Human Rights Center Annual Report 2023

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2. . ..... WELCOME 3. . ..... BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HRC 4 . . ..... STRATEGIC VISIONING OVERVIEW 5. . ..... KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs) 7. . ..... STUDENT INTERN REFLECTIONS 18..... CLOSING

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S WELCOME As I read through the following annual report, I am in awe of what has been accomplished in the past year. My tenure as Executive Director began in June 2023, and I am privileged to lead a team of four staff members, four affiliated faculty members, two graduate students and nearly 15 undergraduate student workers. As this report demonstrates, this team has achieved an impressive amount given our small size and an increasingly difficult political landscape for human rights advocates.

However, it is not our accomplishment alone. We thank all who have contributed to our success, most especially our local, national and international partners who work tirelessly everyday to promote the dignity of the human person and to fight for justice in big and small ways. We are also grateful to the University of Dayton, particularly the College of Arts and Sciences for their continued and unwavering support for our work as we contribute to the University of Dayton’s commitment to being a ‘University for the Common Good.’

This work is guided by five key principles. First, 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. Second, we make the education-research-advocacy nexus central to all our practice. We promote formal and experiential learning by conducting applied research on the practice of participatory transformational advocacy. This is the foundation for our understanding of the social practice of human rights.

Social practice means prioritizing action-based research. With this third principle, we support research that is action-oriented, community-led and directed to support transformational advocacy with evidence and insights. At the same time, we seek to learn strategically from all that we do. Our deepening capacity in this methodology is particularly notable in the projects undertaken this past year.

Fourth, we root our work in genuine, horizontal and sustainable partnerships, both on and off campus. This allows us to mobilize power, knowledge and skills from a range of fields for the human rights community. We have learned a great deal from our local and global partners this year and these relationships are critical to all that we do.

Lastly, our work is guided by intersectional, feminist, anti-racist and decolonial approaches. We embrace a critical, introspective, inclusive and diverse understanding of human rights in the world. We actively seek to identify and transform oppressive practices or structures present in the contexts in which we work, including our own projects, structures and initiatives.

We hope that in reading this report, the collective work will inspire and challenge you. We encourage all readers to engage with us.

Reach out. There is much work to do.

Natalie F. Hudson, Ph.D.

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OVERVIEW OF

THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER

Founded in 2013, the University of Dayton’s Human Rights Center (HRC) has grown into a robust center that works at the intersection of research, advocacy and education. Inspired by our Catholic and Marianist roots, we work through sustainable partnerships with human rights practitioners and justice organizations in Ohio, the United States and around the world.

OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL PRACTICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS:

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.

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.

VISION:

A diverse community developing transformational and sustainable social practices that address systemic injustice and advance peace, dignity and human rights.

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.

STRATEGIC VISIONING

This report is our first after a multi-year strategic visioning process that, among other things, clearly articulated a set of three strategic objectives for the HRC: 1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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Using these three strategic objectives, we developed a set of nine key performance indicators (KPIs), which we assess in this report.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.1:

Number of students enrolled in HRC/HRS courses

GENERATIONAL RENEWAL

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.2:

Increased students’ growth, learning and experience of agency and intercultural appreciation

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.3:

Publish at least 2 stories annually of alumni who have assumed leading and supporting roles within human rights struggles

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.1:

Showcase contributions to locally-led advocacy initiatives

PARTNERSHIPBUILDING

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.2:

Cultivation of quality spaces for dialogue, non-violence and reflection among community partners and UD students/campus

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3:

Number of partnerships/collaborative engagements with businesses, non-governmental and state-related organizations

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.1:

Number of high quality, applied and other research tools, guides, materials and reports

INNOVATION AND TRANSFORMATIONAL ADVOCACY

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.2:

Extent of application of methods, tools and insights learned during SPHR and applied methods workshops

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.3:

Level of engagement with HRC website, blog and social media channels

Our full strategic visioning document can be found at: tinyurl.com/2sz2h7b3 H U M A N

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GENERATIONAL RENEWAL

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.1:

Number of students enrolled in HRC/HRS courses During the 2022–2023 academic year, HRC faculty and staff taught 13 undergraduate human rights classes with a total of 267 students.

The courses were at the 200 to 400 level. Over half of the classes directly engaged students in the planning and execution of HRC projects and events. Students in these courses represent a wide range of majors from across all academic units on campus.

