Jump to content

Human Rights First: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
updated 2024 info
Tags: Reverted nowiki added references removed Visual edit Disambiguation links added
Undid revision 1202355712 by WestHRF2024 (talk) Vast amounts of unsourced promotional information, better left on the organizations website
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Non-profit organization in the USA}}
{{Short description|Non-profit organization in the USA}}
{{about|a [[United States|US]]-based human rights organization||}}
{{about|a [[United States|US]]-based human rights organization|the [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] human rights organization with a similar name|Human Rights First Society}}
{{Infobox Organization
|name = Human Rights First
|image = Human Rights First logo.png
|leader_title = President/CEO
|leader_name = Michael Breen
|leader_title2 = Former President
|leader_name2 = [[Michael Posner (lawyer)|Michael Posner]]
|headquarters = [[New York City|New York]], [[New York (state)|NY]]
|formation = 1978
|website = {{url|humanrightsfirst.org}}
}}
'''Human Rights First''' (formerly known as the '''Lawyers Committee for International Human Rights'''<ref>IRS Form 1023 Application for Recognition of Exemption. (1982). [https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/uploads/pdfs/annualreport/human-rights-first-form-1023.pdf Human Rights First website] {{Webarchive|url=/proxy/https://web.archive.org/web/20161015185006/http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/uploads/pdfs/annualreport/human-rights-first-form-1023.pdf |date=2016-10-15 }} Retrieved 2 December 2018.</ref>) is a [[Nonpartisan (American organizations)|nonpartisan]], [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human Rights First|url=/proxy/https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/human-rights-first|access-date=2021-04-21|website=www.charitywatch.org|language=en}}</ref> international human rights organization based in New York City and Washington, D.C.<ref>[https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/about About Us], humanrightsfirst.org</ref> In 2004, Human Rights First started its "End Torture Now" campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human Rights First Leader to Speak|url=/proxy/https://today.duke.edu/node/112920|access-date=2021-04-23|website=today.duke.edu|language=en}}</ref> The organization also runs the [[Fighting Discrimination]] program which focuses on [[hate crime]]s.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}


==Board of directors==
Human Rights First is a [[Nonpartisan (American organizations)|nonpartisan]] independent advocacy and action [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3)]] organization that works to actualize free and equal societies.  It is based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.
Human Rights First is governed by a board of directors composed of 92 members, including a 30-person Board of Advocates and a 13-person Emeritus Board.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Board Archives |url=/proxy/https://humanrightsfirst.org/people/group/board/ |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=Human Rights First |language=en-US}}</ref>


Members of the board include:
Human Rights First protects freedom and promotes equality at home and around the world.  To reach that goal, Human Rights First leads actions that hold oppressors accountable, free people from injustice, and build institutions that ensure universal rights.  


* [[Jay Carney]], Global Head of Policy and Communications at [[Airbnb]]
The organization’s work centers on four main issue areas: authoritarianism; extremism; systemic injustice; and the abuse of technology. Human Rights First works closely with lawyers, veterans and security experts, technologists, and allied advocates to further its policy agenda.
* [[Sarah Cleveland]], Professor of Human and Constitutional Rights [[Columbia Law School|Columbia University Law School]]
* [[Ben Jealous]], Executive Director of the [[Sierra Club]]
* [[Kerry Kennedy]], President of [[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights|RFK Human Rights]]
* [[Robert A. Mandell]], former [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Luxembourg|Ambassador to Luxembourg]]; Chairman & CEO of Greater Properties, Inc. (Ret.)
* [[Carlos Pascual (diplomat)|Carlos Pascual]], Senior Vice President at [[IHS Markit]]
* [[Nazanin Rafsanjani]], former head of New Show Development at [[Gimlet Media]] and [[Spotify]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oprysko|first=Caitlin|title=FARA chief leaves DOJ|url=/proxy/https://politi.co/3oJ8gDN|access-date=2021-05-17|website=POLITICO|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Mona Sutphen]], Senior Advisor at The Vistria Group


==Pro Bono Legal Representation for Asylum Seekers==
==History==
Human Rights First's pro bono legal representation program matches lawyers with asylum-seekers who need help and would not otherwise be able to afford high-quality legal representation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=/proxy/https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/asylum|title=Asylum|website=Human Rights First|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
'''Origins'''


