Hunter’s Human Rights Program aims to give students the tools they need to address human rights problems intelligently and constructively, whether as advocates, scholars, researchers or informed citizens. Via academic study and hands-on experience, students will explore both the theoretical and practical underpinnings of current human rights debates.
By learning about human rights law, theory and practice, students in the program will understand how human rights norms and aspirations can shape public policy, international relations, and corporate behavior. They will learn about issues such as accountability, humanitarian intervention, freedom of expression, and the rights of immigrants. They will be introduced to the structure of human rights enforcement mechanisms, assessing the way in which international treaties and multilateral institutions influence the behavior of national governments.
For more details, watch the full length video!
L-R: Human Rights Program Director Jessica Neuwirth, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Denis Mukwege, Playwright Eve Ensler and Hunter College President Jennifer Raab prior to a spring 2019 event on sexual violence in wartime.
María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the United Nations General Assembly, speaks to Human Rights students about climate change, gender equality, peace and security, and other important human rights issues.
L-R: Human Rights Program Director Jessica Neuwirth, President of the General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, and Allan Frei, Professor in Hunter’s Dept. of Geography and Environmental Science.
Human Rights Program Staff
- Program Director: Jessica Neuwirth
- Program Manager: JoAnne Vellardita
- Program Associate: Jada Richardson
- Program Assistant: Hector Perez
For questions about the Human Rights Program please email hrp@hunter.cuny.edu.
The Policy and Curriculum Committee
The Policy and Curriculum Committee (PCC) is a five-member committee that develops the human rights curriculum and oversees the program’s academic content. Members are elected to a three-year term on the Committee by a vote of the Human Rights Faculty.
Human Rights Program Faculty
| Temisan Agbeyegbe | Economics |
| Karna Basu | Economics |
| Manu Bhagavan | History |
| Martha Bragin | Silberman School of Social Work |
| Jonathan Conning | Economics |
| Omar Dahbour | Philosophy |
| Thomas DeGloma | Sociology |
| Marc Edelman | Anthropology |
| Ken Erickson | Political Science |
| Leonard Feldman | Political Science |
| María Fischer | Spanish |
| Roseanne Flores | Psychology |
| Nancy Foner | Sociology |
| Jennifer Gaboury | Women and Gender Studies/Political Science |
| Carol Gould | Philosophy |
| Jack Hammond | Sociology |
| David Hodges | Anthropology |
| D’Weston Haywood | History |
| Nico Israel | English |
| Rob Jenkins | Political Science |
| Marnia Lazreg | Sociology |
| Lazaro Lima | AFPRL Studies |
| Vivian Louie | Asian American Studies |
| Erin Mayo-Adam | Political Science |
| Jessica Neuwirth | Human Rights |
| Rupal Oza | Women and Gender Studies |
| Sonali Perera | English |
| Mary Roldan | History |
| Jill Rosenthal | History |
| Laura Schor | History |
| Jillian Schwedler | Political Science |
| Larry Shore | Film & Media |
| Ida Susser | Anthropology |
| Deborah Tolman | Women and Gender Studies |
Hunter College students can subscribe to the HUMANRIGHTS-L listserv to receive occasional emails about human rights internships, news and events.
During the fall 2019 semester, a group of lawyers, academics, activists and religious leaders joined the human rights program for a discussion on free speech-hate speech.
L-R: Lillie Johnson Edwards, Drew University; Ruby Sales, Founder of SpiritHouse Project; and Navi Pillay, Former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
On April 12, 2019 a panel of experts joined the human rights program for a screening of the film 13th and an engaging discussion on race, justice, and mass incarceration.
L-R: Kirk A. James, NYU’s Silver School of Social Work; Baz Dreisinger, Professor at John Jay’s College of Criminal Justice; Marc Mauer, Executive Director of The Sentencing Project; Kesha Moore, Professor of Sociology at Drew University; Jessica Neuwirth, Director of Human Rights Program at Roosevelt House, Hunter College; and Carol Jenkins, women’s rights activist, author, and journalist.
