Jude Armstrong is a writer and abolitionist from New Orleans, Louisiana. They organize alongside queer youth to protest anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and advocate for social justice. Their poetry has appeared in The Amistad, Palette Poetry, and Bottlecap Press, with recognition from Adroit Journal, YoungArts, and Teen Sequins. Jude is currently studying Human Rights and English at Columbia University. Jaya Field was raised in Evanston, Illinois and is a senior at the University of Washington, doubl...

In the second part of the youth discussion, Ava Kreusker and Elizabeth Schwab continue the conversation with Jude Armstrong, Jaya Field, and Ella Henry, focusing on global perspectives, intersectionality, and creative activism. Jaya discusses her comparative research on queer rights in Sweden and Poland; Jude explores poetry and abolition as tools for liberation; and Ella reflects on cultural shifts toward inclusivity. The guests share strategies for resisting censorship, promoting rest...

Jefferson R. Plantilla started legal education work in the Philippines in 1985 in the Structural Alternative Legal Assistance for the Grassroots (SALAG). He became the Coordinator of the Asian Regional Resource Center on Human Rights Education (ARRC) in Thailand from 1992 to 1995. From July 1995, he started working at the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS OSAKA) in Japan. He conducts research, develops international teaching materials, and edits the annual Human Rights Ed...

In Episode 65, Jeff Plantilla offers insights on strengthening human rights education (HRE) by emphasizing diversity, supporting local initiatives, and adapting messages to cultural contexts. He highlights the importance of addressing concrete issues, such as housing as a human right, and reflects on the challenges facing HRE in Japan. Jeff shares that the individuals who have influenced him are those who show humility, respect, patience, and determination. He cites a quote from a Filipino fa...

Zeynep Karatas, a UC Irvine honors graduate in Political Science and International Studies, has worked with The Borgen Project, Lawyers Without Borders, and the United Nations Association of the USA. She held leadership roles on campus and presented her award-winning thesis on the European Court of Human Rights at three conferences. She plans to pursue graduate studies and a career in international human rights law. Eugenia Ricciotti, a law graduate from the University of Trento, is completin...

In Episode 63, Zeynep Karatas, Eugenia Ricciotti, and Tata Varadashvili reflect on feminist movements past and present, drawing inspiration from earlier thinkers and organizers while emphasizing the need for intersectionality, self-care, and adaptation to today’s digital and media landscapes. Zeynep, Eugenia, and Tata highlight the importance of centering historically silenced groups, resisting hierarchy within feminism, and framing women’s rights as human rights. They discuss patriarchy as a...

In Part Two, Bill Fernekes emphasizes the need to balance theory and practice in human rights education (HRE), advocating for curriculum transformation grounded in dignity and decolonization. He explores the link between human rights, public policy, and poverty, highlighting programs like the California Task Force and Human Rights Close to Home. Bill stresses that HRE should empower—not indoctrinate—students. He critiques the U.S. for not ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child...

William R. “Bill” Fernekes taught social studies and Spanish from 1974-1987 at Hunterdon Central Regional HS in Flemington NJ, later serving as supervisor of social studies from 1987 to his retirement in 2010. He has been a consultant to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, and numerous other scholarly institutions. He is a recipient of the Mel Miller Award from the National Social Studies Supervisors Association as the outstanding social...

Kristina Eberbach discusses the limited knowledge many U.S. students have about human rights and the importance of understanding human rights language to address justice and equity issues effectively. She connects human rights education (HRE) to social justice movements, emphasizing its legal foundations and its role in envisioning and creating a more just world. Kristina highlights the need to focus on achieving human rights goals, especially in advancing women’s rights, rather than debating...

Kristina Eberbach is a consultant specializing in human rights and education programming. She works as a strategy and curriculum specialist for the Human Rights Close to Home Program at the University of Connecticut. She teaches human rights at both the University of Connecticut and Columbia University. Kristina serves on the steering committee of Human Rights Educators USA and co-founded the University and College Consortium for Human Rights Education. Previously, she served as Deputy Direct...

