
Partnership with AAAS
Since 2005, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has established itself as a leader in the application of geospatial technologies such as satellite imagery, volunteered geographic information, and GIS analysis to issues associated with human rights, environmental justice, and humanitarian crises throughout the world. The AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program fosters and facilitates the responsible practice and application of science in the service of society.
This expertise, combined with the Center’s effective efforts convening multi-stakeholder and academic/practitioner groups to explore the human rights applications, makes this initiative an innovative collaboration around the application of geospatial technologies to human rights.
Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights
Views of Destruction and Displacement in Myanmar and Neighboring Bangladesh
Analyzing Mass Graves in Raqqa, Syria
SciTech4HR
Poison and Power- The Fight for Water
The Moral Courage Project (MCP) is a program of the University of Dayton Human Rights Center and PROOF: Media for Social Justice, a New York-based NGO. MCP's most recent effort addresses the struggle to secure clean and affordable water in Michigan and Appalachia. For "Poison and Power: The Fight for Water," the students interviewed a diverse array of individuals to share a story about community resistance grounded in both empirical data and lived experience.
Creating Opportunities in the Future of Engineering and Human Rights
This workshop builds on the University of Dayton's (UD) Human Rights Center & Studies Program, and ETHOS (Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service Learning) Center "Engineering and Human Rights" partnership. The goals are to create an engineering minor, invest in engineering and human rights research, and advance vocational pathways for engineers, including by contributing their skills, techniques and expertise to human rights, peace, sustainable development and humanitarian organizations.
Connecting Space to Human Rights
This session explores our current understanding, research tools, and conceptual framework for satellite image applications, and discuss evidence-based case studies that focus on interdisciplinary assessments and science-based humanitarian and human rights response.
Experiential Learning and Advocacy
This session includes real life examples and offers participants insights into student learning, skills building and transdisciplinary models at the intersection of science and human rights that could be considered for use in other university settings.

The Human Rights Center (HRC) teamed up with UD’s Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Human Rights and Science Coalition to analyze satellite imagery of Myanmar and bordering Bangladesh in order to track evidence of internationally recognized crimes against the Rohingya people.
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In times of pandemic and crises, the intersection of science and human rights become increasingly visible and urgent. Learn about the lasting impact of experiential learning at this intersection from two of our student interns, who share their insights from the 2019 AAAS Conference in Washington, D.C.
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