Name: SPHR26: Creative Resistance — Artivism, Technology and the Right to Dissent
Start: 2026-04-09T00:00:00.000-04
End: 2026-04-11T00:00:00.000-04

About the Conference

The Social Practice of Human Rights (SPHR) Conference convenes scholars, artists, activists, organizers and practitioners to examine how human rights are imagined, challenged and advanced in practice. In 2026, SPHR gathers at a moment of profound global tension and possibility; when dissent is increasingly criminalized, technologies both enable and constrain resistance, and creative practices have become vital tools for survival, solidarity and transformation.

SPHR26 explores how artivism, digital technologies, and creative forms of protest shape contemporary struggles for human dignity and justice. Across disciplines and movements, participants will interrogate how creative resistance confronts repression, mobilizes communities and reclaims public space; while also grappling with the risks, exclusions and ethical dilemmas that accompany these practices.

Explore the SPHR26 Program and Archive.

SPHR26: Creative Resistance

Program, Plenaries, Sessions and Workshops

SPHR 2026 Theme: Creative Resistance

"We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth."
- U.S. President John F. Kennedy

A quarter-century removed from the September 11 attacks, a new generation knows only the dread and despair that dominate the narrative of now. Authoritarian governance, climate collapse and techno-dystopia recalibrate a reality once set on the promise of tomorrow. Human rights and democracy face unprecedented existential threats. Legal foundations fray under bombardment while illiberal forces celebrate cruelty. Nation-states retreat from cooperation with others, looking inward and backward for scapegoats and excuses.

What’s worse, the mechanics we have to build new futures have themselves been endangered and hacked. Local law enforcement chills free expression and violates the rights of assembly with military-grade gear, immigration enforcement is weaponized to punish political opposition and terrorism statutes outlaw protest across continents. From heightened digital authoritarianism in East Asia to the suppression of civil society in parts of Africa, the criminalization of social movements across the Americas, and the tightening grip on media in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, threats to the basic freedoms of democracy are everywhere. Documentation could be deep-faked while malignant algorithms surveil and shape online communities. Reliable philanthropic resources are evaporating at the very moment when investment in movement infrastructure is so essential.

These are difficult times, but a shift is underway.

Amidst this contracting civic space, a powerful counter-narrative is emerging. From mural movements and punk protests to indigenous artistic revivals, from digital memorials and silent theater to TikTok activism and algorithmic subversion, social movements are redefining the very act of resistance and actively defending fundamental human rights in powerfully creative ways. These movements are at the forefront of protecting the rights to assembly, association, belief, opinion, free expression and dissent — all indispensable pillars of a healthy democracy. In this hostile environment, artistic expression and digital technologies have not merely become modes of activism and advocacy; they are now urgent tools for preserving democratic space, directly challenging structural violence, and amplifying marginalized voices. This convening of social movement scholars and practitioners of human rights links directly to the defense of democracy as a core objective.

In this spirit, the Human Rights Center at the University of Dayton will convene the 2026 Social Practice of Human Rights (SPHR) conference to center this critical conjuncture. As the weight of disinformation, militarization, and belligerent politics bears down, communities are demonstrating remarkable adaptability. They are innovating, finding new ways to speak truth to power, to organize effective movements, and to reclaim public discourse. From the poignant street art that bears witness to state violence to the encrypted messaging apps that enable safe mobilization, the convergence of art and technology is fundamentally reshaping the architecture of protest and the defense of democratic ideals.

Conference Schedule and Information

SPHR26 was a three-day conference featuring keynotes, plenaries, workshops and concurrent sessions.

Keynote: Varun Gauri

Lecturer in Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
Former Head, Behavioral Science Unit, The World Bank

Varun Gauri is a Lecturer in Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and formerly served as Head of the Behavioral Science Unit at The World Bank. His work explores the intersection of human rights, governance and behavioral science, with a focus on how institutions can better design policies and practices that advance dignity, accountability and social justice.

Plenaries

SPHR26 hosted four plenary sessions featuring speakers whose work engages the conference themes and their intersections, including:

Artivism as Resistance

The leveraging of visual, performative, and literary activism (murals, theater, spoken word, zines, music) for memory, imagination and political intervention. How does this work drive change and foster dialogue in the face of repression?