NUMBER OF COURSES AND STUDENTS TAUGHT:

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FALL 2022

COURSE NAME

FACULTY

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

SEE 325

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Talbott

15

HRS 497

Human Rights Studies Capstone

Hallett

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ANT 325

Anthropology and Human Rights

Hallett

25

HRS 200

Introduction to Human Rights

Daffner

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POL 431

Moral Courage Project

Pruce, Hudson

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ENG 362 (2 sections)

Shakespeare and the Construction of Difference

Mendoza

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SPRING 2023

COURSE NAME

FACULTY

NUMBER OF STUDENTS

HRS 392/POL 334

Human Rights and Development in Africa

Nabaneh

25

HRS/CJS 360

Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy

Talbott

26

HRS 200

Introduction to Human Rights

Hudson

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HRS 200

Introduction to Human Rights

Waldron

18

HRS 329

Genocide, Mass Atrocity and Transitional Justice

Morrow

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ENG 362

Shakespeare and the Construction of Difference

Mendoza

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TOTAL STUDENTS

267

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.2:

Increased students’ growth, learning and experience of agency and intercultural appreciation In order to understand students’ experiences, it is best to hear from them directly and to preserve their voice. Below we offer a sample of reflections from HRC student interns and fellows from the past year that speak to the way their experiences have changed them.

Sofia Zunt ‘25

Sarah Naughton ‘25

International Studies

Sustainability

The HRC has opened my eyes to sums of different perspectives, from teaching me how to facilitate dialogue to the immense research about the immigrant population in the Greater Dayton Area. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of so many movements and advocacy groups, where we have gone to the Statehouse to urge legislatures to pass bills regarding victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence, as well as attending local meetings regarding migrants and how to best assist them as a community. Alongside all of the organizational side of the HRC, one of the best parts of working here has been the way my co-workers and the other interns have opened my eyes to all of the social justice and human rights issues they care most about, with everyone’s passion for making a difference creating an environment that allows us, as a group, to thrive and advance ourselves and our knowledge.

International Studies and Human Rights Studies

Working at the HRC has become such a valuable life experience through the professional and personal opportunities it has offered me. Joining the various teams and projects has allowed me to learn about new subjects, while simultaneously continuing to explore topics I was already interested in. I have been able to connect with people who are passionate about the same topics as we work on projects that come to life on campus.

I have all the resources at my fingertips and I am surrounded by a team of devoted professors and students.

Ahmí Moore ‘24

Visual Arts

Human Rights Studies and English Living abroad this summer, I didn’t feel othered but the exact opposite. I felt a strong sense of belonging and I know that’s a product of the deep sense of family that’s ingrained in Gambian culture. The Gambia is known for being “The Smiling Coast,” and after living there for two months, you start to realize just how true that statement is. All in all, The Gambia was truly remarkable. This opportunity has left me so grateful and transformed. I’ve never felt so far away yet close to home and if I could do it all over again I would change absolutely nothing.

Mercy John ‘24

Working at the HRC provides me with real world experiences in advocacy that I would not get elsewhere. I enjoy the statehouse advocacy days conducted for Abolition OHIO and OAESV. Additionally, I love the familiar environment at the center.

It has become my second home and I’ve built relationships with interns and staff that I hold dearly.

Jet Lex ‘26 Within the last year, I have had the opportunity to expand my network and discover what I want to do with my career.

It pushed me to change majors, step out of my comfort zone, and really explore the world of advocacy and human rights work. I’ve spoken to people at the Statehouse, worked on research and photography for PREVENTS-OH, and helped with the Sounds About Right podcast.

I have learned valuable lessons during my time at the HRC and I cannot wait to continue my work here and carry it into wherever my career takes me next.

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Reagan Miller ‘23

Graphic Design

The past few years working as a design intern for the HRC have given me an array of opportunities I never would have had otherwise. I have had the privilege of contributing to many impactful initiatives but my favorite was undoubtedly the Moral Courage Project, where I had the opportunity to visually convey stories of individuals who exhibited remarkable bravery in the face of adversity. It was a gratifying experience, using design to amplify voices and inspire change in the realm of human rights.

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Tierra Freeman ‘24

Emmy Flottman-Mullen

Marketing

Second Year Law Student

My fellowship at the WomHub propelled me into the world of mar/comm, which focuses on marketing and community.