HRF helps asylum seekers living in the greater Washington D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas who do not already have legal representation, cannot afford an attorney, and need help with a claim for asylum or other protection-based form of immigration status. The organization's New York office can also help people who are seeking asylum from within a nearby immigration detention center.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=7 September 2020|title=The Fight to Reform the U.S. Asylum System: A Conversation with Human Rights First's Becky Gendelman|url=/proxy/https://latinarepublic.com/2020/09/07/the-fight-to-reform-the-u-s-asylum-system-a-conversation-with-human-rights-firsts-becky-gendelman/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Latina Republic|language=}}</ref>
The parent organization of Human Rights First was the [[International League for Human Rights|International League of Human Rights]], which was started in 1942 by European refugees and the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Roger Baldwin. The League was created as an umbrella organization for civil liberties organizations around the world.  


== Selected publications ==
In the mid 1970s, the League joined with the Council of New York Law Associates, a junior bar association, to launch the Lawyers Committee for International Human Rights (it subsequently became the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights). The aim of this new group was to organize volunteer lawyers to protect people’s rights in the U.S. and around the world.


* ''The War Against Children: South Africa’s Youngest Victims'', [[Desmond Tutu]], 1986. {{ISBN|9780934143004}}
In 1978, as America was emerging from the Vietnam War and the human rights movement was still relatively new, the Lawyers Committee recruited its first Executive Director, [[Michael Posner (lawyer)|Michael Posner,]] a lawyer from Chicago. Prior to his work in private law practice, Posner spent a year documenting atrocities committed by Ugandan dictator [[Idi Amin]].  His revelations about Amin’s human rights violations provoked international public outcry that led to the imposition of U.S. trade sanctions on the Ugandan government.
*''Vigilantes in the Philippines: A Threat to Democratic Rule'', [[Diane Orentlicher]], 1988. {{ISBN|9780934143035}}

*''Refuge Denied: Problems in the Protection of Vietnamese and Cambodians in Thailand and the Admission of Indochinese Refugees into the United States'', [[Albert Santoli]], 1989. {{ISBN|9780934143202}}
The organization’s early direction was shaped by two influential board members who were leading members of the U.S. legal community and the emerging human rights movement. [[Marvin E. Frankel|Hon. Marvin E. Frankel]] was a noted federal jurist and law professor who had a long-standing interest in the plight of Soviet Jews and had argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court. [[Louis Henkin]], a distinguished [[Columbia University]] law professor, was known as the “dean of human rights law” for his extensive writings on the subject, most notably ''The Age of Rights'' (1990).
*''Paper Laws, Steel Bayonets: Breakdown of the Rule of Law in Haiti'', [[Elliot Schrage]], 1990. {{ISBN|9780934143387}}

*''Childhood Abducted: Children Cutting Sugar Cane in the Dominican Republic'', [[Theresa Amato|Theresa A. Amato]], 1991. {{ISBN|9780934143424}}
To better represent the depth of work the organization was undertaking, the Lawyers Committee became “Human Rights First” in 2003 and currently works under that name.

== Noteworthy historical work ==
'''El Salvadaor'''

In the 1980s [[El Salvador]] plunged into a 12-year long [[Salvadoran Civil War|civil war]] that pitted leftist guerillas against a military [[Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador|junta]], leaving at least 70,000 people dead.  Among those killed were [[1980 murders of U.S. missionaries in El Salvador|four American women]]. Church lay workers who had spent years working among El Salvador’s poor, they were raped and murdered by members of the Salvadoran National Guard in 1980.  Soon after, the women’s relatives asked the Lawyers Committee (Human Rights First) to represent them in their quest for justice.

In its search for those responsible for the murders, the organization conducted a series of missions to El Salvador, released reports on the case and the defects within the Salvadoran justice system, regularly testified before Congress, and met with senior State Department officials.

'''Lawyer to Lawyer Network'''

Under Judge Marvin Frankel’s supervision, the Lawyers Committee built a pro bono model to train and mentor pro bono attorneys to provide asylum seekers high-quality legal representation, leading more advocates to serve more clients than the organization could represent solely through its own direct representation.

