Revamped Organization Launches Letter-Writing Campaign

After a short absence from the College upon the dissolution of the Committee on Human Rights Studies in 2010, the Harvard Undergraduate Human Rights Coalition revamped its advocacy efforts with a letter-writing campaign for political prisoners last night.

As part of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign, the group offered students passing through Cabot Café a chance to sign a pre-written letter to local officials urging that political prisoners in over fifteen countries, including the United States, be granted a diverse array of political rights.

“A lot of times people wonder if these letters make a difference, but the public pressure makes a difference and political prisoners like to know that they have support,” said Maya S. Sugarman ’12, the event organizer.

Sugarman said she saw the event as not only an opportunity to combat human rights violations, but also a way to encourage students to become more aware of and involved in human rights efforts on campus.

Focusing on catching people coming into the Café instead of publicizing the event, Sugarman said she thought the event was “a great chance” for people to learn about the group, come together, and “make a difference” by showing their support.

The Human Rights Advocates was founded in 2004 as a spin-off of Harvard Law School’s advocacy programs, but the group re-emerged recently as the Coalition and has participated in numerous letter-writing campaigns since 2009.

While most past events were held at local coffee shops, an on-campus location proved to be the ideal place to “encourage the dialogue on human rights,” according to Ada D. Lin ’14, one of the co-directors of the group along with Sugarman.

But the group’s efforts have many off-campus ties as well. The present incarnation of the group remains involved in a number of human rights activities, including water-rights projects and projects to promote cultural survival of indigenous populations in Peru and Guatemala.

The group also meets regularly with fellows from the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.

Though the work of the Coalition is diverse, the group hopes to continue to hold similar letter writing campaigns in the future, according to Wren R. Droege ’14, who is planning another such campaign at Gato Rojo in the next few weeks.

“There are so many violations across the world because no one says anything,” Lin said. “The first step is making the issue known.”