While there, not only was I able to meet and network with amazing women, but I also got insider knowledge on what it takes to have an idea and turn it into a business/company that can eventually earn profits.

Working with the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) has made me realize just how much work still needs to be done on the global stage when it comes to women’s human and sexual rights. This experience has definitely reinforced my interest in dealing with international law and finance as well as strengthened my ability to write case briefs when more research is required, all while allowing me to learn about the Kenyan courts and the general judicial systems.

Aila Carr-Chellman ‘25

Political Science and Philosophy

Layla Riaz Saqibuddin ‘24

MBA International Studies, ‘25 My fellowship with The Halo Trust allowed me to gain an experience I have been dreaming of receiving. In my junior and senior year of college, I knew human rights was my calling, but I did not know how to get involved with this career path and I was having trouble getting involved with human rights. By having the opportunity to work for this organization, I finally learned what it means to be a part of a compassionate organization that has the ability and power to change the lives of billions.

Working at the HRC at the University of Dayton connects me with many opportunities at the forefront of human rights activism across the world. It keeps me in a community of loving people who advocate for each other, for human rights on campus, human rights in our Dayton community, and across the globe. Working at the HRC means I have the opportunity to take initiative in my community and my world, and that I have all the resources I need to make a difference.

Noah Aschemeier ‘23

Human Rights Studies Alumnus My fellowship with Dandelion Africa granted me opportunities that otherwise seemed impossible. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into a completely different community in a country (Kenya) that was new to me, and even better, felt like a part of the Dandelion Africa family. The incredible opportunity to conduct meaningful, qualitative research pertaining to climate change impacts on different villages in Kenya cannot be overstated, as this was a once in a lifetime experience that originally seemed out of reach. Through this fellowship, I was able to apply and expand upon the research tools that I learned while at UD, illustrating a unique and rewarding handson experience that I will never forget.

I carry these lessons forward into my MPA Program at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (Indiana University Bloomington), with a planned focus on Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management.

Kadiatou Thithia Toure ‘24

Anthropology

When I started my fellowship with Legacies of War, I had limited knowledge about the secret war in Laos or the advocacy work required to remove unexploded ordnance. I wasn’t expecting to gain so much knowledge from this fellowship. I was blessed to research and communicate the issues that LoW is trying to tackle, whether through spreading awareness with Congress, podcasts, or creating articles. I am proud to have been able to advance their work on these issues.

As a senior, it may seem like my time at UD is beginning to end, but for me, it has just started. And I am grateful for LoW expanding my worldview on what human rights work can be.

Ximena Silva-Aguirre ‘24

Human Rights Studies

Some of the research that I conducted for Cristosal based in El Salvador revolved around comparing LGBTQ+ rights in the US, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. I learned a lot about the legal factors that allow one’s rights to be violated and ways that we can fight back. Being able to help Cristosal create agendas for spaces of dialogue to be conducted in the US, specifically in Chicago, has left me inspired to create spaces of dialogue in Dayton to promote Cristosal’s message.

“ … I L O V E T H E FA M I L I A R ENVIRONMENT AT THE CENTER. IT HAS BECOME MY SECOND HOME A N D I ’ V E B U I LT RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNS AND STAFF T H A T I H O L D D E A R LY. ” Mercy John ‘24

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1.3:

Publish at least 2 stories annually of alumni who have assumed leading and supporting roles within human rights struggles

Elyse McMahon ‘20 Human Rights Alumna I graduated from the University of Dayton in May 2020 during a time when the whole world was facing uncertainty and great loss. My plan to pursue a job or fellowship in a human rights field turned on its head as funding for programs decreased and open positions became obsolete due to the pandemic. As I was losing hope in finding a position to kickstart a career in human rights, I received an opportunity for a year-long volunteer position as a legal assistant at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, Texas. I thought about my time at UD with the Moral Courage Project, where I spent two weeks in El Paso meeting activists on the front lines responding to the needs of their community on the US/Mexico border, including the director of Las Americas at the time. I accepted the position on a leap of faith, and my experience the past three years has formed my values and skills around advocacy, community-building and working with integrity, values which I began building as a student at UD. As a legal assistant for the last three years, I have been honored to put what I learned in my time as a Human Rights Studies student into action daily. Each day, I work with clients on their applications for immigration benefits, including asylum, DACA, naturalization and residency. Accessing immigration status allows individuals in the community to attend college, own housing, access medical care and travel to see family members they have not seen in years without the threat of deportation. Our immigration system is deeply flawed, and my clients have to meet very specific criteria to be able to secure legal status.

