Page 8 - Human Rights Program 2025 Annual Report

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YOUR VOICE, OUR STORIES: LAUNCHING THE NEW STUDENT
HUMAN RIGHTS BLOG, HUMAN WRITES
In fall of 2024, HRP launched Human Writes
Human Write, a new student-led blog that focuses on human
Human Writes
rights issues and topics. Human Writes is a platform for human rights analysis and advocacy,
supported by the HRP and organized by its Undergraduate Working Group. It serves as an outlet
for members of the student community to express, address, and advocate for issues pertaining
to human rights, and encourages students to engage in critical human rights work. The blog
centers student voices on the human rights issues that matter most to them. Pieces have
spanned topics including Ukrainian identity expression through dance, reforming the United
States juvenile justice system, and gender and human rights. Check out the blog at
humanwrites.umn.edu.
Human Writes
“The Human Writes blog is the perfect opportunity for students who are passionate about
advocating for human rights issues! The blog gives students a voice on the issues that affect our
world. I’ve learned so much about different issues from reading the many blogs on the site. Also,
the fact that my fellow students wrote those blogs makes the issues feel a bit more personal, as I
can learn more about what issues matter to my classmates.”
Human Writes
-Zukaina Al-Mohamed, Human Writes Student Editor and Contributor
UNDERGRADUATES GAIN HANDS-ON HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERIENCE
Students interned at Juvenile Justice
Advocates International, where they helped
curate an international art exhibit.
The flagship learning opportunity for undergraduates
through HRP is the annual human rights internship
course. GLOS 3896: Human Rights Internship has long
provided significant opportunities for undergraduate
students to work with some of the leading human rights
organizations in the country while simultaneously
studying human rights theories and concepts as well as
the research and advocacy strategies of NGOs operating
in this space. This year, 14 students were placed with
nine organizations. In these placements, students
developed professional skills in legal research, proposal
development, fundraising, grant writing, event planning,
program design and development, and strategic
communications.
In the classroom, students study the basic methods and tools of human rights organizations, which
they apply within the context of their internship sites. The internship course strengthens campus-
community partnerships, leveraging shared knowledge to make our community a better place while
promoting active citizenship among students.