Technological Transformation

The implications and promise of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, technology-based innovation, and the role of digital freedom and the opportunity for engagement with stakeholders across public and private sectors.

Upholding the Human Right to Protest and Dissent

Investigates the human right to protest and dissent, examining the legal frameworks, the strategic role of movement lawyering, and international mechanisms that safeguard collective action in an era of evolving social movements.

The Future of International Law

Creative resistance challenges, reinforces and redefines the impact of international legal mechanisms, and the viability of multilateralism and global governance is being challenged like never before. How can we reimagine human rights advocacy to create stronger institutions for peace and justice?

Concurrent Sessions

Concurrent sessions included a mix of:

Panels
Roundtables
Research sessions
Creative and practice-based presentations, exhibits and performances

Sessions brought together scholars, practitioners, artists and organizers working on topics related to creative resistance, technology and dissent.

Workshops

SPHR26 hosted a series of 120-minute workshops on Friday and Saturday. Workshops were designed to be interactive and skills-based, offering participants opportunities to engage deeply with tools, methods and practices relevant to human rights advocacy and creative resistance.

Event Photos

Four students carry protest signs during a march-in as part of the 2026 conference. Plenary 1 march-in during "Artivism as Resistance" at SPHR26.

Students carry protest signs down the aisle as part of the 2026 conference. Students carry protest signs into Plenary 1: "Artivism as Resistance."

A large group of speakers and performers line up on stage during the 2026 conference. Opening plenary speakers and performers for "Artivism as Resistance" at SPHR26.

One male speaker and one female speaker stand on opposite ends of the stage during the 2026 conference. Crack Rodríguez (left, Artivist, The Fire Theory and Los Siempre Sospechosos de Todo) and Miranda Hallett (Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Director of Human Rights Studies at UD) speak on stage during Plenary 1: "Artivism as Resistance."

A woman dances on stage during the 2026 conference. Labor rights advocate and documentarian Jewher Ilham dances during Plenary 1: "Artivism as Resistance."

Conference participants explore the Moral Courage Project exhibit space, "At the Roots," during SPHR26.

Four panelists sit in chairs on the stage, while two panelists appear virtually on a screen hanging above the stage. Panelists who participated in Plenary 2: "Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights," included Janet Gbam (Human Rights Law and Technology Policy Expert; Editor, African Human Rights Yearbook [ARTICLE 19]), Adebayo Oluwayomi (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, West Chester University of Pennsylvania), Julio C. Mateo (Program Associate for Democracy and Community, Charles F. Kettering Foundation), Dani Pinter, Esq. (Chief Legal Officer and Director, NCOSE Law Center), Adebayo Okeowo (Associate Director of Programs, Regional & Partner Engagement, WITNESS) and Tony Talbott (Director of Advocacy, Human Rights Center).

A man and a woman, both seated in chairs on the stage, converse during the keynote at the 2026 conference. Varun Gauri (Princeton University) in conversation with Shannon TL Isom (President and CEO, Community Shelter Board) during the SPHR26 keynote.

Three women, seated in chairs on the stage, converse during the 2026 conference. Panelists during Plenary 3: "Future of International Law," included Brenda Akia (Vice Chair & Rapporteur, UN CEDAW Committee), Bonnie Jenkins (Executive Director, Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security [WCAPS]) and Vasuki Nesiah (Professor of Practice, Galatin School, New York University).

Two women and two men, all seated in chairs on the stage, converse during the 2026 conference. Panelists during Plenary 4: "Upholding the Human Right to Protest and Dissent," included Monique Clesca (Member, Montana Accord; Co-founder, Haitian Afrodescendant Collective [KAAD]), Michael Nyarko (Deputy Executive Director, Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa), Carrie Booth Walling (Director, University of Minnesota Human Rights Program) and Devin Franklin (Senior Movement Policy Counsel, Southern Center for Human Rights).

SPHR26 in Review

Keynote

The Blessings of Fiction: How Novels Invented Human Rights

Varun Gauri (Princeton University) in conversation with Shannon TL Isom (President and CEO, Community Shelter Board).