'''Witness'''

Inspired by the video that proved the police assaulted [[Rodney King]] in 1992, Human Rights First worked with [[Peter Gabriel]] to create [[Witness (organization)|''Witness,'']] a program that provides video tools to document human rights abuses.  [[Witness (organization)|''Witness'']] has since become an independent, freestanding organization.

'''Helping found the International Criminal Court'''

The [[Rwandan genocide|Rwandan Genocide]] (1994) and the [[Balkan Wars|Balkan wars]] (1991-1995) that followed the breakup of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia#Legacy|former Yugoslavia]] produced crimes against humanity and atrocities on a scale that had not been seen since [[World War II]]. In response, the Lawyers Committee focused considerable attention on how to hold the perpetrators of mass atrocities legally responsible.

The organization helped set up temporary international tribunals to try the perpetrators of these crimes.  Meanwhile, the international community – government officials, [[United Nations]] member nations and staff, directors and staff of leading [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organizations]], and others – began discussing the need for a permanent international tribunal to try [[War crime|war crimes]], [[crimes against humanity]], and [[genocide]].  With [[Amnesty International]], [[Human Rights Watch]] and the other leading international human rights groups, the Lawyers Committee waged a long campaign to create this tribunal, called the [[International Criminal Court|International Criminal Court (ICC]]).  The international treaty that created the ICC in 1998 has since been ratified by more than 100 nations.

'''Fair Labor Association  '''

In the 1990’s the global apparel industry came under intense scrutiny for its [[Sweatshop|exploitation of workers]] around the world. The Lawyers Committee took the then unpopular step of working directly with global apparel manufacturers to create a system of standards to ensure that workers enjoyed basic rights including safe workplaces, fair working hours, and reasonable compensation. This led to the Lawyers Committee co-founding the [[Fair Labor Association]], whose members included corporations and human rights defenders. Once roundly condemned, the strategy of “engagement” has now gained more currency as a way to challenge abusive practices.

'''9/11 Aftermath'''

After the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]] on New York and Washington, D.C. the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] approved a series of [[September 11 attacks#Government policies towards terrorism|policies and practices]] that seriously eroded basic human rights protections.  These policies ranged from draconian restrictions on refugees and other immigrants to the lifting of prohibitions against indefinite detention.

During the [[Iraq War]], the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] approved interrogation methods tantamount to [[torture]], and [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. armed forces]] came under fire for atrocities and prisoner abuse.  Human Rights First reported on many of these developments and critiqued them from legal and policy standpoints.  With the ACLU, Human Rights First jointly filed a lawsuit against [[Donald Rumsfeld|Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld]] that challenged illegal detention and [[interrogation]] practices in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]]. It also mobilized retired military officers to take public stands against the rollback of fundamental rights with regard to issues including interrogation, incarceration, and torture.

'''Banning the use of torture by the U.S. government'''

The U.S. government’s reaction to the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 attacks]] was a major challenge for the human rights movement. When the use of torture techniques such as [[waterboarding]] migrated from [[CIA black sites|CIA secret prisons]] and the prison at [[Guantánamo Bay|Guantanamo Bay]] to prisons in Iraq, Human Rights First assembed a coalition of retired military leaders to speak out against the U.S. use of torture.  The coalition grew to more than 50 members, including some of the country’s most highly decorated generals and admirals.

The coalition earned coverage more typical anti-torture advocates likely could not. Members became sources and sounding boards for policymakers, who welcomed the political cover flag officers could provide against charges of being “soft-on-terror” for opposing torture. With other advocates, the coalition urged senators to support the [[Detainee Treatment Act|McCain Amendment]] that would ban “[[Cruel and unusual punishment|cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment]].” The amendment passed, over the White House’s objections, in December of 2005.

In 2009, Human Rights First’s coalition of retired flag officers advocated for the banning of torture, then stood with [[Presidency of Barack Obama|President Obama]] as he signed an [[Executive Order 13491|executive order]] to do so.

Through the Obama administration, Human Rights First worked with Senators [[John McCain]] and [[Dianne Feinstein]] to craft the strongest anti-torture law in history. It [[Detainee Treatment Act|passed]] the Senate by a vote of 78-21, and [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] signed it into law at the end of 2015.

Human Rights First continues to push the United States to comply with its obligations under the Convention Against Torture and bar any use of torture.

