Last night was a celebration of human rights, our community around the world, and the possibilities for the future. Thank you for joining 11,770 other supporters from 164 countries for the launch of the Human Rights Watch Global Challenge, the Future we Build Together.

I am thrilled to announce that we have now raised an astounding US$7.3 million, getting us closer to the $20 million we need to cover our budget shortfall this year. We are grateful to count you as a member of our community.

Our work together has just begun. We need you:

• If you haven’t already, consider making an investment in our shared future.
• Stay connected and amplify the voices of defenders and survivors by following and sharing Human Rights Watch on  Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
• Get involved with our local communities.
• Subscribe to our updates, where we will call on you to help us press for the most pressing human rights improvements of the day.

Our community that gathered last night represented a diversity of ages, races, nationalities, abilities, legal statuses, and sexual orientations. Together, we can create a more just and equitable world.  

In a wonderful development, we were delighted to learn that Behrouz Boochani was granted asylum yesterday by New Zealand, on his birthday.

In the next few days, we will share portions of the event on our YouTube Channel.

Thank you once again for making it such a memorable evening.

In solidarity,
Ken Roth