Despite the immense challenges, I carry with me an ethic to provide high-quality services to every client and accompany them through a violent immigration system, keeping as many of them out of deportation proceedings as possible. My time at UD invigorated me and made it clear to me that to be fulfilled and affect change, I have to work against injustice, not by myself, but in solidarity with others. None of us have the right answer, and often in this work there is no right answer. It is tireless work to do on your own, and I am grateful for the energy I gain from working alongside my colleagues and other organizers in the community, something I always hoped to continue to do once graduating from the University of Dayton.

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MORAL COURAGE PROJECT REUNION

In March 2023, we hosted an alumni reunion to which we invited all former participants in the Moral Courage Project (MCP). In all, including those completing the fourth cycle of our work, fifty students have been through the program. The reunion was the HRC’s first formal effort to cultivate a network of former students for maintaining ties and continuous connections as well as an intentional effort to assess the impact of the MCP experience on students after graduation. Guided by the goal of generational renewal, we strive for our students and alumni to contribute in various ways to human rights change around the world. We were interested to learn about how their time in human rights at UD shaped who they are now so we can determine the impact of our experiential learning programs, like MCP, as we continue to adapt and evolve them.

We were able to confirm more than 20 participants to spend an afternoon together in activities designed to engage creativity and reflection while also producing materials that could capture evidence of impact. The MCP coordinating team crafted a series of exercises intended to connect to three core areas: skills and methodologies; vocation; and theory of change. In other words, Did MCP teach you skills you still use?

Did MCP influence your sense of personal purpose? Did MCP shape how you see yourself as a changemaker?

We utilized a range of mechanisms to demonstrate the group’s thinking on these questions: collective ideation using sticky notes, interviewing, and even multimedia mash-up portraiture featuring photographs taken on the day of the program by one current MCP student, Jayonna Johnson and Glenna Jennings, 10

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a key MCP art and design faculty partner. In the final session, the alumni joined with the current MCP cohort to discuss the contours of a future alumni network with a complex discussion of the role of various kinds of networks in our own lives, personal and professional.

In addition to deeply enjoying being together, reminiscing as well as cultivating

new relationships, we were able to document learning, growth, and impact in dynamic ways. We plan to analyze and process the data we collected to gain insight into the questions surrounding “generational renewal,” as well as begin work to give life to the alumni network for which this reunion set the groundwork.

PARTNERSHIP-BUILDING STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.1:

Showcase contributions to locally-led advocacy initiatives

HUMAN RIGHTS CITY: DAYTON

In December 2021, we closed SPHR ‘21 with a community workshop that, among other things, discussed issues facing the Greater Dayton region and considered the value of using the Human Rights City approach to help mobilize and organize local activists. One of the community leaders who attended the workshop was the inestimable Mary E. Tyler. She was intrigued by the idea of Dayton becoming a Human Rights City and, after the holidays, reached out to set up a meeting to discuss it. Fast forward a few months and we convened regular information and discussion sessions across the city. Under Mary’s leadership, we mobilized a large and diverse group of community leaders to discuss human rights and develop a strategy.

We formed a steering committee consisting of representatives from the Collaboratory, the City of Dayton Human Relations Council and the UD Human Rights Center. After some initial knowledge sharing and workshopping, we divided our membership into two groups. One focused on developing the civil society and governmental structures and institutional mechanisms needed to achieve successful implementation of a Dayton human rights movement and declaration. The other group focused on developing training and awareness materials and planned for a series of knowledge-sharing events across the community.

Media coverage, awareness events, community meetings and meetings with city government officials, including the mayor and city commissioners, ensued. The process went much more slowly than we all had hoped and there were quite a few “wrong turns” and roadblocks on our path. But, in the Spring of 2023, we shared a draft resolution with the City. A few months later, we received their draft and expressions of support. After several weeks of detailed negotiations between Dayton United for Human Rights Coalition members and city officials, a resolution was tentatively agreed upon and, at the time of this writing, was being finalized to be placed on the docket of an upcoming City Commission meeting.

