The Human Rights Student Association is in Full Swing!
Are you an undergraduate student interested in Human Rights? Check out the Human Rights Student Association (HRSA), a University of Minnesota student organization affiliated with the Human Rights Program (HRP). HRSA serves as a connection between the undergraduate community, the HRP, and human rights programming, activities, and opportunities university-wide. HRSA hosts events to educate students, promote engagement and connect the student body to a network of student groups and human rights organizations for the goal of advancing human rights domestically and internationally.
HRSA has been cultivating community around human rights issues since 2012. They’ve partnered with a variety of student groups, such as Coalition for Progressive Change, Pre-law Society, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Environmental Student Association. They also partner with university departments and centers such as the Institute for Global Studies, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, The Human Rights Program, and Student Legal Services. This semester, HRSA partnered with Appetite for Change in honor of World Food Day, and got to hear from their energetic co-founder, Princess Haley.
Appetite for Change is a nonprofit in North Minneapolis that works to bring healthy food to the community. They have a restaurant, Breaking Bread Cafe, where they host a variety of community cook-outs such as events dedicated to new mothers to implement healthy food into their cooking. HRSA prioritizes having Breaking Bread Cafe cater their campus events, both because the food is delicious and to support the mission of this groundbreaking nonprofit organization.
HRSA recently hosted an event called Unethical Prisons, on Thursday, November 14th, that featured a speaker from Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB), Michelle. Michelle spoke of her extensive work with CUAPB and also educated the undergraduate population on the (lack of) ethics within the prison system. Those who attended raved about all they had learned, and HRSA hopes to host Michelle again next semester.
HRSA has a variety of events and programming planned through the end of the year. HRSA will also be hosting activist Efi Tembon for their event Human Rights Violations in Southern Cameroon, on Tuesday, November 19th at 6 pm in Fraser 101. Efi has testified in Congress, the UN, and Cape Town - and now he is here sharing his work and information about the human rights abuses in Southern Cameroon. HRSA is thankful for the Institute for Global Studies, the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and The Human Rights Program for co-sponsoring this event.
Every year in early December, HRSA hosts a week of events in celebration of Human Rights Day (on December 10th). Last year’s programming followed the theme “Migration,” but this year HRSA turns it’s attention to “Climate Change.” HRSA will host three events during the week of Dec 3rd - 6th that focus on specific aspects of Climate Change: Indigeneity, Forced Migration, and the Right to Water. Indigeneity, on December 3rd at 6 pm, will feature a keynote from Indigenous Environmental Network activist Joye Braun and have tacos catered from Pow Wow Grounds. Forced Migration, on December 4th at 6 pm, will feature a panel of experts and activists, catered by Cairo Grill. Right to Water, on December 6th at 12 pm, will feature a panel of experts, with Palestinian food catered by Afandina Cafe. If you would like to follow up and stay in contact with HRSA as more updates come, follow the group’s Facebook page, or send an email to beck1002@umn.edu to sign up for HRSA’s bi-monthly newsletter. More info below!