'''Guantanamo Bay'''

In the more than two decades since the first detainees arrived at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility at the outset of the [[War on terror|“War on Terror,”]] almost all of the nearly 800 men who served time at the prison were held without charge or trial, and many detainees were subjected to torture.

Human Rights First has been at the forefront of efforts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. At a Senate committee hearing in 2008, Human Rights First Board member [[Alberto J. Mora|Alberto Mora]]—who had led an effort within the [[Ministry of defence|Defense Department]] to end torture at [[Guantánamo|Guantanamo]]—testified that the prison, because of its usefulness to terrorist and insurgent groups in Iraq, was a leading cause of death for U.S. troops.

Human Rights First was a leading authority on Guantanamo’s disastrous military commission system. Beginning with its landmark 2009 report, “In Pursuit of Justice,” Human Rights First used extensive research and expert analysis to show that the [[Federal judiciary of the United States|federal court system]]—not discredited military commissions—was the proper venue for prosecuting terrorism cases.

During the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration,]] Human Rights First advocated for the reduction of Gitmo’s prison population and urged President Obama to shutter the prison camp. Today, Human Rights First is still working with military leaders to call for the closure of Guantanamo Bay.

'''European antisemitism'''

Human Rights First has a long history of challenging antisemitism around the world, especially in Europe.  

In 2005, the organization offered the first analysis of the increase in hate crimes in the 55 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), lack of response by many national governments, and the positive steps taken by certain countries.

Human Rights First CEO and President Elisa Massimino also repeatedly testified before Congressional committees on the issue. When 37 countries called on the U.N. General Assembly President Sam Kutesa to combat an “alarming outbreak of antisemitism worldwide,” Massimino spoke to the UN, and called on government officials to counter hate speech by speaking out against antisemitism and hate crime.

With Hungary’s growing authoritarianism during the Obama era, Human Rights First reported on the changes and urged the U.S. Ambassador to that country to protect human rights and underscore the rule of law there.  

To mark the one-year anniversary of the antisemitic attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in Paris, Human Rights First released a report on antisemitism and extremism in France and recommendations on how the United States should work with its ally to combat violence and hate crime.

In 2016, Human Rights First supported bipartisan legislation to address growing antisemitism in Europe.  The organization and the [[Anti-Defamation League|Anti-Defamation League (ADL)]] also analyzed hate crimes in the Organization for Society and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region, documenting the failure of OSCE states to uphold their commitments to record and prevent hate crimes.

In 2017, Human Rights First released a report examining antisemitism, xenophobia, and extremism in Germany. The report included recommendations on how Germany and the United States could jointly combat the rise of extremism in all its forms.

Human Rights First, 12 other NGOs, and a bipartisan group of 167 members of Congress also urged the Trump administration to appoint a special envoy to monitor combat antisemitism around the world. Human Rights First’s call for this envoy continued through the Trump era.    

When the House of Representatives examined the rise of antisemitism in Europe in 2020, Human Rights First testified to the need for U.S. policies that would bring accountability for governments that encourage hate.  

'''Asylum in the Trump and pandemic era'''

From 2017 into 2021, Human Rights First confronted the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration’]]<nowiki/>s radical attacks on asylum, including challenging the administration’s policies in court.

In March 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic|Covid-19 pandemic]], the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] used the pretext of protecting [[public health]] to initiate use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) [[Title 42 expulsion|Title 42]] public health order to expel [[Asylum seeker|asylum seekers]] from the United States without allowing them to apply for [[asylum]].

The [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Biden administration’]]<nowiki/>s initial efforts to end the use of [[Title 42 expulsion|Title 42]] were blocked by court orders; that administration then expanded the policy’s use. In advocating for its end, Human Rights First and partners documented Title 42’s public health, border management, and human rights harms.

'''New leadership'''

Mike Posner led the organization that would become Human Rights First from 1978 to 2009.  His tenure was followed by that of Elisa Massimino, who had joined the organization’s staff in 1991.  Massimino served as the organization’s leader until 2018.  

