Who We Are

The Advocates for Human Rights established the Discover Human Rights Institute in 2007 to contribute to the building of a U.S.-based human rights movement. Our vision is to build a human rights-based advocacy movement in the United States so that U.S. civil society becomes a more active participant in the global human rights movement.  Through the Institute, we provide educational resources and tools to help people learn about and apply international human rights standards in their daily lives, their families, their workplaces, and their communities. Our resources are designed for easy access and use in a variety of contexts and for different audiences.  We train teachers, students, and community educators about international human rights standards and encourage people to “get informed, get involved, and get others interested” in human rights.

Mission

The Human Rights Education Institute was founded in 2007 to:

• Bolster the human rights movement in the United States by fostering linkages between U.S. civil society and the global human rights movement;
• Help advocates for social justice, civil rights, and other progressive issues see what they do as contributing to the global human rights movement and frame their work in terms of international human rights;
• Provide people with the knowledge and skills to apply human rights to their daily lives;
• Promote education in K-12 schools that helps shape values, attitudes and behaviors that uphold respect for human rights, and;
• Motivate civil society to defend and promote human rights locally and globally.

Guiding Principals

The Institute is founded on three basic principles:

(1) Working Together Globally is Essential

The U.S. and global human rights movements must work together to promote and defend human rights. Many people across all sectors of society in the U.S. are involved in rights-based work. They protect the civil, social and legal rights of women, low- and middle-income earners, workers, children, elderly, religious groups, refugees, immigrants, voters, disabled and many others. People in other parts of the world are involved in similar work. This work is called human rights work. By understanding each other’s issues, struggles and approaches to solving problems, we can more effectively build a world in which the human rights of everyone, everywhere, are respected.

(2) Respecting Internationally Accepted Human Rights Standards is Crucial 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international legal standards set forth by international human rights treaties provide a useful common language and legal framework under which we can work together to promote respect for human rights both in the U.S. and elsewhere.

(3) Human Rights Education is Key

Getting informed, getting involved and getting others interested in human rights issues is one of the best ways to ensure long-term progress in respect for human rights everywhere.

About The Advocates for Human Rights

The Discover Human Rights Institute is a project of The Advocates for Human Rights, a non-governmental 501(c)3 organization located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mission of The Advocates for Human Rights is to implement international human rights standards in order to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law. By involving volunteers in research, education, and advocacy, we build broad constituencies in the United States and selected global communities.