The University is currently home to the first and only chapter of Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) in the United States.
“It’s not real surprising coming from the Northwest,” said Lauren Hortie, manager of the School Chapters Program of the Toronto-based organization. “Oregon is our test project – we are starting a big push to spread our program to colleges in the U.S.”
The University chapter was started by senior journalism and international studies major Susan Goodwin and international studies graduate student Elizabeth Cauble.
JHR, founded in May 2002, is dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of human rights by building the capacity of media to report effectively on human rights in North America and Africa, according to the School Chapter Manual. Its largest African project is in Ghana, where JHR has increased human rights coverage in the media by more than 65 percent, according to its Web site.
“Human rights education is generally government politics and documents – it’s pretty dry and not hands on at all,” Hortie said. “We aim to educate the common citizen by using the media to create a community or culture of human rights.”
The program first established school campuses in the fall 2004, and it currently has 21 school chapters in Canada. At the group’s first meeting at the University on Jan. 30, the group discussed the direction it wants to take.
“There was concern that this would be just another campus group that doesn’t have (an) effect here on campus,” Goodwin said. “We don’t want to be a bunch of kids waving signs of starving children on the streets and asking kids for money. We will mainly be asking students to write letters or give their signature.”
The University chapter held a second meeting Monday. Only four people showed up, but Goodwin said it’s good to have a core group of people who are committed at this stage. They discussed ways to make the group relevant to the University, Goodwin said.
The group is taking action today by meeting with the University chapter of Amnesty International, a worldwide international movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights, according to its Web site.
“They do things like flood prisons that violate human rights with letters to let prisoners and prisoner officials know that people know what’s going on,” Goodwin said. “It can really have a direct effect.”
The University chapter is also looking to write stories and create photo essays of locals that have seen or been a victim of human rights assault in other countries. There is a large population of people in Eugene who have fled their countries and are living here in exile, Goodwin said.
“[JHR] trains journalists themselves to understand human rights better,” Cauble said. “It gives resources, like technology and research, so they can promote the message better.”
School chapters are encouraged to focus on human rights issues in their own community and participate in the international aspect of the organization, Hortie said.
The organization’s work in Africa attracted Cauble, who spent two and a half years in Senegal as a member of the Peace Corps. She returned in summer 2004 for graduate research. Female genital cutting was one human rights issue that was prevalent when she was there.
On the radio in Senegal, there’s vigorous debate about female genital cutting and other human rights issues, Cauble said.
“There’s a big movement that wants to promote human rights,” Cauble said.
The University chapter will hold its next meeting at Espresso Roma at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Correction: Due to a source’s error, Wednesday’s “Reporting for duty” should have reported that the University chapter of Amnesty International will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the EMU Metolius Room.
The Emerald regrets the error.

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