In 2018, Michael Breen became President and CEO of Human Rights First.  A [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] officer who led soldiers in combat in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]], including by serving for a year as a platoon leader in the [[Pech Valley|Pech]] and [[Korangal Valley#War in Afghanistan|Korengal Valleys]] with the [[173rd Airborne Brigade|173rd Airborne,]] Breen had served in the [[White House Counsel|Office of White House Counsel]] and co-founded the [[International Refugee Assistance Project]], working with refugee families in [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Jordan]] before joining Human Rights First.

Under Breen’s leadership, Human Rights First enacted several new projects, including expanding the organization’s mission into addressing domestic far-right anti-democratic extremism and creating technological tools for human rights advocates in a new Innovation Lab.

'''Relationships in U.S. government'''

The organization has strong relationships with high-powered advocates in Washington. In 2021, [[Antony Blinken|Vice Chair Tony Blinken]] stepped down from Human Rights First’s Board of Directors when he was appointed U.S. Secretary of State by [[Joe Biden|President Joe Biden]].  Another member of the Board of Directors, Matthew G. Olsen, left the organization at the outset of the Biden administration to serve as Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  Senior Vice President [[Robert G. Berschinski|Robert Berschinski]] was appointed and served the Biden administration as Special Assistant to the President and White House National Security Council Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights. Board member Sarah H. Cleveland was elected to the International Court of Justice in 2023.  

== Pillars of work ==
As part of a 2020 redesign of the organization, Human Rights First focused its work on four big challenges that are critical to the future of human rights:  systemic injustice, authoritarianism, extremism, and the use and abuse of technology.

'''Systemic Injustice'''

The organization sees systemic injustice, especially against Black and brown people, as having plagued America since its inception, and global forces, like [[climate change]], exacerbating pre-existing problems. Human Rights First works to bring justice through policy, advocacy, strategic communications, research, litigation, and case representation.

'''Refugee Advocacy:''' For over 45 years, Human Rights First has fought for the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and [[Human migration|migrants]] by working to reform the legal and [[immigration]] systems that are often stacked against them. Human Rights First conducts fact-finding missions, researches, documents, and contests inhumane conditions facing [[Refugee|refugees]] and [[Migrant|migrants]], both on their journeys and in detention. Human Rights First also advocates to Congress and presidential administrations to find alternatives to barring asylum seekers and incarcerating migrants.  In the next several years, the organization seeks to transform the U.S. asylum system so that it safeguards the human rights of asylum seekers and so asylum in the United States is a real and attainable solution for those in need of refuge.

'''Refugee Representation:'''  Human Rights First attorneys and pro-bono partners advocate for the rights of individuals seeking protections in the United States, working intentionally with clients in [[LGBT#Variants|LGBTQI+ communities]], those facing issues of gender discrimination, and victims of [[human trafficking]]. Using litigation to create precedents, Human Rights First joins with allies on amicus briefs in the highest courts to put power behind arguments for justice.

'''Authoritarianism'''

To counter [[Autocracy|autocratic]] leaders who are gaining power and bolster rights-respecting democracies that are backsliding around the world, Human Rights First is assisting American and other governments’ institutions in holding accountable bad actors, maintaining their human rights obligations, and upholding the [[rule of law]].

'''Demanding accountability:'''  Human Rights First uses the Global Magnitsky Act and other targeted sanctions programs to hold accountable human rights abusers and corrupt actors in jurisdictions around the world. The organization built and manages a global network of human rights and anti-corruption NGOs to advocate for [[International sanctions|multilateral targeted sanctions]] on the world’s worst human rights violators and corrupt officials. Human Rights First trains and assists coalition’s members in assembling case files to hold human rights abusers and corrupt actors accountable.  

'''Protecting human rights defenders:'''  Human Rights First works with human rights activists, independent media organizations, and war crimes investigators local to Ukraine to address human rights abuses perpetrated by the invading Russian forces.  Working with Ukrainian allies, Human Rights First published a guide for reporting on war-related sexual violence and recommendations for the U.S. government and civil society to help Ukrainians protect their rights. In past campaigns, Human Rights First has supported [[Human rights defender|human rights defenders]] and the right to dissent in Ukraine, Russia, Hong Kong, the United States, and other places.

