Our mission at the Duke Human Rights Center@FHI is to use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a rights-centered curricula to educate students, faculty, and community members about current human rights issues such as Israel-Palestine, reproductive rights, death penalty abolition, and more.

At the close of another academic year, the DHRC@FHI wants to celebrate and acknowledge our eight Human Rights Certificate graduates, as well as our Koonz Prize winners, Human Rights Summer Research Grant awardees, and House Course Grant recipients. However, the celebratory tone has been dampened as college students around the country (and in nearby UNC-Chapel Hill) protest the Israel-Hamas war and demand universities cut ties with Israel. The Duke Human Rights Center@FHI support the right to protest and call for an immediate ceasefire. We also denounce anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. As Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person," and we hold tightly to the beliefs expressed in this article during these tumultuous times.

Spring Review

Human Rights

Capstone Presentation

On May 2, the Human Rights Capstone course presented their final projects to the Duke and Durham community. These projects - oral histories with members of the Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center - highlighted the history of human rights in Durham, specifically within the local Nation of Islam community.

Righting Wrongs: Teacher Workshops

The Duke Human Rights Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute (DHRC@FHI) has partnered with the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice to host a series of professional development workshops for educators in North Carolina, centered around the topic of human rights. “The Righting Wrongs workshops came out of a desire to support teachers in teaching about human rights in their classrooms, and go beyond the idea that ‘rights are something we have that can’t be taken away,’” explains Frances Starn, workshop designer/leader and high school educator.

Continue reading the article on our website.

Human Rights Certificate Graduates

The Human Rights Certificate offers students an in-depth and rigorous interdisciplinary study of human rights history, theory and practice, cultivating life-long learners and engaged citizens who have a deep and nuanced understanding of human rights.

We send our warmest congratulations to our four Human Rights Certificate graduates: Kathryn Thomas, Sam Sreeram, Melissa Sandoval, Maya Pandey, Randi Jennings, Sita Conde, Clara Bonzi Teixeira, and Lizzie Bernstein. Best wishes in your future endeavors!

Read our interviews with the Human Rights Certificate Seniors here.

Spotlight

2024 Koonz Human

Rights Prize Winners

The Koonz Human Rights Prize award honors Oliver W. Koonz, Prof. Claudia Koonz’s late father. The prize honors the best essay/paper or alternative project prepared by an undergraduate for the academic year.

Human Rights Summer Research Grant Awardees

The Human Rights Research Grants are intended to strengthen global research opportunities for students interested in developing, implementing, and working in human rights.

Celebrating the 2024 grant recipients and their projects:

Gabe Caress: Balanced Justice: Understanding Bias in the Legal System Through Education
Thang Lian: Chin Refugee Community Formation
Yadira Paz-Martinez: Voices from the Fields: Socialization Experiences of Undocumented and H-2A Farmworkers in Sampson County, North Carolina

Duke Refugee Advocacy Program Inaugural Cohort

We are excited to announce the inaugural cohort of the Duke Refugee Advocacy Program! Through collaboration with Church World Service (CWS), these students will participate in community work directly with refugees on a weekly basis. In addition to regular community work with CWS clients, volunteer interns will learn about policy issues in immigration, workforce development, education, housing, and youth development that affect refugee communities at the city, state, and national level.

2024-2025 DRAP Volunteer Interns

Maria Alba
Isabella Arango
Aseel Ibrahim
Kate Lee
Kaylyn Oh
Sofia Ortiz Gomez
Ella Patterson
Katie Seithel

Discover More

humanrights.fhi.duke.edu