Loretta J. Ross discusses her approach to teaching about white supremacy, framing it as both an ideology and a social construct tied to identity. She emphasizes the importance of truth, evidence, and history in defending academic freedom—especially in the face of authoritarian practices like those seen during the Trump administration. Loretta offers strategic recommendations for institutions under attack, advocating a "Block and Build" approach and urging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI...

Loretta J. Ross is a Professor at Smith College in the Program for the Study of Women and Gender, where she teaches courses on white supremacy, human rights, and calling in the calling-out culture. A lifelong activist and scholar, she co-created the theory of Reproductive Justice and has led national movements for over five decades, including organizing the 2004 March for Women’s Lives and serving as the director of SisterSong from 2005 to 2012. Loretta has held leadership roles in organizati...

In Episode 55, Dr. Rick Halperin and Julie Rinker continue their conversation on the intersection of human rights education (HRE), literacy, and activism. Julie discusses how her doctoral work uses HRE to support students with reading disabilities, merging social justice with practical interventions for literacy challenges. The episode delves into the harsh realities and evolving methods of capital punishment in the U.S., with both guests emphasizing the importance of public education to insp...

Dr. Rick Halperin, Director of the Embrey Human Rights Program at SMU, has spent over five decades immersed in human rights activism and education. With a Ph.D. in Southern History from Auburn University, he taught history in 1985 and human rights in 1990. Rick has led numerous human rights trips, worked as a monitor across the globe, and served on several high-profile boards, including Amnesty International USA—where he chaired the board three times—and organizations fighting the death penal...

Full description available on the HREUSA podcast website. Elizabeth Schwab is a senior at Boston College. She interned at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee for Human Rights Education USA. She has led initiatives to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in education and expanded the global reach of the Human Rights Education Now! podcast. Jazzmin Chizu Gota is a University of San Francisco doctoral student researching...

The podcast team explores the advantages and challenges of podcasting as an information medium, followed by reflections on the reception of the Human Rights Education Now! podcast at the London International Association of Human Rights Education Conference. An output highlight from the conference was a chapter on "Human Rights Education NOW! Podcast Case Study: Illuminating HRE Through the Lived Experiences of Scholar Practitioners," published in Globalisation, Human Rights and Education, edi...

Candace and Jean-Sébastien emphasize the importance of engaging young people in human rights work by connecting activism to historical and disciplinary knowledge. They discuss how educators must integrate a human rights perspective into their teaching, fostering self-reflection and transformative learning beyond facts to include attitudes, skills, and behaviors. The conversation highlights the challenges of decolonizing education, advocating for the inclusion of colonization studies in curric...

Dr. Candace H. Blake-Amarante is the Knowledge Manager at Equitas, where she creates and shares knowledge on human rights education. An author, she focuses on children's rights and incorporates the voices of children with chronic illnesses in her works, including The Dream Machine and You, Me and Victor Hugo! She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is the Director of Education and Communications at Equitas, with 20 years of experience in ed...

In Episode 49, the Edmonds Fellows discuss their work and vision for advancing human rights education (HRE) in the U.S., reflecting on obstacles such as funding shortfalls, information silos, and cost-driven approaches that fail to prioritize civic responsibilities. They emphasize the importance of countering misinformation and the weaponization of human rights through the use of accurate, informed language. The conversation explores strategies to empower youth, including integrating HRE acro...

The HRE USA Edmonds Fellows are emerging leaders dedicated to advancing human rights education through impactful projects, mentorship, and advocacy across diverse communities. This podcast episode features: Kara Anderson, Areianaz (Ara) Eghbali, Hallie McRae, Carly Sandstrom, and Emma Tolliver. Visit our HREUSA website to read their full bios. In Episode 48, the HRE USA Edmonds Fellows share their journeys into human rights and human rights education, reflecting on the early exper...