'''The case of Vladmir Kara-Murza:'''  [[Vladimir Kara-Murza|Kara-Murza]] is a democracy advocate, [[The Washington Post|''Washington Post'']] columnist, and Human Rights First advisor who was arrested in [[Moscow]] by Russian authorities at the start of the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|full-scale Russian invasion]] of Ukraine in 2022.  Human Rights First and its allies successfully advocated for Canada, U.S., UK, and EU governments to sanction Russians responsible for the incarceration of Vladimir Kara-Murza for his opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and his support for Russian democracy.  

'''U.S. government response to repression:'''  To shape the U.S. government’s response to authoritarianism, Human Rights First organized Congressional opposition to the [[Presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration’s]] support for [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] leaders; worked for accountability for the murder of [[The Washington Post|''Washington Post'']] columnist [[Jamal Khashoggi]]; pushed for legislation to curtail U.S. support for the [[Yemen War|war in Yemen]]; and advocated for strong U.S. responses to acts of repression in a variety of countries in the wake of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].  Human Rights First published its recommendations for the Biden administration in our ''2021 Blueprints for a Human Rights-Centered U.S. Foreign Policy'', and works with the administration to center human rights protections in [[Foreign policy of the United States|U.S. foreign policy.]]  

'''Demilitarizing responses to public demonstrations: ''' In 2020, Human Rights First’s Veterans For American Ideals program used their partnerships with retired military and national security leaders to advocate against the deployment of troops to American cities during public demonstrations.

After the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|insurrection at the Capitol]] on January 6, 2021, Human Rights First called for accountability and an investigation into the disparity between the response to demonstrations for racial justice and that assault on democracy.

'''Extremism'''

The core mission of Human Rights First is threatened by the antidemocratic [[Far-right politics|far-right extremist movement]] in the United States that has become increasingly visible in American institutions, policies, and public discourse over the past few years. With a network of human and [[Civil and political rights|civil rights]] defenders, veterans, and advocates, Human Rights First uses expertise in research, policy, law, technology, and national security to challenge this movement, expose its tactics, advocate for anti-extremism policies, and uphold [[democracy]].  

Current focus areas include antisemitism, mis-and disinformation, Islamophobia, white supremacy, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ+ extremism,  extremism in the military, and xenophobia/anti-immigrant hate.

'''Litigation against extremist organization Patriot Front'''

On July 2, 2022, Patriot Front leader [[Patriot Front|Thomas Rousseau]] led a group of members on a march without a city permit along Boston’s historic [[Freedom Trail]]. Patriot Front members wore neck gaiters to conceal their identities and carried large homemade shields that could be used as weapons. When they encountered Charles Murrell III on the sidewalk, Patriot Front members shouted a racial slur and physically attacked him.

In August 2023 Human Rights First joined the law firm of Foley Hoag in filing a lawsuit against Patriot Front, Rousseau, and multiple members of that hate group. The lawsuit, filed in [[United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts|U.S. District Court in Boston]], alleges that the defendants conspired to interfere with Murrell’s civil rights in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act (42 USC 1985(3), the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, and other related state laws. This case is ongoing.

'''Use and abuse of technology'''

Technology is being misused to abuse human rights in dangerous ways, while those working for human rights need technological assistance to be more effective. To help resolve this, Human Rights First’s Innovation Lab builds and shares technology-driven solutions that address the imbalances of power between victims and perpetrators of human rights abuse.

The Innovation Lab has incubated some important products.  Glimpse  is a computer-vision tool that detects violence in large video datasets. Raditube finds extremist material, contributors, and networks on notoriously hard to monitor YouTube. The lab also developed DocDB, an AI tool to help Pat Finucane Center search hundreds of thousands of newly-released British government documents related to torture, abuse, and killings during [[The Troubles]].  Pyrra is a lab-born venture-backed startup that tracks threats and trends across alt social media platforms. The Lab is currently prototyping an application that uses AI to track anti-democratic legislation at all levels of government in the United States.    

'''Other areas of work'''

'''Ukraine'''

Human Rights First has been engaged on human rights issues in Eastern Europe for decades, and particularly active with Ukrainian allies since the first [[Russo-Ukrainian War|Russian invasion in 2014]].

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Human Rights First has played an important role in the global response to abuses in that war. Human Rights First and partners brought cases that led to sanctions and other forms of accountability to Russian leaders and war criminals.  