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ABOLITION OHIO

Abolition Ohio (AO) undertook multiple projects and events in collaboration with partner organizations. During the 2022–2023 year, AO held eight regular coalition meetings with a total attendance of 172 members and guests. We held 15 awareness and training events across Ohio, reaching an audience of 576 people. Major projects undertaken included the development of sex trafficking and labor trafficking demand reduction guidance for government agencies, businesses and NGOs; ongoing training and advocacy based upon AO’s 2021 report on Illicit Massage Businesses in Ohio; co-organizing a “Statehouse Advocacy Day” on the expansion of expungement provisions for survivors of human trafficking; and the re-starting of the local chapter of Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (SOAP).

The Statehouse Advocacy Day was held on November 16, 2022. Fifty advocates from around the state, including a dozen UD human rights students, attended a day of advocacy in Columbus to lobby lawmakers to expand protections for survivors of human trafficking. The event was organized by Abolition Ohio, Cincinnati-based Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, End Slavery Cincinnati and other anti-trafficking coalitions around the state. The purpose was to urge state senators and representatives to support changes to Ohio’s expungement provisions to simplify the process and expand who was eligible.

Expunging criminal convictions from a survivor’s record is a critically important step for rebuilding their lives.

SOAP was founded by human trafficking survivor, author and advocate Theresa Flores.

She works with local and national advocates and volunteers to conduct awareness and outreach to hotels about domestic minor sex trafficking. SOAP uses major sporting events, concerts, conferences and other large public gatherings as touchstones for awareness-raising. Core to the efforts is the delivery of thousands of bars of soap labeled with the national human trafficking hotline number to the participating hotels. The Dayton chapter has long organized an event around the First Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, held at UD Arena in mid-March of each year. However, a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted a hiatus of several years. Abolition Ohio worked with local partners to re-form and re-energize the local chapter. A small test SOAP event was conducted in September 2022 and a large, very successful First four event was held in 2023 at the HRC. Over 150 participants attended the event to learn about human trafficking, assemble awareness packets and deliver bars of labeled soap to area hotels.

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.2:

Cultivation of quality spaces for dialogue, non-violence and reflection among community partners and UD students/campus

PREVENTS-OH

In September 2022, the Human Rights Center received a $352,000 federal grant for its project titled, Preventing Radicalization to Extremist Violence Through Education, Network-Building and Training in Southwest Ohio (PREVENTS-OH).

Funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention initiative, PREVENTS-OH aims to raise awareness about the threat of domestic violent extremism (DVE) and generate increased resilience and greater protective factors in our community.

Over the first year of this two-year project, faculty and staff across the Human Rights Center and various UD departments researched and developed content for course modules and community awareness briefings, held events with community organizations and produced a fact sheet on DVE. Leadership of this project is now being shared between Dr. Paul Morrow (HRC) and Dr. Jamie Small (Women’s and Gender Studies). To mark the first year anniversary of the grant, a Pause and Reflect workshop with community partners was held in late September 2023. Central to this work is the baseline understanding that dialogue is an essential process to address difficult issues that arise as we interact together in community, and an institutional commitment by the University of Dayton to support work that creates space for multiple perspectives, cultivates listening skills and promotes critical understanding.

VISITING SCHOLARS AND PRACTITIONERS

MUSEUMS

The HRC hosted a series of events in February 2023 to raise awareness about the critical issue of child marriage. These events featured Musu Bakoto Sawo, a lawyer and human rights defender from The Gambia, and Ousman Jarju, director, editor and screenwriter.

On Feb. 1, the HRC screened the thoughtprovoking film “MÉBÉT (A Mother’s Plea),” followed by a roundtable discussion on the profound and wide-reaching impact of child marriage. Participants explored how human rights and international norms play a pivotal role in shaping how different countries address this pressing concern, both in terms of legislation and real-world implementation. The discussion also highlighted the interconnectedness of child marriage and other social issues, such as gender-based violence.

In addition to the roundtable discussion, Sawo and Jarju facilitated a workshop on human rights activism. They shared valuable insights into feminist approaches to human rights activism, research methodologies, and the art of storytelling in the context of human rights advocacy. A student blog reflection on the events can be read at tinyurl.com/y6mx497n.

