Page 19 - Human Rights Program 2025 Annual Report

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EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF WAR THROUGH LITERATURE
In October 2024, the Human Rights Program
had the honor of hosting author, UMN English
Professor, and Human Rights faculty member
V.V. Ganeshananthan in a discussion of her
critically acclaimed novel, Brotherless Night.
Brotherless Night.
The book tells the story of a Tamil woman who
reflects on her life during the first decade of the
Brotherless
Sri Lankan civil war (1983-2009). Brotherless
Night
Night is not simply an account of the war, but
also questions the labels that are often put on
individuals and groups.
Director Carrie Booth Walling with V. V. Ganeshananthan
It is a story of how we look at human rights and what it means for different groups, and how war
is not always one side versus the other, but can hold multiple and conflicting perspectives.
Tamils in Sri Lanka, a minority group, have long experienced state discrimination and violence.
The story also features the militant Tamil Tigers, who, claiming sole representation of the Tamil
people, are fighting for a separate homeland. But the Tigers, state security forces, and Indian
peacekeepers were all responsible for war-related atrocities, with Tamil civilians at the center of
the violence.
Attendees left the event not only eager to read the book, but also thinking about how to talk
about human rights and to tell stories of those whose histories are underrepresented or
marginalized. Brotherless Night Brotherless Night
demonstrates the impact and importance of art in human rights
advocacy, and its power to enact and inspire human rights change.
HUMAN RIGHTS GUIDE SPOTLIGHTS KEY ELECTION ISSUES
In the run-up to the November 2024 elections, we
introduced the Human Rights Guide to the 2024
Elections, a guide to ten of the most pressing policy
issues from a human rights perspective. From
reproductive rights and gender equality to refugee
rights, racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and human
rights foreign policy, the voter guide provided voters
with information they need to center human rights in
their decision-making. HRP also rolled out voter tools
on exercising the right to vote and participating in the
democratic process.
The University of Minnesota Human Rights
Program neither supports nor opposes specific
candidates in any election. Our commitment is to
human rights standards, not to a candidate or a
political party. We provide the analysis, but it is up
to the voters to align their vote with their values.