The organization also advocated for changes in U.S. policy to better support the [[United States and the International Criminal Court|International Criminal Court (ICC)]] and other international criminal accountability institutions with jurisdiction over [[War crime|war crimes]] in Ukraine; issued dozens of reports and commentaries from Ukraine; and provided technical and logistical support, training, and other aid to Ukrainian Human Rights Defenders and allies.

'''Afghanistan'''

As soon as President Biden announced the [[2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan]], Human Rights First began efforts to protect vulnerable Afghans from persecution. The organization recommended a plan to relocate Afghan allies and their families in the [[Guam|U.S. territory of Guam]].  

The plan was not taken up by the [[Presidency of Joe Biden|Biden administration]]; Human Rights First became a key player in the chaotic evacuation that eventually took place. In addition to guiding many Afghan allies to safety during the withdrawal and evacuation, within hours of the fall of Kabul the organization published  resources in many languages to protect at-risk Afghans from capture and surveillance by the Taliban. In the midst of the crisis, Human Rights First was selected by both ''The New York Times'' and ''Washington Post'' as a top resource to help Afghan refugees.  

Partners in the organization’s ad hoc actions to help Afghans grew into an advocacy coalition Human Rights First now runs called Evacuate Our Allies (EOA). Today, over 80 member organizations support the Afghan community in diaspora through policy creation, legislative and administrative advocacy, refugee representation, and other efforts.  

'''Project: Afghan Legal Assistance'''

In response to the arrival of tens of thousands of Afghans in the United States,  

Human Rights First created Project: Afghan Legal Assistance (PALA) to coordinate legal representation for Afghans in the United States. PALA partners with U.S. legal organizations, law firms, resettlement agencies, community organizations, resettlement agencies, and legal service providers to help provide these services. Since 2021, PALA has directly served over 3,700 Afghans.

To provide materials and trainings for serving the Afghan resettlement community, Human Rights First’s PALA maintains an online Resource Library containing links to webinars, sample briefs and affidavits, country conditions, translation templates, relevant government guidance, and lists of experts on Afghanistan.

'''Veterans For American Ideals'''

Veterans for American Ideals (VFAI) is Human Rights First’s membership organization for [[Veteran|veterans]] and allies who continue their service to America by upholding, defending, and advocating for human rights at home and abroad.

In the past, VFAI has worked on issues including protecting the [[Special Immigrant Visa|Special Immigrant Visa (SIV)]] program designed to help [[Iraqis]] and [[Afghans]] who assisted U.S. troops; promoting safe communities by encouraging [[Militarization of police|police demilitarization]]; addressing domestic political extremism; and restoring [[Right of asylum|asylum]] access at the U.S. border. VFAI is currently focused on collaborating with the veterans and military communities to stanch extremism and its threat to American democracy.  

'''Awards'''

To bring attention to the work of defending and renewing respect for human rights around the world, Human Rights First presents high-profile awards to international human rights defenders, pro bono attorneys, and corporate partners.  

'''The Marvin E. Frankel Award:''' The Frankel Award was established in 2002 to honor the memory of Human Rights First’s longtime chairman by recognizing law firms that exemplify Judge Frankel’s extraordinary dedication to human rights and his commitment to pro bono service. Frankel Award winners are attorneys and law firms that have done outstanding work on behalf of refugees.

'''Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award: ''' This award is presented biennially to international activists for exceptional work in human rights. The ACLU presents the same award to U.S.-based advocates in years that Human Rights First does not present it to an international honoree.

'''William D. Zabel Rights Defender Award''': Formerly called the Human Rights Award, the award was renamed for longtime Human Rights First Board member and champion of human rights William D. Zabel. It has been presented every year for more than three decades to courageous activists on the frontlines of the struggle for freedom and dignity.

'''The Global Accountability Guardian Award''':  This award was initiated in 2021 to honor champions of human rights who have done exemplary work to hold accountable human rights abusers around the world.

'''The Award for Exceptional Corporate Partnership''':  Created in 2022, this award honors corporate partners whose actions align with the core mission of Human Rights First.

'''Pro Bono Star Awards''':  Star Awards are presented to attorneys in Human Rights First’s Pro Bono program who show extraordinary commitment to representing and protecting asylum seekers.

