UConn Plans Human Rights Summit for October 2023
/The Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut, which houses UConn’s Human Rights Institute (HRI), is planning a Human Rights Summit for October 25-27, 2023, to fill what is described as the pressing need for more open dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation in the field of human rights.
Plans are for participants, over several days, to learn about the latest research, listen to powerful voices from practitioners on the front lines, and develop new strategies to advance human rights locally and around the world. The Summit is to include a mix of high-profile lectures, practical workshops, and roundtable discussions, and is intended to serve “as a critical venue for sharing insights, building relationships, and inspiring action.”
The theme for the Summit is “Human Rights and the Global Assault on Democracy.”
The Dodd Center was built on the UConn campus in Storrs to preserve and extend the legacy of Connecticut Senator and Nuremberg International Military Tribunal executive trial counsel Thomas J. Dodd (1907-1971). The Center provides a technologically advanced environment for the preservation and care of valuable research materials, houses critical university programs, and hosts exhibitions, events, and other activities for the campus community and broader public. It was completed in 1995 and rededicated in 2021 to honor the public service of Thomas J. Dodd and Christopher J. Dodd, who served in the U.S. Senate representing Connecticut.
“My father wanted not only his generation but future generations to never forget what happened [during the Holocaust] and to use it as an example of what happens when we abandon democracy, the rule of law, and justice,” said Senator Christopher Dodd last month at UConn, speaking of the importance of studying human rights. “I am hopeful in the years ahead we will examine issues that deserve to be focused on around the world and here at home.”
The Summit is one of a number of program initiatives being planned, including:
· The Dodd Endowment, supported in part by Bank of America, will fund priority needs of the Dodd human rights outreach programs including, but not limited to religious intolerance and the legacy of the Nuremburg Trials and the Holocaust. Funds raised for the Dodd Endowment also will support its pillar programs on Human Rights Education, Democracy and Dialogues, Business and Human Rights, and Human Rights Film and Digital Media.
· The Human Rights Close to Home Initiative engages educators and youth in the development and implementation of human rights and civics education in Connecticut.
· Lectures, workshops, and symposia will advance understanding of human rights in this part of the Middle East and North Africa. An example of this work is the “Multicultural Aleppo Project,” which draws researchers, advocates, and Syrians from Aleppo together to design a virtual reality, immersive experience of everyday life in several neighborhoods.
The UConn Foundation recently announced that its Dodd Human Rights Impact Campaign raised more than $12.5 million, further solidifying the reputation of UConn as a preeminent academic institution for the study of, engagement with, and practice of human rights. One hundred generous donors contributed to the campaign, including lead donor Bank of America.
“These gifts come at a critical time in the worldwide fight for justice and human rights,” UConn President Radenka Maric said recently. “The Dodd Center and this support are vital in helping us to fulfill our commitment to educating and preparing the next generation of human rights leaders who will enact positive change in our communities and across the globe.”
