Recent Alumni Testimonials

“Participating in the year-long human rights intensive was an unparalleled opportunity to engage in human rights advocacy as an undergraduate. I gained exposure to the intricacies of advocacy and got to work on the issues that matter most to me. In addition to building my research and writing skills, I learned how to use mapping and statistical analysis to advance human rights. It was an honor to learn and work among experts in the field and such talented undergraduates. The intensive affirmed my commitment to a life in human rights work and equipped me with the skills to pursue my goals.”
– Margot Lurie, 2020-2021 (Amherst College)

"Working as an undergraduate human rights advocate with the University Network for Human Rights has been paramount to my personal and professional development. Since the start of the program last summer and throughout the subsequent school year, I have participated in major advocacy projects centered on environmental injustice, state repression, and immigrants' rights. Through the mentorship of University Network staff, I have engendered a sense of clarity sharper than I ever dreamed of having by the end of my undergraduate degree. As I reflect on the program and my growth, I know that this experience has been invaluable.” – Luis Martínez, 2020-2021 (Vanderbilt University)

“When I first applied to the UNHR’s Wesleyan Pilot Program, I never could’ve anticipated how it would change my life. It was through this program that I learned how to actively listen and interview, research and write for a human rights report, craft advocacy programming, film professionally, and connect with affected community members. The close supervision and individualized feedback provided me an unparalleled opportunity to grow as a thinker, advocate, and person. I am done simply learning about social justice in the abstract. The UNHR made me fall in love with the messy, beautiful, real fight for human dignity." -Anna Grant-Bolton, Trinity College, Wesleyan Pilot Program Student

"I am skeptical of programs that take students to travel to other countries ‘to do good.’ It often becomes an excuse to utilize marginalized communities in other countries as learning props for foreign students. I am glad to say that my experience with the UNHR was very different from the start: The very first class we discussed 'To Hell with Good Intentions' (1968) where Ivan Illich dissects the elements of self-gratification and colonialism that ‘do gooders’ incur during their well-intentioned trips. Moreover, before I was even allowed to set foot into my first field experience with the organization, the UNHR hired dozens of actors so a few students and I could make mistakes and learn in simulated complex situations.

"Once in Bolivia, I started the film project that we had been preparing under the direct supervision of instructor Thomas Becker. This experience has renewed my faith that different and more ethical programs are possible. The UNHR has managed to put together a carefully planned pedagogy, professors that have been tackling human rights issues for decades, and an impressive network of collaboration between universities. I hope more students get the chance to be part of a programs like this!" -Jose Ginocchio Moraiz, Trinity College, Wesleyan Pilot Program Student

“Working with and learning from the experts at the University Network has been invaluable. I've really enjoyed seeing an organization using their research and technical skills to support community movements, all the while keeping the people at its center. What I’ve appreciated most is the University Network’s team of constructive mentors. I feel like I’ve gained and honed so many skills that have equipped me to be a better advocate to support the many movements for a better world.” – Kenny Morris, 2020-2021 (University of California, Santa Barbara)

“Each day in Armenia consisted of a whirlwind of interviews that left me simultaneously emotionally exhausted and exhilarated. I was no longer scouring the internet for news coverage on post-ceasefire abuses, but looking directly into the eyes of a soldier describing the brutal torture he endured as a prisoner of war detained in Azerbaijan." -Annie McGovern, Wesleyan University, Pilot Program Student

“Learning from and working alongside directly-affected community members was a completely transformative experience.” – Justin Ratkovic, 2019-2020 (Wesleyan University)

“This experience was so powerful precisely because it removed me from my [college] bubble. I’ve always been interested in human rights but this program helped me confront the realities of this work. This was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had.” – Sanya Bery, 2019 (Wesleyan University)

“The University Network trained me to be a critical and strategic advocate. Under Jim and Ruhan’s direction, I learned how to map stakeholders, analyze power, and ultimately launch an effective intervention. 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 Smith, 2018 (Stanford University)

“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 Shemtov, 2018 (Stanford University)