From Our Partners

  • I want to infinitely thank [the University Network] on behalf of me, my family, and all Bolivian women and men, because thanks to the work you did, we were able to survive.

    Patricia Arce, Bolivian senator and torture survivor

  • The University Network does invaluable work, as its support makes it possible for local organizations and victims to connect with top-level academics and professionals. Furthermore, through the opportunities it provides to the students it works with, it fosters the exchange of knowledge with the next generation of decision-makers.

    Humberto Guerrero, Human Rights Coordinator of Fundar, a leading human rights organization in Mexico

  • University Network for Human Rights provided, by far, the most instrumental resources and strategies to empower the communities that Sane Energy Project organizes with. We would not have been able to halt a massive fossil fuel expansion in Brooklyn, NY targeting predominantly low-income Black and Latinx communities without the dedication of UNHR and Ruhan Nagra. Our crucial partnership with UNHR has enabled us to navigate complex legal and administrative spaces. We have become a much more powerful, knowledgeable, and accomplished community organization because of University Network for Human Rights.

    Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project

  • I witnessed firsthand the [University Network] team's meticulous attention to detail, respect for the victims, and dogged pursuit of truth in the aftermath of the Sacaba [Bolivia] massacre and parastate group attacks. Their report, the first complete independent international investigation published, provided an indispensable landmark in the pursuit of justice and set a high standard for follow-up investigations.

    Katherine Ledeber, Director of the Andean Information Network

  • Meeting members of the University Network for Human Rights has been an invaluable experience. Their solidarity and commitment to defending human rights dignify those of us who have been affected by violence. Their talent, dedication, and efforts to generate positive change deserve recognition and respect.

    Irma Orgen, daughter of daughter of Antonio (disappeared 11 years ago in Puebla)

  • We have all been so blessed, extremely blessed, that [the University Network] came into our lives. And that what we were thinking all the time, we didn’t have evidence, but now we have the evidence. [Ruhan Nagra] actually got documentation of what we were complaining about. It wasn’t our imagination, we weren’t just dreaming it — it’s real. University Network for Human Rights is a wonderful, wonderful organization.

    Mary Hampton, President of the Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish

  • In 2019, families, the poor, and Indigenous were persecuted and massacred by the regimen of Áñez. The report that the University Network for Human Rights prepared called “They Shot Us Like Animals” helped return the dignity to the victims and re-establish the truth.

    Ruth Llamos, President of Bolivia's Disappeared Association

  • The struggle to find them is not ours alone. We see that others [like those who are part of UNHR] are also joining to support our cause, and we are infinitely grateful to them for helping to communicate the immense problem we are facing in Mexico.

    Alma Preciado, mother and grandmother of Ilse Janeth and Renata (disappeared 13 years ago in Veracruz)

From Our Students

  • I traveled to Cancer Alley, Louisiana along with thirteen other undergraduates. We worked closely with a community suffering the effects of environmental racism. The University Network gave me an unparalleled opportunity to do real human rights work.

    Noam S., Stanford University

  • As part of the University Network’s projects with the Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish, I observed first-hand how to lift community voices and advocate on the ground. With the University Network, I gained invaluable tools that empower me to be an ethical and effective human rights defender.

    Hannah S., Stanford University

  • This was a transformative program, and it provides a unique opportunity to motivate students to try to change the world and address uneven power dynamics in ethical, practically grounded and fundamentally good ways.

    Jake M., Wesleyan University

  • The work I have done with University Network, particularly in Armenia, has been rewarding on an incalculable level. The sense of community, solidarity, and empowerment that this work affords is something that can only be understood once you have experienced it.

    Diego O., Wesleyan University

  • Learning from and working alongside directly affected community members was a completely transformative experience.

    Justin R., Wesleyan University

  • [UNHR] provided me not only with a knowledge of human rights theory. I had opportunities to meet brilliant activists, speak at a criminal justice conference, and have my writing published! This program showed me that there are many ways to engage in advocacy, and this experience has only strengthened my passion for social justice.

    Ifeoma A., Brown University