The 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day is observed every year on Dec. 10, and people around the world will pause to celebrate its significance.
In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly established the day in conjunction with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is one of the most translated documents in the world. The declaration proclaims the inalienable rights that every human is entitled to regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, politics, national origin or birth.
The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human rights, created in 2000, helps develop human rights-related courses throughout the university. In addition, the center creates opportunities for FSU students to work with human rights groups and supports non-governmental organizations throughout the world that engage in human rights work.
Using the services of FSU law students, the center also litigates legal cases pro bono for human trafficking victims, asylum-seekers, abused immigrant women and survivors of torture in the United States.
Terry Coonan serves as the center’s executive director and is available to discuss human rights issues:
Terry Coonan, associate professor of criminology and executive director of the FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
(850) 644-4550; tcoonan@fsu.edu
Coonan has more than 20 years of human rights and immigration advocacy experience. His research and policy work includes expertise in asylum and refugee law, immigration issues and human trafficking law and policy.
“The international human rights movement provides a strong and coherent framework for addressing today’s most challenging issues, including border security, how to best combat human trafficking and U.S. obligations to asylum-seekers and human rights victims.”