Episode 33: Karen Robinson, Part One

Human Rights Education Now!

Karen Robinson has over 35 years of experience in human rights, human rights education, community and youth development, and community organizing. Karen started her career at American University where she helped start the Center for Volunteerism and Community Service. Later, Karen moved to Amnesty International, USA where she served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Deputy Director and Director of the Human Rights Education program. In that capacity, she served six years as the Chair of the International Human Rights Education Coordinating Committee for Amnesty International globally. As the Director of Human Rights Education at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR), she led the creation of the Speak Truth To Power Human Rights Education program. Working with local partners, she has helped start HRE programs in South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Greece and numerous schools across the U.S.

In Episode 33, Karen Robinson discusses her journey into human rights education; her early career work at the Close Up Foundation, American University, and Amnesty International; challenges and successes of the human rights education movement; her time at the Man Up Campaign; and her Directorship at RFKHR, where she developed and currently runs the Speak Truth to Power Program.

Topics discussed:

• Origins of interest and work in human rights education
• Work at the Close Up Foundation
• Time at American University
• Work with Amnesty International
• Challenges and Successes of the human rights education movement in the US
• Time at the Man Up Campaign
• Directorship at RFKHR
• Speak Truth To Power program

Full topic listing available for PDF download HERE.

Listen on our HREUSA podcast website HERE.

Introduction and Closing Music Credit: “Awakening-Spring” by Ketsa, from the Album Night Vision. Available at the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/night-vision/awakening-spring/

This music is used in accordance with this Creative Commons License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Information about that license is available here https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Human Rights Education Now! is produced and distributed in accordance with Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International. Information about this license is available here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/