Human Rights at the Precipice
A World Made Anew
Join us on Thursday, December 10, 2020
Human Rights Day 2020 is focused on Human Rights at the Precipice: A World Made Anew. With a pandemic, protests, politics and a climate crisis, the world is on a collision course with multiple threats to human security and our shared humanity. These dangerous times, fraught with collective failures, test the fundamental framework of universal human rights.
Yet, with every crisis comes opportunity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the single most important framework for how to order our future together in an increasingly fragile world. The human rights and social justice community must gather the wisdom, strength, empathy and humility to prevail in these times of peril. Sharing one world together, we can turn crisis into opportunity to Make the World Anew and help chart a bold new course for humanity.
This year we are honored to convene a first-ever conversation between the four former UN High Commissioners for Human Rights: Mary Robinson, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Navi Pillay and Louise Arbour for a rich dialogue on this most urgent topic of human rights at the precipice.
The Article 3 Human Rights Global Treasure Award will be presented to Archbishop Desmond Tutu in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the global human rights movement. The epitome of A Life of Love in Action, we pay tribute to a legacy and indefatigable spirit of compassion, hope, and shared humanity. With the ‘fierce urgency of now,’ we hope to bridge the wisdom of a remarkable human rights elder-statesman with the vision of emerging human rights leaders of today.
Hosted in partnership with Humanity United and Stupski Foundation, in collaboration with The Philanthropy Workshop, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Virgin Unite and The Conduit, this stimulating, thought provoking and engaging event is intended for philanthropists, activists, practitioners, civic leaders and change agents who are oriented towards understanding complex issues, passing on knowledge and acting on solutions. It is our hope that the program serves as a catalyst for a rich dialogue and a deeper understanding among key stakeholders and influencers.
Honoring
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
“My humanity is tied to yours for we can only be human together.”
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a religious activist for human rights who preaches inclusivity and has spent his life fighting against injustice and discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or faith.
Guest Speakers
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is the former UN human rights chief; recognized world-wide as a leading and outspoken defender and promoter of universal human rights – awarded the Stockholm prize for human rights in 2015.
Mary Robinson is first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders; a passionate, forceful advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building and human dignity.
Dr. Navi Pillay On 19 May, the South African jurist Dr. Navanethem (Navi) Pillay has been elected as the new President of the Advisory Council of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy. She succeeds Professor Dr. Thomas Buergenthal in this function who for reasons of age, did not stand for re-election.
Louise Arbour, The Honourable Louise Arbour is a jurist in residence at BLG Canada’s Law Firm. She provides strategic advice on litigation, governance and international disputes. She is an active mentor of younger lawyers.
Graça Machel is an African stateswoman whose decades long professional and public life is rooted in Mozambique’s struggle for self-rule and international advocacy for women and children’s rights. She is a former freedom fighter in Mozambique’s FRELIMO movement and that country’s first Minister of Education.
Keynote: Paul van Zyl grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era. He served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Shortly after, Paul co-founded the International Centre for Transitional Justice, an international human rights organization that works in over 40 countries that have endured massive human rights violations under repression and conflict.
Host: Dana King is a classical figurative sculptor who creates public monuments of Black Bodies in Bronze. She studies the strength and resilience of African descendants and create pieces made of clay with her hands that are then cast in bronze.
Photo by Baron Silverton
Moderator: Randy Newcomb is a Senior Advisor at The Omidyar Group. The Omidyar Group is a diverse collection of global companies, organizations, and initiatives founded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar that strive to catalyze social impact globally. As Senior Advisor Mr. Newcomb explores future trends, new and alternative thinking, and diverse points of view to address the challenges we face in the 21st century.
Spotlight: Glen Galaich joined the Stupski Foundation as CEO in 2015. Glen leads the overall strategy of the Foundation and oversees the programmatic focus areas and operations. Glen previously served as CEO of The Philanthropy Workshop, whose mission was to educate, inspire, and activate a peer network of effective, engaged, and innovative philanthropists.
Special Tribute Remarks
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Honorable Graça Machel, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Sir Richard Branson, Nicole Austin-Hillery, Jaha Dukureh, Peter Gabriel, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Niclas Kjellström-Matseke, Piyushi Kotecha, Inga Mfundisi, Jay Naidoo, Kumi Naidoo, Victor Ochen, Jean Oelwang, Pam Omidyar, Bryan Stevenson, Andrea Weideman, and Alfre Woodard.
Musical Performances
Marcus Shelby is a composer, arranger, band leader, bassist, and educator who currently lives in San Francisco, California. His work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives, social movements, and music education. In 1990, Marcus Shelby received the Charles Mingus Scholarship to attend Cal Arts and study composition with James Newton and bass with Charlie Haden. Currently,
Marc Bamuthi Joseph is a 2017 TED Global Fellow, an inaugural recipient of the Guggenheim Social Practice initiative, and an honoree of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship. He is also the winner of the 2011 Herb Alpert Award in Theatre, and an inaugural recipient of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award.
Partners
Special Thanks to Our Advisory Committee
Jessie Brunner, Scott Campbell, Jennifer Davis, Natasha Dolby, Will Fitzpatrick, Glen Galaich, Liliana Giffen, Jen Haile, Renee Kaplan, Randy Newcomb, Amanda Padilla, Jean Oelwang, Melanie Ormos, Abdi Soltani, and Eric Stover.