Human Rights 101 Taught in Mason's North Plaza

By Broadside Correspondent Tina Miller

Amnesty International held its International Human Rights Festival in the North Plaza, part of International Week at George Mason University and was used to raise awareness of human rights in the United States and in around the world.

“To me, personally, there is nothing more important than human rights, knowing what your rights are, and protecting the rights of other people,” said senior Erin Neff, president for Mason’s chapter of Amnesty International.

The festival was comprised of tables or booths that lined the North Plaza. Representatives sat at each table, talking with students and providing them with literature on their different organizations.

The festival ran from 12 until 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 10 among the International Week food and shopping booths.
Neff, who feels that there is not enough awareness of human rights among college students, appreciated the busy location of the festival.

She explained that one of the values of the festival is that “it is right in your face. All it takes is to walk up to a table and learn. The festival is bringing human rights to the forefront of Mason’s campus.”

One of the ways the festival urged students to gain knowledge on international human rights was by giving students a sheet of paper containing three questions.

One question asked, “What major issue in Uganda is leading to human rights violation and what region does it affect the most?”

The students were required to find the answers to the questions by visiting the various booths. All three questions answered resulted in a free Amnesty International tote bag.

There were 10 different groups represented at the International Human Rights Festival.

The four off-campus groups were Peace Brigades International, China Support Network, ACLU and Gender PAC.
The six on-campus groups included Amnesty International, GMU Stand, Sexual Assault Services, Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, Speak Out and Uganda HELP.

The organizations covered a wide range of human rights issues.

Uganda HELP is concerned with the well-being of Northern Uganda. GMU Stand is a student anti-genocide coalition that also works with Darfur.

Sexual Assault Services provides services for survivors of sexual assault and educates the university population. Speak Out and Gender Pac work with gender issues.

Peace BRI promotes non-violence in general, both internationally and in the United States.

Poster boards were also set up at the festival to promote Global Day for Darfur, an event taking place on Tuesday, April 15 in the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Lourah Seaboyer, freshman psychology major, sat as a representative at the table for Uganda HELP.

When asked what Mason students can do right now to help with children’s human rights, Seaboyer said, “Supporting our open mic on campus. We have an open mic where we raise money. Last year we raised $400 and the money went to books for the Ugandan children and water pumps.”

This year is the first International Human Rights Festival at Mason. “I think it would be wonderful if it becomes an annual thing,” said Neff. “We can’t create change without being given knowledge and being educated about what it means to have human rights and what they are.”

In addition to being the president of the Mason chapter of Amnesty International, Neff also works for Amnesty

International in Washington, D.C as a mid-Atlantic organizer intern.

For more information on Amnesty International or its Mason Chapter contact Neff at eneff@gmu.edu.