Human Rights Watch
student task force
MISSION
Implementing HRW’s mission to defend human rights, STF helps youth build a foundation for human rights, raises awareness about children’s rights violations, and develops young leaders and advocates to become instrumental voices for social justice around the world.
VISION
To equip the next generation of decision-makers with the human rights knowledge, advocacy experience, and communication skills needed to make the future of our world more just.
How We Work
STF staff guide and mentor participants to implement a shared human rights advocacy action plan across campuses. Through these action plans, STF members learn how to evaluate problems and independently discover ways to address them, harnessing the leadership skills they work on each week. STF leaders enter the program with varying levels of public speaking, project coordination, and presentation experience. The ongoing leadership training provides students with the skills and confidence needed to lead their classmates.
Watch this video from October 2022 explaining how the STF program works with students across the United States and beyond.
(Click to watch, 3:17)
Impact
Since 1999, STF has provided opportunities for students to raise their voices for human rights, educate their communities, and engage in meaningful advocacy. Many alumni have reported that their participation in STF compelled them to prioritize human rights in their careers, including in the public, private and government sectors.
Students Reached During STF Events
Participating Schools Over the Years
Cities Around the World With STF Chapters
Human Rights Advocacy Action Plans
Recent Blog Posts
Celebrate 10 Years of HRW’s LA Film Club with The Territory
Please join us on Sunday, May 21 at 4pm for the HRW LA Film Club’s 10th anniversary with a screening and discussion of The Territory. Limited comp tickets available for STF students, teachers, and alumni. Presented at Sony Pictures Animation Studios in Culver City9050 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232 Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 4pm4:00pm | Doors open5:00pm | Screening …
A Night of Gratitude for Pam Bruns
Old and new friends gathered to celebrate Pam Bruns, the founder of the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force.
STF alumni, teachers and supporters expressed their gratitude to Pam for her commitment to young people and human rights. In a thank you video and throughout the night, guests honored Pam’s steadfast dedication to justice, equality, and empathy for others, which has had an immense ripple effect in the lives of so many generations. Attendees reflected on the wide-reaching impact the organization has made over the past 23 years and expressed excitement and anticipation for what the future holds…
Why They Flee
March 27-28, 2023: STFers at Da Vinci Schools, Hamilton HS and Santa Monica HS hosted film screenings, table events, and interactive tent exhibitions to educate their classmates about threats to the human right to seek asylum in the US immigration system. STFers led discussions on why people flee their homes to reach the United States and the policies that impact what …
Joining HRW’s Fight Against Anti-Asylum Policies
Photos by Patricia Williams January 28, 2023: “If we’re one of the strongest nations in the world, we should have the resources to receive people who are fleeing persecution… But for the last three decades, the U.S. has spent billions of dollars setting up a militarized southern border that focuses on detaining and punishing people“, …
Human Rights Front and Center
In their final weeks of the fall semester, Student Task Force members hosted a range of events and activities honoring Human Rights Day. Despite busy schedules and final exam preparations, students kept human rights front and center in their last days of school before winter break. From in-chapter conversations and quiz games to school-wide surveys …
Students Vote For The Planet
October 27- November 9, 2022: STF chapters hosted mock elections, interactive tent events, and classroom presentations as their final get out the vote efforts leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. STFers highlighted the importance of being prepared and making informed decisions about candidates and propositions when voting. Chapter members extensively researched the issues of …
WHAT OUR ALUMNI SAY
“STF changes the world, one outspoken/headstrong student at a time. STF was a cause worth skipping lunch and lying in the grass for; a cause worth the ridicule; a cause worth losing points on a test for, because I spent time strategizing instead of studying. A cause worth anything I could give.”
“The Student Task Force taught me how to be an effective activist while remaining passionate and unafraid. STF taught me to be persistent, even when people didn’t hear us the first, second, or third time. We persevere through our campaigns.”
“STF pushed me to become a more comfortable public speaker and activist. I went from being an introverted and shy freshman to being an outspoken and confident advocate for human rights and environmental justice by the end of my senior year, in large part due to the leadership of the the STF community.”
GET INVOLVED
Empower yourself and make a difference by joining our community of passionate advocates. Click below to learn how you can contribute to advancing human rights and become a voice for justice.