Santa Barbara

Save the Date for our Voices for Justice Annual Dinner on Sunday, November 11, 2018. The event will take place at the Hilton Beachfront Resort in Santa Barbara.

Human Rights Watch Santa Barbara will host its annual Voices for Justice dinner on Sunday, November 12, 2017 at the Fess Parker DoubleTree Resort.

Tickets and Tables are available for purchase at this link.

For more information, contact MTA Events at +1 818 814 6690 or hrwsb@mtaevents.com.

Join us as we honor Pierre Claver Mbonimpa of Burundi with our highest tribute, theAlison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism, in recognition of his extraordinary courage in the face of the brutal crackdown on freedom of expression in Burundi.

Buy Tickets & Tables

Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 5:30 pm

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 5:30pm

Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, Santa Barbara

For over 35 years, Human Rights Watch has been at the forefront of the international human rights movement, investigating human rights abuses and exposing the truth to create deep-rooted change.

The Voices for Justice Annual Dinner honors courageous individuals who protect and defend human rights around the world. Please join us as we celebrate some of the most important human rights achievements of the past year.

For more information, to become a sponsor, or to purchase tickets, please contact MTA Events at 818.906.0240 or hrwsb@mtaevents.com.

The 2014 Voices for Justice dinner was a wonderful celebration where we honored Shin Dong-Hyuk (North Korea) and Dr. M.R. Rajagopal (India) for their courageous and impactful work. 19th District Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, presented them with California State Senate Certificates of Recognition.  Thank you to everyone who supported this event which provides vital resources to civilians in conflict and to the work of Human Rights Watch.

On September 16, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB260 into law, which will enable youth who were transferred to and sentenced in adult court to have their sentence reviewed after serving ten years. The passage of this bill represents the strongest transformation in California’s harsh sentencing laws to date, and will impact more than 5,000 people who have been incarcerated since they were teens. Human Rights Watch is grateful to all of the supporters who have been instrumental at every step along the way, by attending meetings with legislators, making calls, and writing letters.

On Sunday, November 10, 2013, 370 guests gathered at Fess Parker's Doubletree in Santa Barbara to celebrate the work of two courageous human rights activists--Alina Diaz from the U.S. and Natalia Taubina from Russia. Vicki Riskin, co-chair of the HRW Santa Barbara Committee welcomed the audience, and introduced Joel Motley, new co-chair of the HRW International Board. Throughout the night, guests also heard from Cheryl Justice and Susan Rose, co-chairs of the HRW Santa Barbara Committee, as well as Ole Solvang, HRW senior researcher and security advisor, who had recently returned from a trip to Syria. Alina Diaz and Natalia Taubina received standing ovations as they were presented with The Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism. The event raised over $450,000 for Human Rights Watch. We are grateful to all of the individuals and businesses whose generosity and support made the event a resounding success! 

On Friday, January 24, 150 guests attended the screening and panel discussion of Bidder 70 at the New Vic Theater in Santa Barbara. The film follows the incredible story of Tim DeChristopher, whose act of civil disobedience is an inspiring one! Victoria Riskin, past president of the Writer’s Guild of America West, moderated the panel discussion following the screening. Panelists included co-producing/co-directing team Beth and George Gage, and Joe Amon, Director of HRW’s Health and Human Rights Division. 

Join us on Sunday November 9th at 5:30pm at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, Santa Barbara for a silent auction, dinner and the presentation of the Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism to Shin Dong-Hyuk from North Korea and Dr. M.R. Rajagopal from India, in recognition of their unwavering and fealess commitment to human rights

After several months of research, an article by Santa Barbara Committee Co-Chair Susan Rose on the backlog of untested rape kits has been published. It appeared in the online version of The Santa Barbara Independent on Thursday, July 11. The article, titled "To Catch a Rapist," provides an update on the backlog of untested rape kits in Los Angeles and innovative procedures developed in Santa Barbara to test all kits.

On Sunday, November 11, 2012, 350 supporters gathered for the Voices for Justice Dinner at the Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara to celebrate the courageous work of the 2012 HRW Defender from the Congo, Abbé Benoît Kinalegu. There were also powerful remarks by HRW Executive Director Ken Roth and HRW Children's Rights Senior Advocate Elizabeth Calvin, as well as a moving performance by Santa Barbara High School Madrigal Chorus. This year's dinner in Santa Barbara raised over $400,000 to support the work of Human Rights Watch.