The University of Dayton has a history of focus on human rights. Since 1997, we have held global conferences on emerging human rights and humanitarian issues, and established the Human Rights Center in 2013.
We believe human rights are constantly being shaped by the individual and collective efforts of many people. Through action, conversation and reflection, human rights are realized in daily life.
Grounded in universal, global norms, standards and agendas, the social practice of human rights approach complements traditional perspectives that situate human rights in formal institutions, or in the actions of experts, lawyers and professional advocates. Our work focuses on discourses, dialogues and cultures to understand how human rights are protected, spread, experienced and given meaning through the practices of diverse communities.
Our Mission and Vision
Mission
We advance human rights by conducting research-driven, participatory advocacy; educating future practitioners; and fostering inclusive and reflective dialogue and learning that promotes innovation and deepens impact.
Inspired by our Catholic Marianist roots, we work through sustainable partnerships with human rights practitioners and justice organizations in Ohio, the United States and around the world.
Vision
A diverse community developing transformational and sustainable social practices that address systemic injustice and advance peace, dignity and human rights.
Our Principles
- Making the education-research-advocacy nexus central to all our practice — We integrate projects that promote formal and experiential learning from applied research on the practice of participatory transformational advocacy.
- Students are at the center of our theory of change — We amplify and build new multidisciplinary educational opportunities, advance student participation in applied research, and ensure that students receive basic human rights formation at UD.
- Action research for change — We promote research that is action-oriented, community-led, and directed to support transformational advocacy with evidence and insights, but also by strategically learning from all we do.
- Root our work in genuine, horizontal and sustainable partnerships — This allows us to mobilize power, tools, knowledge, and information from a range of fields for the human rights community.
- Intersectional, feminist, anti-racist and decolonial approaches — We actively seek to identify and transform oppressive practices or structures present in the context, including our own projects, structures and initiatives.
Our Strategic Aim
- Generational renewal
Students and alumni contribute to human rights change around the world, and assume leading and supporting roles within human rights struggles across civil society, government, business, science, art or other fields. - Partnership-building across global divides that alters power dynamics
Partner organizations-based locally and globally build solidarity and contribute to critique and self-reflection on privilege and practice within the human rights community. - Innovation and application of transformational advocacy methods
Practitioners and organizations in the human rights ecosystem are utilizing tools, methods, and insights (including those of HRC) from a range of fields to improve, innovate and adapt advocacy practices.
Our Partners
Human Rights education lies at the heart of the University of Dayton and the Human Rights Center's mission. We partner with organizations across the globe to provide students with opportunities to integrate interdisciplinary academic and experiential learning through human rights internships, fellowships and research projects.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
The AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program fosters and facilitates the responsible practice and application of science in the service of society. - ARDC
The African Refugee Development Center is a grassroots, community-based nonprofit working to protect, assist and empower African refugees and asylum-seekers in Israel. - Business and Human Rights Resource Center
The Business and Human Rights Resource Center works to advance human rights in business and eradicate abuse by bringing global attention to company conduct affecting people and communities. - Counterpart International
Counterpart works with communities around the globe to identify and map complex challenges; develop durable social partnerships; implement innovative, scalable and sustainable solutions; and generate lasting impact. - Cristosal
Cristosal works to advance human rights in Central America through rights-based research, learning and programming. - Dandelion Africa
Dandelion Africa is a grassroots innovator on a mission to improve the health and economic well being of youth and women living in marginalized and rural communities in Kenya. - D2D
Determined to Develop is a grassroots organization using education as a primary tool to break the cycle of extreme poverty in Malawi, Africa. - Gender Tech Initiative - Uganda
A holistic and gender perspective organization, aimed at empowering women, young girls, activists, Feminists and human right defenders with skills to thwart online censorship, promote research, offer digital safety trainings and awareness to mitigate threats to digital attacks and protect them from online harassment. - HIAS Israel
HIAS Israel works with civil society organizations and governmental bodies to improve the refugee asylum system in Israel and represents asylum seekers through legal proceedings. - ISLA
Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa is a Pan-African and feminist led initiative that contributes to the development of jurisprudence on sexual rights and women’s human rights in Africa. - Legacies of War
Legacies of War is the leading U.S.-based educational and advocacy organization working to address the impact of conflict in Laos during the Vietnam War-era, including removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). - OGR
OpenGlobalRights, an initiative of JustLabs works to support dialogue and exchange on human rights strategy, theory and practice. - PEJ
Project Expedite Justice works to help victims of human rights abuses through investigating and providing accountability for international crimes and serious human rights abuse. - PROOF
PROOF works to create a world of "upstanders" through a three-pronged vision of education, research and advocacy. - WomHub
WomHub is a boutique pan-African incubator for female-founders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing).
Our History
Since 1997, we have held global conferences on emerging human rights and humanitarian issues. These events not only facilitate dialogue, they are making a direct impact on human rights issues.
After we created the first undergraduate human rights studies program in the nation in 1998, our 1999 conference, "Education for Action," fostered dialogue with other universities who then established their own programs.
In 2000, the Human Rights Committee at the University of Dayton established the Romero Human Rights Award. The first recipient was Juan Méndez, UN Special Rapporteur on torture for his work with the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.
The 2001 conference, "A Question of Conscience", led directly to the publication of a book: Children's Human Rights.
The 2003 conference, "Bring Durban to Dayton" focused on racism and xenophobia. The result was the creation of the Welcome Dayton Plan — the area's immigrant-friendly city initiative.
The 2008 Campaign to Ban Torture: American Voices for American Values, in partnership with The Center for Victims of Torture, led to University of Dayton President Daniel J. Curran becoming the first Catholic university president to sign the petition calling for an executive order to ban torture. In 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13491 — Ensuring Lawful Interrogations.
The 2009 conference, "Trafficking is Slavery", led to the New Abolitionist Movement on campus, a student organization actively combating human trafficking and raising awareness through community presentations, lobbying efforts and victim assistance.
In 2010, we hosted a meeting of the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking. This led to the creation of Abolition Ohio — a dynamic, regional anti-trafficking coalition that championed the passage of a bill making trafficking a crime in Ohio. The bill was signed into law in December 2010.
In 2013, we hosted the inaugural Social Practice of Human Rights Conference that focused on the dramatic changes impacting the global human rights movement, the emergence of dynamic new NGOs in the global south that are resetting the human rights agenda, the importance of aligning human rights advocacy with popular movements, and the impact of U.S. policies on human dignity and rights at home and around the world.
In 2013, Daniel J. Curran, 18th president of University of Dayton, announced the University's commitment to establish a human rights center.
