Human Rights Close to Home: Putting the U.S. Under the Magnifying Glass

Racism, violence against women, genocide, and poverty are what come to mind when someone mentions human rights violations to me. It is a global issue that needs a local solution.

I think that most Americans would agree that human rights violations are occurring in the Middle East and in Third World countries, but my guess is that many would not believe that numerous human rights violations occur in the United States every day. Students at the University of Dayton (UD) hope to change that view and bring the issue closer to home.

“When talking about human rights, there's always been a global emphasis,” said UD senior Erin Aldrich, co-chair of Human Rights Week on campus. “We're trying to show people you don't have to look far outside of the city to find human rights issues.”

UD students have put together a slate of local providers of health care, financial services, housing and education to address the theme of “Human Rights at Home” during Human Rights Week Feb. 3-8.

Started by UD’s human rights program — the first such undergraduate program in the nation — the student-run Human Rights Week aims to engage students in social justice issues locally and globally.