as the child of a service member, Sharon lived in Germany for four years. She learned the importance of having a broad worldview, and lifelong travel reinforced her belief in the need for understanding other points of view. Her mother and grandmother were recyclers before anyone had heard of the term, so Sharon learned early the importance of not wasting resources. Later, she owned a 65-acre wilderness island, and practicing good stewardship of the land with minimal impact was a key goal. When it came time to sell the island, Sharon's heart was broken, but she decided to work towards endowing a scholarship in human rights and the environment. Sharon hopes this graduate fellowship will provide opportunities for students to do important work in those fields.