This year, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) collaborated with four universities to host the College Freedom Forum (CFF).
CFF is a series of one-day events designed to educate students about democracy and human rights worldwide. Through CFF, HRF aims to engage the next generation of advocates, fostering an interdisciplinary understanding of global challenges and potential solutions. Students have the opportunity to connect with the worldтАЩs leading human rights activists on the frontlines of freedom through keynote talks, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions.
UNIVERSIDAD FRANCISCO MARROQU├НN
HRF hosted the eighth edition of CFF at UFM, where students and faculty learned about the work, challenges, and personal stories of:
- Rwandan human rights advocate, Ana├пse Kanimba
- Venezuelan human rights activist, Olga Gonz├бlez
- Cuban lawyer, independent journalist, and human rights defender, Laritza Diversent
- Hongkongese-American pro-democracy activist, Joey Siu
- Financial director of Alexei NavalnyтАЩs Anti-Corruption Foundation from Russia, Anna Chekhovich
- Nicaraguan human rights and democracy advocate, Jonathan Duarte
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
In collaboration with TuftsтАЩ Initiative for Global Leadership, HRF hosted a day of engaging discussions as part of TuftsтАЩ annual Democracy on the Brink Symposium.
Students attended thought-provoking panels, breakout sessions, a musical performance, and other programming. Former Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) speakers delivered keynote talks:
- Nigerian artist and #EndSARS movement activist, DJ Switch
- Founder and president of Ideas Beyond Borders, Faisal Al Mutar
- Nicaraguan pro-democracy advocate and former prisoner of conscience, F├йlix Maradiaga
- Exiled Belarusian journalist, Hanna Liubakova
- Uyghur rights advocate and daughter of imprisoned scholar Ilham Tohti, Jewher Ilham
- Former elected leader of the Tibetan government in exile, Lobsang Sangay
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Hosted in collaboration with GWтАЩs International & Comparative Law program, this CFF event explored the critical intersection of authoritarianism, human rights violations, and international legal mechanisms.
Students explored the global struggle for democracy and strategies for protecting freedom in closed societies through a panel discussion, Q&A session, and keynote talks by human rights advocates, including:
- Lebanese LGBTQ+ rights activist, Georges Azzi
- Venezuelan international human rights lawyer, G├йnesis D├бvila
- Former elected leader of the Tibetan government in exile, Lobsang Sangay
- Azerbaijani human rights lawyer and child of a prisoner of conscience, Zhala Bayramova
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
Hosted in collaboration with Rowan UniversityтАЩs Ric Edelman College of Communication, Humanities, & Social Sciences, CFFтАЩs Voices of Dissent event connected students with human rights activists working at the forefront of the global struggle for democracy and freedom. Sessions focused on journalism in the face of authoritarianism, the global crisis of prisoners of conscience, and international womenтАЩs rights in the digital age. Keynote talks, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions featured:
- Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), Raqib Hameed Naik
- Afghan tech entrepreneur and womenтАЩs rights advocate, Roya Mahboob
- Venezuelan human rights advocate and President of Un Mundo Sin Mordaza, Rodrigo Diamanti
Together, weтАЩre empowering the next generation of changemakers: students who will carry the torch of freedom, defend human rights, and shape a more just and democratic world.
If you have questions about this program or would like to get involved in future CFF events, please email [email protected].