Watch the Video

SPHR26 in Review

Plenary 1 | Artivism as Resistance

Discussion on how art preserves memory and fuels resistance movements, featuring Lincoln "Link" Schreiber (SlamMaster, Dayton Poetry Slam), Crack Rodriguez (Artivist, The Fire Theory and Los Siempre Sospechosos de Todo), ShaDawn Battle (Assistant Professor, Gender and Diversity Studies Program, Xavier University) and Jewher Ilham (Labor rights advocate and documentarian).

SPHR26 in Review

Plenary 2 | Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

Discussion on the impact of AI technologies on race, gender, democracy and human rights, featuring Janet Gbam (Human Rights Law and Technology Policy Expert; Editor, African Human Rights Yearbook [ARTICLE 19]), Adebayo Oluwayomi (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, West Chester University of Pennsylvania), Julio C. Mateo (Program Associate for Democracy and Community, Charles F. Kettering Foundation), Dani Pinter, Esq. (Chief Legal Officer and Director, NCOSE Law Center), Adebayo Okeowo (Associate Director of Programs, Regional & Partner Engagement, WITNESS) and Tony Talbott (Director of Advocacy, Human Rights Center).

SPHR26 in Review

Plenary 3 | Future of International Law

Explore the future of international law and accountability amid global conflict and democratic backsliding, featuring Brenda Akia (Vice Chair & Rapporteur, UN CEDAW Committee), Bonnie Jenkins (Executive Director, Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security [WCAPS]), Vasuki Nesiah (Professor of Practice, Galatin School, New York University) and Gay J. McDougall (Former Vice Chair, UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination & Former UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities).

SPHR26 in Review

Plenary 4 | Upholding the Right to Dissent

Activists and movement leaders examine threats to protest movements and the importance of global solidarity, featuring Monique Clesca (Member, Montana Accord; Co-founder, Haitian Afrodescendant Collective [KAAD]), Michael Nyarko (Deputy Executive Director, Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa), Carrie Booth Walling (Director, University of Minnesota Human Rights Program) and Devin Franklin (Senior Movement Policy Counsel, Southern Center for Human Rights).

Get Social #sphr26

Join the conversation, share photos, tweet, post and go live tagging @udhumanrights and using: #sphr26 #CreativeResistance

Stay Informed

We will be updating this page regularly to better accommodate your participation at the next SPHR. If you have any questions, please contact us at hrc@udayton.edu.

The Social Practice of Human Rights: Creative Resistance — Artivism, Technology, and the Right to Dissent

Register to Attend

SPHR26 was planned as a hybrid conference, with both virtual and in-person participation options. Check back for registration information for the next event.

Past Conferences

2023 | Decolonization and Development for Africa and People of African Descent

Held during the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 10th anniversary of SPHR, SPHR23 focused on decolonization, development, movement-building, and reclaiming power through anti-racist, feminist, and decolonial approaches. The conference was jointly convened with partners from South Africa and centered Africa and people of African descent in conversations about justice, climate, identity, and liberation.

Featured Speakers & Sessions

Keynote | Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni,The Unfinished Black/African Struggles for Liberation: Examining the unfinished liberation struggles across Global Africa and the limits of traditional human rights and development paradigms.
Keynote | Dr. Amara Enyia, What is the Mandate of this Moment?: A reflection on reparations, Pan-African solidarity, and self-determination amid global political change.
Plenary Sessions: Decolonizing Development: Rethinking the Paradigm, Black Power in the 21st Century, Facilitating a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition
Featured speakers: Njoya Tikum, Crystal Simeoni, Thenjiwe McHarris, Tiffany Williams Roberts, Rebekah Shirley, Fadhel Kaboub and Adebayo Okeowo.

Watch Videos From SPHR23

SPHR23 Program and Archive

2019 | Going Against the Grain

SPHR19 continued the conference's commitment to connecting scholars, practitioners, artists and advocates through interdisciplinary approaches to human rights practice. The convening explored strategies for advancing justice through community engagement, advocacy, storytelling and movement-building.

Featured Videos and Sessions

Conference sessions and speaker videos are available through the SPHR archive playlist and eCommons collection.

Watch Videos From SPHR19

SPHR19 Program and Archive

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