== Recent reports ==

* Hidden Harm:  Ukraine Suffers the Psychological Costs of War
* Two year anniversary of withdrawal
* “You Suffer A Lot”
* Refugee Protection Travesty
* Asylum Processing Rule at One Year
* Lives at Risk: Barriers and Harms As Biden Asylum Ban Takes Effect
* “I Felt Not Seen, Not Heard"
* A Line that Barely Budges
* Inhumane and Counterproductive

* Shaming Without Naming
* Double Jeopardy: Russia Threatens to Invade Kupiansk Again
* Since the Rabaa Massacre
* Polish Authorities Continue to Attack Human Rights Defenders Near the Belarus Border
* Ten things the U.S. should do to help Ukraine's civil society
* Bombed Out and Occupied
* Polish Authorities Continue to Attack Human Rights Defenders Near the Belarus Border
* How the Ukrainian village of Tsyrkuny Survived Russian Occupation
* High Stakes for Human Rights as Kharkiv Battles Corruption    
* Ukraine's Winter War
* Mapping the Movement: Election Denialists Recruit Veterans and Threaten 2024 Election
* "Digital Soldiers": QAnon Extremists Exploit U.S. Military, Threaten Democracy
* NGO Shadow Report on anti-Black US Immigration Practices Submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ''' '''


==References==
==References==
Line 237: Line 45:


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080130171740/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20071206 Interview with Michael Posner] from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090506001559/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20081120 Interview with Tad Stahnke] from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

{{humanrights-stub}}
{{humanrights-stub}}
{{International human rights organizations}}
{{International human rights organizations}}

Revision as of 15:29, 2 February 2024

This article is about a US-based human rights organization. For the Saudi human rights organization with a similar name, see Human Rights First Society.
Human Rights First
Formation1978
HeadquartersNew York, NY
President/CEO
Michael Breen
Former President
Michael Posner
Websitehumanrightsfirst.org

Human Rights First (formerly known as the Lawyers Committee for International Human Rights[1]) is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3),[2] international human rights organization based in New York City and Washington, D.C.[3] In 2004, Human Rights First started its "End Torture Now" campaign.[4] The organization also runs the Fighting Discrimination program which focuses on hate crimes.[citation needed]

Board of directors

Human Rights First is governed by a board of directors composed of 92 members, including a 30-person Board of Advocates and a 13-person Emeritus Board.[5]

Members of the board include:

Human Rights First's pro bono legal representation program matches lawyers with asylum-seekers who need help and would not otherwise be able to afford high-quality legal representation.[7]

HRF helps asylum seekers living in the greater Washington D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas who do not already have legal representation, cannot afford an attorney, and need help with a claim for asylum or other protection-based form of immigration status. The organization's New York office can also help people who are seeking asylum from within a nearby immigration detention center.[8]

Selected publications

  • The War Against Children: South Africa’s Youngest Victims, Desmond Tutu, 1986. ISBN 9780934143004
  • Vigilantes in the Philippines: A Threat to Democratic Rule, Diane Orentlicher, 1988. ISBN 9780934143035
  • Refuge Denied: Problems in the Protection of Vietnamese and Cambodians in Thailand and the Admission of Indochinese Refugees into the United States, Albert Santoli, 1989. ISBN 9780934143202
  • Paper Laws, Steel Bayonets: Breakdown of the Rule of Law in Haiti, Elliot Schrage, 1990. ISBN 9780934143387
  • Childhood Abducted: Children Cutting Sugar Cane in the Dominican Republic, Theresa A. Amato, 1991. ISBN 9780934143424

References

  1. ^ IRS Form 1023 Application for Recognition of Exemption. (1982). Human Rights First website Archived 2016-10-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Human Rights First". www.charitywatch.org. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  3. ^ About Us, humanrightsfirst.org
  4. ^ "Human Rights First Leader to Speak". today.duke.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  5. ^ "Board Archives". Human Rights First. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  6. ^ Oprysko, Caitlin. "FARA chief leaves DOJ". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
  7. ^ "Asylum". Human Rights First. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  8. ^ "The Fight to Reform the U.S. Asylum System: A Conversation with Human Rights First's Becky Gendelman". Latina Republic. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
Stub icon

This human rights-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Human_Rights_First&oldid=1202356237"