Promoting Social Justice and Human Dignity
The Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies advances social justice and human dignity in an interdisciplinary fashion through active involvement of faculty, students, and community in research and teaching. The Center builds on the College’s unique history: the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights began at Lehman College when the United Nations met at the College. Lehman College students, often immigrants and the first in their families to access higher education, engender a broad understanding of human rights. The Center unites student and faculty engagement on local and global rights issues in New York and the greater world community. The Center now offers an interdisciplinary minor in Human Rights and Peace Studies.
Spring 2020 Events
About the Center
The Center builds on Lehman College’s unique history: the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights began at Lehman College when the United Nations met at the College. Lehman College students, often immigrants and the first in their families to access higher education, engender a broad understanding of human rights. The Center unites student and faculty engagement on local and global rights issues in New York and the greater world community.
The Center emphasizes intrinsic linkages between human rights and peace. Not merely the absence of war or conflict, human security necessitates community building, safety, promotion of tolerance, environmental sustainability, expanded life chances, freedom of expression, movement and association, and equal access to resources across gender, ethnic, class, national, and other socio-economic divides. Read more about our mission.
Past Events
List of Past Events (PDF)
- 7th Annual Human Rights Conference: Freedom of Expression & Citizenship in 2017
- Refugee Lives at Risk/Citizen Rights Denied: A Panel and Discussion Sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m East Dining Hall, Lehman College
Annual Spring Conference: Post-Colonial Truth Telling
- Film Series Documented: A Film by an Undocumented American- February 25, 11:00am-1:00pm
The Mexican Suitcase- March 12, 12:30-2:30pm
Virunga- May 6, 11:00am-1:00pm
Co-sponsored by the Leonard Lief Library
- Symposium - The Deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Co-sponsored by the Department of Philosphy and the Department of Anthropology
- Challenging Impunity in Domestic Courts: Human Rights Prosecution in Latin America- Wednesday, March 3, 7pm
- Kentucky Cantata talkback by Dr. Sanford on January 31 at Here Arts Center. Dr. Sanford will give a talkback immediately following the show, which begins at 7pm.