Spring 2023 Human Rights Newsletter: Our annual report, community victories, and student engagement
Spring 2023
In this edition:
Oct. 2021 - Mar. 2023 Annual Report
Major Victory for Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”
No North Brooklyn Pipeline Coalition and Sane Energy Project Defeat National Grid's Fracked Gas Project
Undergraduate Fact-Finding Trips to Argentina, Armenia, South Korea, & Honduras
Launching Wesleyan ACTS for Human Rights Program
Meet our New Team Members
Our New Headquarters
October 2021 - March 2023 Annual Report
The University Network for Human Rights is excited to announce the release of our October 2021 – March 2023 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of our work during the last eighteen months. You can find updates on all ten of our active advocacy campaigns, learn about the expansion of our undergraduate programs into a Human Rights Advocacy Minor at Wesleyan University, and get to know our growing team. As I write in the report, we are working
to change the landscape in universities in the US and abroad—to push them to assume their obligation to train the next generation of students, preparing them to defend our rights and our planet.
We appreciate your support of our organization, our students, and our partner communities, who confront human rights abuses across the United States and the world. Read the full Annual Report here.
Major Victory for Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”
Since our founding, the University Network has partnered closely with Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish, a community group fighting toxic air pollution from the Denka neoprene facility in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley." Our work with Concerned Citizens has been featured in the CBS Evening News and The Guardian, among other outlets.
On February 28, the U.S. Justice Department sued Denka under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act. A few weeks later, on March 20, Concerned Citizens celebrated another major victory when the Justice Department filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, seeking to compel Denka to significantly reduce emissions of the carcinogen chloroprene. We congratulate Concerned Citizens for these promising developments, which are a testament to the community's courage, tenacity, and drive.
No North Brooklyn Pipeline Coalition and Sane Energy Project Defeat National Grid’s Fracked Gas Project
Since 2020, the University Network for Human Rights has partnered with New York-based Sane Energy Project and No North Brooklyn Pipeline Coalition to challenge utility company National Grid's bid to build new fracked gas infrastructure near environmental justice communities in Brooklyn. We filed litigation challenging National Grid's attempted construction of two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vaporizers and an LNG trucking station.
On March 16, in a major victory for our community partners, the New York State Public Service Commission determined that National Grid's proposed LNG vaporizers are not needed for at least the next five years. Shortly thereafter, National Grid officially withdrew its permit application for the vaporizers. This victory would not have happened without the relentless organizing efforts of our community partners, and we are proud to have played a role in their fight.
Undergraduate Fact-Finding Trips to Argentina, Armenia, & South Korea
Between January and March 2023, the University Network for Human Rights supervised twelve Wesleyan and Trinity students in human rights fact-finding and documentation trips in Argentina, Armenia, South Korea, and Honduras. The Wesleyan students on these trips engaged as part of the new Human Rights Advocacy Minor co-created by the University Network and Wesleyan University.
Below, we share photos from these trips and links to learn more.
Learn more about our work documenting torture and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia.
Launching Wesleyan ACTS for Human Rights Program
The University Network for Human Rights is excited to launch the Advocacy & Community-based Training Semester (ACTS) Program in partnership with Wesleyan University. This program is the first of its kind in the country and the only full-time clinical human rights opportunity available to undergraduates. The ACTS Program will train and engage undergraduate students from across the country in human rights practice.
Students selected for the Program will spend a semester at Wesleyan University, where they will study foundational texts and critiques of the human rights movement as well as sharpen their research, writing, and advocacy skills under the supervision of expert practitioners.
During breaks in the academic year, students in the Program travel in small groups (2-3 students) with supervisors to sites of rights abuse and work with affected communities. Through their projects, students will support and amplify the advocacy efforts of communities facing injustice.
Learn more about the Wesleyan ACTS for Human Rights Program.
Meet our New Team Members
The University Network for Human Rights is thrilled to announce the latest additions to our team! As we continue to grow, we look forward to expanding our abilities to engage in movement-oriented human rights advocacy while training the next generation of human rights defenders.
Tamar Hayrikyan, Director of Programs and Senior Clinical Supervisor
Sofía Galván, Senior Advisor
Stephan Sonnenberg, Senior Affiliated Supervisor
Celina Giraudy, Clinical Supervisor
Kenny Morris, Program & Communication Associate
Congratulations on new opportunities!
We thank Clinical Supervisor Jessica Tueller for her outstanding work and wish her the best at Tulane University School of Law, where she will continue as a Forrester Fellow.
Our New Headquarters
The University Network for Human Rights is now based at 101 High Street in Middletown, CT, adjacent to the Wesleyan University campus. Come check out our new headquarters—we would love to see you!
