Human Rights Awareness Day Celebrated at Manhattanville College

In 1948, the United Nations issued the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ensuring that all humans have a set of natural and unalterable rights. The battle for human rights still continues today in many countries. In celebration of this uniting document, people around the world celebrate Human Rights Day.

At Manhattanville, the event has become a full-day celebration. It aims to showcase individuals, such as alumni and current students, and bring awareness outside of Manhattanville and within the community. The event upholds student work, especially that of alumni, that continues to follow the school mission and highlight their education in their chosen career path.

The Fifth Annual Human Rights Awareness Day at Manhattanville College will take place on November 19, 2011.

"Human rights, social responsibility, and social justice are a big part of the ethos at Manhattanville and on this day we hope to bring students together," Father Wil Tyrell, Director of the Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice, said.

Started five years ago by a team of dedicated faculty and staff at Manhattanville, Human Rights Awareness Day at Manhattanville promotes social responsibility and social justice, both in line with the Manhattanville mission to "educate ethically and socially-responsible leaders in a global community."

The event will include poster displays and distinguished speakers including Stefania Koren, a Holocaust survivor, Dale Williams, Executive Director of Midnight Run, Joy Chia, Asia Law and Justice Fellow, Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, Fordham University School of Law, and alumna Isabel Villar, Director of El Centro Hispano in White Plains.

The Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice also organized a winter clothing and blanket drive in support of Midnight Run and a book drive to supply the Panzi Hospital with reading material appropriate for the women and children who are patients there.

In the evening, the film "Women in War Zones: Sexual Violence in the Congo" will be shown followed by a discussion panel.

"Through Human Rights Awareness Day, we as students hope to showcase not only individual work but the work that centers, such as the Duchesne Center, and clubs, such as the Coalition of Violence Against Women, do to advocate for equal rights in the society we live in," Angela Gigliotti, a sophomore, said.

The Castle Scholars program, which co-sponsors the event, is an academic program that offers students of exceptional ability a broader and more intensive program of study than the usual college curriculum. It provides motivated students in any major field with challenging, cross-disciplinary courses that encourage their academic and personal growth.