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At the 2021 SPHR conference, Dr. Paul Morrow (HRC) organized a panel on memorial museums between peril and potential. Together with two participants in this panel, Dr. Amy Sodaro (CUNY-BMCC) and Dr. Leora Kahn (Yale), Dr. Morrow planned a follow-up conference on “Museums and Mass Violence” that was hosted by Yale University’s Genocide Studies Program in October 2022. Featuring the work of museum scholars, curator, and designers, the insights developed in this conference will be captured in an edited volume now in preparation for Routledge Press.

In addition to researching museums, Dr. Morrow has worked over the past year to put this emerging mode of human rights advocacy into practice by designing two exhibits at Dayton’s International Peace Museum. The first of these exhibits, “The Disinformation Age,” was on display at the Museum from March to May 2023, and included events with UD Professor and Photojournalist Dr. Paul Becker, along with several community dialogues on the challenges of mis- and disinformation.

The second exhibit was developed in collaboration with students in Dr. Morrow’s spring course “Genocide and Justice” and focused on the legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia. This exhibit went on display in downtown Dayton in August 2023, and featured guest lectures from advocates previously engaged through the Center’s Vietnam Legacies Project.

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.3:

Number of partnerships/collaborative engagements with businesses, non-governmental and state-related organizations

CRISTOSAL

Cristosal is a faith-based organization working to defend human rights, the rule of law, and democratic institutions in Central America. In the current crisis of democratic backsliding and displacement in the region, this non-profit and nonpartisan organization has risen to the challenge of the moment and is at the forefront of direct care and protection for the victims as well as documentation and denunciation of violations. Cristosal carries on the same kind of work that was central to the mission of Saint Oscar Romero in his home region.

Cristosal and the HRC have partnered on multiple projects for around five years now to advance research methodologies (San Salvador, July 2018), to educate the UD community and SPHR attendees on contemporary realities in El Salvador (Romero 2019, SPHR 2019 and 2021), and to foster critical human rights education for University of Dayton students (both remote and in-person internships in the summer terms of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023). Over the 2022–23 academic year, Human Rights Studies senior Michael David Quick turned aspects of his internship experience, alongside independent research, into a theoretically challenging Honors thesis titled “Contesting Human Rights Coherence: Neoliberalism as an Epoch of Brutality”. Among other contributions, Michael was able to translate urgent human rights reports into English during his time with Cristosal, having an impact on the immediate reach of this crucial information.

In fall 2023, three speakers from Cristosal visited the Human Rights Center and the University to speak about the crisis of democracy in Central America.

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As popular violence against journalists, lawyers, and other human rights defenders who speak out against these injustices increases, Cristosal is engaging communities across the Midwest — including ours — to rally and deepen existing local partnerships, raise critical awareness in the central United States about the current situation of human rights in northern Central America and the impact on human rights defenders, and promote dialogue on shared issues of concern that transcend the urgency of the moment.

PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA

The HRC has solidified new strategic partnerships aimed at joint research, teaching, exchange of information, and expanding experiential learning opportunities for our students. In this regard, we are delighted to announce that we have entered into memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with seven human rights organizations based in Africa.

One of our key partners is WomHub, situated in South Africa. WomHub is a boutique pan-African incubator dedicated to supporting female founders in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and manufacturing). Their commitment to empowering women in these critical sectors aligns perfectly with our goals.

Another notable collaborator is Afrobarometer (AB), a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research organization. AB is a vital platform for ordinary Africans to express their perspectives on matters impacting their lives. Through the provision of reliable data, AB contributes significantly to our understanding of African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance and overall quality of life.

The Initiative for Gender Equality and Development in Africa (IGED-Africa) is another partner based in Ghana. Established in 2011, IGED seeks to promote gender equality and empower women and young people. Their dedication to strengthening the voice, capacity and participation of women and youth at the national, regional and international levels resonates deeply with our vision.

We are also proud to partner with Dandelion Africa, a Kenyan NGO led by women that focuses on improving women’s health in marginalized areas. Their deep knowledge of rural cultures and social norms, as well as their understanding of the challenges facing communities, particularly women, youth and men, makes them a valuable ally in our efforts.

In Uganda, we work alongside the Gender Tech Initiative-Uganda, a female-led organization. Their mission revolves around empowering women, young girls, activists, feminists and human rights defenders with digital safety skills. By promoting research and innovation and creating a secure online space for women to harness digital technology tools, they contribute significantly to our shared objectives.

