Chicago

(New York) – Thirty landmarks across the globe will shine bright blue on December 10, 2018, to celebrate Human Rights Day and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch said today. From New York to Beirut and Santiago to Sydney, the global lighting will highlight the fundamental principles of human dignity that the Universal Declaration affirms and that Human Rights Watch works to defend each day.

“This is a challenging moment for human rights, but while the autocrats and rights abusers are capturing the headlines, they are spawning powerful resistance,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “We are proud to be playing a leading role in this reinvigorated defense of rights and the principles of truth, dignity, and justice that underpin them.”

Each year on December 10, countries across the globe celebrate the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The milestone document proclaims inalienable rights to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion, expression and religion, the right to work and education, and many more protections to which everyone is entitled, without discrimination.

Since 2013, the world-famous Empire State Building – home to the Human Rights Watch global headquarters – has been illuminated in the organization’s signature blue to commemorate Human Rights Day. This year, the following landmarks will shine blue:

Flinders Street Station, Melbourne (Australia)
State Library of NSW, Sydney (Australia)
International Towers at Barangaroo, Sydney (Australia)
Brussels City Hall and Grand Place, Brussels (Belgium)
Montréal Tower, Montréal (Canada)
CN Tower, Toronto (Canada)
3D Toronto Sign, Toronto (Canada)
BC Place Stadium, Vancouver (Canada)
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver (Canada)
Gran Torre Santiago, Santiago (Chile)
Danish Foreign Ministry, Copenhagen (Denmark)
Paulskirche, Frankfurt (Germany)
Tollwood Festival, Munich (Germany)
Beirut National Museum, Beirut (Lebanon)
Peace Palace, The Hague (Netherlands)
Qatar Foundation, Doha (Qatar)
Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, Doha (Qatar)
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (Qatar)  
Ministry of Interior, Doha (Qatar)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Doha (Qatar)
Jet d’Eau, Geneva (Switzerland)
John Hancock Center, Chicago (US)
The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College, Miami (US)
Empire State Building, New York (US)
San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, CA (US)
The Capital Wheel, Washington DC (US)
The Coca-Cola London Eye, London (UK)
Somerset House, London (UK)

“Illuminating these iconic landmarks is a powerful symbol that the values of freedom and dignity that inform the human rights cause continue to burn bright,” Roth said. “It is a call to action and a reminder that despite these dark times, defenders of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are winning key battles that are well worth fighting for.”

October 24, 2018 | Human Rights Watch Annual Dinner Chicago

Our 2018 Voices for Justice Annual Dinner was our most successful yet, with gratitude to the leadership of Dinner Co-Chairs Sheridan Prior and Shalini Sharma, Committee Co-Chair Terri Abruzzo, and Dinner Committee members Snjeza Barrack, Monica Hughson, Sheila Roche, Ragini Shekhawat, Cindy Soper, Dia Weil, and Rachel Zakaria. We are also deeply thankful to the strong support of the Chicago Committee, sponsors, and guests who joined for the event, or supported us from afar.

This year, we heard from Deputy Executive Director for Program Iain Levine, Director of Disability Rights Division Shantha Rau Barriga, Researchers Mike Bochenek (Senior Counsel, Children’s Rights Division) and Megan McLemore (Senior Researcher, Health and Human Rights). We were especially moved to hear from Imran Mohammad, former Manus Island detainee and friend of the Chicago Committee, as he shared his deeply compelling story. We thank you again for your invaluable support as we continue to work towards justice and defend the rights of people worldwide.

Human Rights Watch at EXPO CHICAGO
The Fifth International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art
Thursday, September 22 to Sunday, September 25 | Navy Pier, Chicago

Visit the Human Rights Watch booth at EXPO CHICAGO to shine a light on harsh and ineffective US immigration detention and deportation policies. Since 2007, US Congress mandated that Immigration & Customs Enforcement maintain a quota of 34,000 detained immigrants per day in its 250 facilities around the country. This “bed quota” inspired 34,000 Pillows, the featured work from binational artist collaborative Díaz Lewis. The ever-growing pile of pillows reflects the number of beds required to be filled each night, translating the mandate in a bold and compelling way statistics alone cannot.

Each pillow is unique, handmade, and priced at $159, the amount US taxpayers spend per day to detain one person. Pillows are crafted from clothing worn by undocumented individuals in the Chicago area. 100% of each pillow sold will support Human Rights Watch.

Booth Talk: Making the Statistics Human
Friday, September 23 | 12 noon to 1:00 PM
How does art speak to the work of grassroots activists and human rights fact-finders? Join Human Rights Watch Senior Researcher Grace Meng along with artists Díaz Lewis and immigration activist and former detainee Lulú Martinez to discuss current immigration policies and realities, and how their different modes of activism approach and effect change.

Last week, Cook County Judge Angela Petrone resentenced Adolfo Davis to natural life in prison without the chance of parole. Davis was first ordered to life in prison without parole when he was just 14 years old. HRW has previously stated that this is a violation of human rights, and fails to recognize the fundamental human rights of all children, including their right to special protection. In 2012, SCOTUS ruled that sentencing youth to mandatory life without parole is unconstitutional as it is considered a “cruel and unusual punishment.” This landmark ruling appeared to move the United States in the right direction in regards to international human rights law, namely expectations for the U.N Convention on the Rights of the Child. This treaty is yet to be ratified by two countries: the United States and Somalia. The United States remains the only country in the world to impose sentences of life without the possibility of parole on juvenile offenders.