Human Rights Institute Recognized at San José City Hall in Honor of Human Rights Day
The Human Rights Institute at SJSU was honored on Dec. 3 by San José City Council. L-r: SJSU HRI members include Jahmal Williams; Bill Armaline; Michael Dao; Miranda Worthen. They were joined by Erika Alvarez of Tahririh Justice Center, Ellina Yin of Only in San José, and Michele Mashburn of All Things Disability Equity, among others. Photo by Brian Anderson, ’24 MFA Digital Media Art.
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a landmark document asserting the universal protection of fundamental human rights.
More than 70 years later, December 10 is now recognized as Human Rights Day in the City of San José, thanks to an official commendation presented to four organizations, including San José State’s Human Rights Institute, by the San José City Council on December 3.
San José Mayor Matt Mahan invited Terry Christensen, SJSU professor emeritus of political science, to kick off the meeting with a few words about the importance of public service.
Terry Christensen offered an induction for the City Council meeting on Dec. 3. Photo by Brian Anderson, ’24 MFA Digital Media Art.
Christensen soon handed over the podium to City Councilmember Arjun Batra, who shared that a critical part of his own public service is emphasizing universal human rights.
“One of my major goals has been to foster a diverse San José, where everyone can comfortably celebrate cultures, traditions, ethnicities, national origins and abilities,” said Batra. “Every person deserves the opportunity to live fully with freedom, autonomy and inclusion in a world that embraces diversity. Hence, it is the duty of all of us to ensure that all our fellow human beings enjoy this great privilege and equality. There are many organizations in the world who are trying to make sure that these rights are asserted and not taken away from the people.”
Michael Dao accepts the commendation from City Councilmember Arjun Batra on behalf of the Human Rights Institute. Photo by Brian Anderson, ’24 MFA Digital Media Art.
Human Rights Institute (HRI) Director Michael Dao, 10 BS, ’13 MA, Kinesiology, who also serves as an assistant professor and associate chair of the Kinesiology department, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the institute. He acknowledged HRI founding director and Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Professor Bill Armaline, the original HRI research coordinator and Public Health and Recreation Professor Miranda Worthen, and Jahmal Williams, director of DEI partnerships and university-community liaison in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“We are a public resource for the city, and we’re committed to engaging and addressing the most pressing social issues in our communities,” said Dao. “As part of the university, we are committed to work with all of you, as well as with each other, to promote and protect human rights more broadly in this city and in Santa Clara County.”
The HRI is perhaps best known for producing the annual Silicon Valley Pain Index, a report providing a statistical overview of structured inequalities to inform policy and practice in Silicon Valley. In 2020, the HRI produced the inaugural People’s Budget of San José, a collaboration with Sacred Heart Community Services that grew out of social movements and protests to reexamine community safety and policing. The HRI grew out of the Human Rights minor program, originally established in 2012, and provides additional programming, research opportunities and events throughout the year.
Councilmember Batra also presented commendations to Ellina Yin of Only in San José, which provides a free multilingual civics master class; disability justice advocate Michele Mashburn of All Things Disability Equity, and Erika Alvarez of Tahirih Justice Center, which provides services for immigrant women, girls and victims of gender-based violence.
About the Human Rights Institute
Established in 2020, the San José State University Human Rights Institute specializes in human rights research, journalism, programming and policy design. HRI students and faculty study pressing social problems and work with community organizations, stakeholders, and policy makers to inform and design solutions according to relevant scholarship, human rights law,and international best practices. Interdisciplinary HRI research includes work from faculty members in Communication Studies, Public Health, Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Justice Studies, Occupational Therapy, Kinesiology and more.
The HRI produces scholarly research (books, journal articles, primary data), policy analysis for the public and policy makers, policy design, human rights reporting/journalism, human rights programming for the university and the public (including the annual human rights lecture series and co-sponsored programming), and educational opportunities for students, community members, public agencies, and community organizations.
Learn more about the Human Rights Institute at SJSU.