Furthermore, we are collaborating with the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), a pan-African and feminist initiative with a critical mission. ISLA aims to enhance strategic human rights litigation across the African continent, ultimately increasing access to justice and supporting those who seek accountability from states for violations of women’s human rights and sexual rights.

Lastly, we have joined forces with the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), a pan-African NGO dedicated to promoting human rights awareness and improving the effectiveness of the African Human Rights system. IHRDA envisions a continent where everyone can access justice through national, African and international human rights mechanisms.

These partnerships represent a significant step forward in our commitment to fostering experiential learning opportunities for our students while simultaneously advancing crucial causes related to gender equality, human rights and social justice.

Extracts of reflections from our 2023 student summer fellows who worked with these partners can be found in Strategic Objective 1.2, beginning on page 7.

In addition to the partnerships in Africa listed, the HRC engages with many different organizations in Ohio, across the US, and around the world. These partnerships range from long-term relationships to ad hoc, one-time collaborations on substantive projects and events. In total, we partnered with over 40 different nonUD organizations during the 2022–2023 academic year on Abolition Ohio, Moral Courage, Human Rights Cities, Vietnam Legacies and other projects.

AY 2022–23 HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER NON-UD PARTNERSHIPS SCOPE

NUMBER

Local

32

National

5

International

7

INNOVATION AND TRANSFORMATIONAL ADVOCACY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.1:

Number of high quality applied and other research tools, guides, materials and reports

GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The HRC, in collaboration with its Mann Chair in Natural Sciences and the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, has regularly partnered with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights, and Law Program to apply geospatial technologies in support of human rights investigations. In response to a request from the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC), a non-profit organization focused on justice and legal documentation, this collaborative project aims to establish a satellite-based chronology of events related to the creation of eight mass graves in Raqqa city and province. This effort is designed to assist Syrian groups in identifying the victims through the examination of exhumed remains, providing truth and closure to the families of the missing, and ensuring accountability for the perpetrators of these killings.

We encourage you to read our brief analysis, Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights: Analyzing Mass Graves in Raqqa, Syria and our previous report mapping the Destruction and Displacement in Myanmar and Neighboring Bangladesh. Both are at tinyurl.com/mr2vsrbv.

In line with these efforts, we are pleased to announce the approval of a new course, “GIS for Human Rights,” scheduled for delivery in the spring semester of 2024. This course will be a collaborative effort between the Department of Geology and the HRC and will equip students from diverse backgrounds with valuable modeling skills. It aims to enhance experiential learning by applying geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool in various human rights contexts and investigations. A Q&A with Dr. Satang Nabaneh (HRC) and Professor Charles Wu (Geology) discussing this collaboration on human rights mapping can be found in the autumn issue of University of Dayton Magazine (tinyurl.com/yvkent43).

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O F

D A Y T O N

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.2:

Extent of application of methods, tools and insights learned during SPHR and applied methods workshops

INSIGHTS FROM SPHR 2021

Emerging from the 2021 Social Practice of Human Rights (SPHR) conference, we were in possession of pages and pages of data collected throughout the program using Action Research methods, from the Padlet digital platform to the culminating World Cafe. We sought to document the learning that had occurred at the conference and transform that learning into action — or at least bring it forward so that this knowledge can be shared back out and generate multiple streams of new action. The HRC staff, under the guidance of our friend and partner, Dr. Alfredo Ortiz Aragón, analyzed the swaths of informal data using concept mapping software and grounded theory to determine what stories were occurring for us, what themes and imperatives materialized through our experience of processing the comments and provocations left behind by SPHR participants. Based on what we learned, we produced a six-part blog series that we also compiled into an impact report (tinyurl.com/k7w84xv7).

Looking back on that document and the insights it contains reveals kernels of work that the HRC pursued since then (Dayton Human Rights Cities effort), deepened justifications for work we were already doing (opening up advocacy space through universities and museums) and telegraphs ambitious new directions that remain relevant (developing pre-figurative, rather than reactive, strategy). What the report did, perhaps above all else, was show us the constructive and generative nature of Action Research as a methodology and provided us a venue for experimentation that could inform a wider range of work at the Human Rights Center. The process we designed and executed through and beyond SPHR2021 became proof-of-concept.

