Keynote Speaker

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh has made a legendary career exposing the violations of human rights by governments, from his original reporting on the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, to the CIA’s role in deposing the democratically elected government in Chile, to secret bombing in Cambodia, to his revelations about torture at Abu Ghraib. Hersh is one of the nation’s most informed, candid and provocative observers of world events.

The Human Rights Awards

This year – on the 20^th anniversary of The Advocates’ Refugee and Immigrant Program – our Human Rights Awards honor The American Refugee Committee and The Center for Victims of Torture, two Minnesota organizations that help restore the health, hopes and dignity of people in the United States and around the world.

The American Refugee Committee was founded in 1979 to help victims of a Cambodian refugee crisis. Today the Minneapolis-based ARC is global – in Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia and Thailand – working for the survival, health and well-being of a million refugees and displaced people every year, providing the health care, clean water, shelter, legal aid, counseling and community development and repatriation services that rebuild lives of dignity and purpose.

When The Center for Victims of Torture was founded in Minneapolis in 1985, it was the first organization of its kind in the United States, and just the third in the world dedicated to healing the wounds of government-sponsored torture on individuals, families and their communities. The center works locally, nationally, and internationally to build healing communities where torture victims feel welcomed, protected and healed. Minnesota is home to as many as 30,000 torture survivors.

Special Recognition Award

Pangea World Theater – for its work to promote human rights through the arts

2005 Volunteer Award Recipients

Cliff Anderson – for his advocacy against the death penalty

Karen Ellingson – for her work on behalf of asylum seekers

Dianne Heins – for her work in human rights monitoring

Julia Kashaeva – for her work on behalf of women’s human rights

Sherry Kempf – for her work to promote human rights education

Mark Lee – for his work on behalf of asylum seekers

Robert Vaaler – for his work building the constituency for human rights

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

The mission of The Advocates for Human Rights is to implement international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law. By involving volunteers in research, education and advocacy, we build broad constituencies in the United States and selected global communities.

The Advocates was founded in 1983 by a group of Minnesota lawyers who recognized the community’s unique spirit of social justice as an opportunity to promote and protect human rights here at home and worldwide. We investigate and expose human rights violations; represent immigrants and refugees who are victims of human rights abuses; train and assist groups that protect human rights; and work through education and advocacy to engage the public, policy makers and children about human rights and cultural understanding. The Advocates holds Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.

Our Human Rights Awards Dinner is a celebration of the enduring accomplishments of our founders, and the thousands of supporters, volunteers, board members and staff members who continue to build on their shared ambitions, values and ideals. 

Board of Directors