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News & Events

Upcoming Events

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Outside Events

  • 64th United Nations Rally & Seminars

    "What it Takes to Save a Child"
    Monday, October 26, 2009
    Minneapolis Convention Center
    1301 Second Avenue South
    Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Program 9:00am-2:00pm
    Cost $30 Luncheon and Seminars

    Special Parking $8.00
    Ramp Entrances at 12th Street and 2nd Ave. South

    Keynote Speaker: Dr. Arthur J. Rolnick, Ph.D.
    "The Economics of Early Childhood Development"

     (Continue Reading)October 14th, 2009

  • The Deportee's Wife

    The Deportee's Wife
    Wednesday, October 28, 2009
    6:00pm-8:00pm
    Foss Center, Augsburg College
    2211 Riverside Ave
    Minneapolis, MN

    In this solo show, Giselle Stern Hernández's marriage is laid out on the front lines of the North American immigration debate. Giselle's husband Roberto was deported from Chicago, Illinois back to Mexico in April of 2001. Giselle moved to Mexico to live with him in August of that same year.

    (Continue Reading)October 12th, 2009

  • 26th Annual Human Rights Day

    Friday, December 4, 2009
    8:00 am
    St. Paul RiverCentre
    175 Kellogg Blvd.
    Saint Paul, MN 55102

     (Continue Reading)July 7th, 2009

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News

  • US Envoy Williamson on Sudan: Keep the Pressure On

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    Ambassador Richard S. Williamson, former US Special Envoy to Sudan, advised human rights advocates and students to keep the pressure on the Obama Administration and the United Nations to protect the people of Darfur and Southern Sudan. "Citizen involvement has made a tremendous impact on the U.S. Governments actions with regard to Darfur," stated Williamson at a public event last Friday attended by students and by human rights activists engaged in the anti-genocide movement, including Minnesota Interfaith Darfur Coalition.

     (Continue Reading)October 7th, 2009

  • Romeo Ramirez Advocates for the Rights of Immokalee Workers

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    The Human Rights Program recently sponsored an event, "Fair Food that Respects Human Rights" featuring Romeo Ramirez, the leader of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The discussion was attended by students and professionals alike who participated in an interactive discussion.

    Ramirez discussed struggles facing the Immokalee works such as their extremely minimal wage, inconsistent work hours and the lack of work benefits. Immokalee Workers are paid by the 32lb bucket of tomatoes and each bucket earns 40-45 cents. This is the same amount earned by Immokalee workers in 1978. Because wages have failed to increase with the cost of living, Ramirez calls the tomato industry "a backward industry". Not only are wages low, there have been a plethora of cases concerning workers who have been threatened and abused by employers. In extreme cases, there have been situations constituting modern day slavery.

     (Continue Reading)October 2nd, 2009

  • Focus Group on Southern Sudan Child Abductions

    Do you have expertise on Sudan, child abductions or child rights? Child Protection International (CPI) is looking for people who would like to be involved in a focus group on the issue of child abductions in Southern Sudan. The purpose of the focus group is to discuss an upcoming campaign for child identification in Southern Sudan. Issues that will be discussed include cultural appropriateness, strategies for reporting missing children in rural Sudan and logistics. The group will only meet once sometime during the month of August. The date will be decided upon once we have enough participants.

    If you are interested please contact Kori Tudor at: kori@childprotectioninternational.org

     (Continue Reading)August 4th, 2009

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Ramirez with Attendees

Romeo Ramirez Advocates for the Rights of Immokalee Workers

The Human Rights Program recently sponsored an event, “Fair Food that Respects Human Rights” featuring Romeo Ramirez, the leader of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.  The discussion was attended by students and professionals alike who participated in an interactive discussion.

Ramirez discussed struggles facing the Immokalee works such as their extremely minimal wage, inconsistent work hours and the lack of work benefits.  Immokalee Workers are paid by the 32lb bucket of tomatoes and each bucket earns 40-45 cents.  This is the same amount earned by Immokalee workers in 1978.  Because wages have failed to increase with the cost of living, Ramirez calls the tomato industry “a backward industry”.  Not only are wages low, there have been a plethora of cases concerning workers who have been threatened and abused by employers.  In extreme cases, there have been situations constituting modern day slavery.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has been instrumental in advocating for the prosecution of these abusive employers and is confident their work will improve relations between workers and employers. 

The coalition has composed a Code of Conduct to support workers rights and is campaigning to get companies to sign on to it.  The code of conduct calls for companies to raise wages one cent per pound of tomatoes, improve working conditions and include farm workers themselves in decision making.  Yum Brands, the owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and other popular fast-food restaurants has signed the code.  The company is now in the process of improving standards for its workers.

Aramark, the food supplier of the University of Minnesota has yet to sign this Code of Conduct.  The Coalition is looking for on-campus support to pressure the company to do so and ensure that the tomatoes on the plates at the University of Minnesota are picked by workers who are paid a fair wage and work in suitable conditions.  If you are interested in getting involved please contact:

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

PO Box 603, Immokalee, FL 34143

(239) 657-8311

workers@ciw-online.org

 

HRP in the News

  • Minnesota Human Rights Advocates Say U.S. Terrorism Policies Complicate Saberi Case

    Reporter Sharon Schmickle provides an update on Roxana Saberi's imprisonment in Iran on the basis of her expired press credentials. Originally from Fargo, Saberi has the support of MN human rights activists seeking to defend her rights under the Geneva Convention. Schmickle reports on the shocking parallel in the lack of due process between Saberi's case and those of the Guantanamo Bay detainees.

     (Continue Reading)April 27th, 2009

  • Women bear the brunt of conflicts, but are too often ignored in constructing the 'peace'

    Barbara Frey highlights the importance of the role women play in conflict and post-conflict societies, an issue that was addressed by Fahima Vorgets from Women for Afghan Women and professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin at this year's International Women's Day.

     (Continue Reading)March 23rd, 2009

  • UN Expert Hears Moving Testimony from Hmong Families on Grave Desecrations in Thailand

    PaChia Yang reports on the consultation with United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights, James Anaya and the gripping testimonies given by local Hmong residents affected by the exhumation of their relative’s graves at Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand.

    (Continue Reading)February 9th, 2009

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