Since then, we’ve launched the Action Research and Rights Collective (ARRC), an international research network focused on participatory methods. ARRC has convened quarterly meetings and two extensive workshops where dozens of researchers came together to learn and explore new terrain. We also expanded our reach by welcoming in new collaborators and equipping them with modest funding to conduct their own research using what we learned in the meetings and workshops. In general, these forays into methodological training and network-building taught us that researchers are hungry for this form of support and engagement. It was as important for us to get to know each other and develop relationships and be together in space as it was to take away actionable skills to implement.

H U M A N

R I G H T S

C E N T E R

A N N U A L

R E P O R T

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3.3:

Level of engagement with HRC website, blog and social media channels

Let’s Talk Human Rights is the HRC blog series that is published on our website. In the past year, forty different blogs were published on a range of international and local human rights topics, including: Ukrainian culture, child marriage, human rights in Dayton, and gender-based violence. A majority of last year’s blogs were written by undergraduate and graduate students. The full list can be accessed at tinyurl.com/3zmbww6u.

COMM CHANNEL ANALYTICS

From September 2022 to September 2023, HRC web pages had a total of 25,994 views and 11,156 active users with an engagement rate of 50.23% (i.e., just over half of visitors to our pages stayed on for 10 seconds or longer or viewed multiple pages).

our Facebook and Instagram profiles.

Both platforms engaged with mostly local users (Dayton and surrounding cities). Our Facebook audience tended to be older than our audience on Instagram, while women were three to four times more likely than men to engage with our content.

The HRC is active on social media platforms as well. We track engagement with

1,612 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS 20%

WOMEN

MEN 0%

18–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–64

65+

35–44

45–54

55–64

65+

1,244 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 20%

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

66.9% WOMEN 33.1% MEN

76% WOMEN 24% MEN

0%

18–24

25–34

80

Our Instagram was much more active than Facebook across all metrics: reach, new likes, and profile visits.

60

For example, our Instagram profile had nearly four times as many visits last year as our Facebook page.

20

40

0

JAN 21

MAR 2

APR 11

FACEBOOK VISITS: 450 +15.4%

MAY 21

JUN 30

AUG 9

SEP 18

INSTAGRAM VISITS: 1,637 –30%

CLOSING 2022–2023 was a time of transition and growth for the HRC: major personnel changes, a large federal grant, greatly expanded programming, and a new crop of student interns and graduate assistants. During the year, HRC students, faculty, and staff organized and held over 70 education and awareness events on and off campus. We participated in legislative and policy advocacy activities, trained community leaders in human rights principles, conducted dialogues on sensitive topics, performed research on current issues, and supported human rights education in dozens of college and high school classrooms.

Through it all we have tried to keep sight of our vision and mission and constantly reflect on the impact of our actions.

This report is a catalog of those actions and it sets a benchmark to measure our performance into the future.

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THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER TEAM FACULTY AND STAFF

Natalie Hudson, Executive Director Megan Garrison, Partnerships Outreach and Engagement Coordinator Miranda Hallett, Director, Human Rights Studies Program Kirsten Mendoza, Associate Director, Human Rights Studies Program Satang Nabeneh, Director of Programs Paul Morrow, Research Associate Joel Pruce, Director of Applied Research and Learning Tony Talbott, Director of Advocacy GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

Ozioma Olive Ekoh Chukwukelu Layla Riaz Saqibuddin STUDENT INTERNS

Lila Acott Nathan Blunt Aila Carr-Chellman Amanda Film Gabriela Garlo Mercy John Kinsleigh Jones Jet Lex Reagan Miller Ahmi’ Moore Aidan Mornhinweg Mary Kate Mulls Allison O’Gorman Sarah Naughton Annemarie Sherman Ndeye Thiome Kadiatou Toure Sofia Zunt ANNUAL REPORT

Graphic Design Kathy Kargl

Photography Michael Bowman Larry Burgess Megan Garrison Mercy John Jayonna Johnson Kathy Kargl Kennedy Smith Ferdinand Stohr

HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER

300 COLLEGE PARK DAYTON, OHIO 45469-2790 937-229-3284 GO.UDAYTON.EDU/HRC HRC@UDAYTON.EDU

@UDHUMANRIGHTS