How do human rights activists create lasting change? What keeps them going for years-or even decades? And what can we learn from their experiences about strategy, resilience, and making a difference? Join HRGE, ISHR and HRWG for a conversation with author and Professor Jo Becker about her new book about "How 25 People Changed the World-and What They Teach Us About Persistence, Strategy, and Hope". More information about the book below!
The first 15 students to attend will receive a copy of the book. Light refreshments will be provided to all attendees.
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Lessons from Long-Haul Activists draws on candid conversations with twenty-five activists who have devoted decades to their work and whose achievements have collectively changed the lives of millions. It explores what drives effective activists, the strategies they employ, and the sources of resilience that sustain them. Through stories of perseverance, innovation, and hard-won successes, it offers practical insights and renewed hope for anyone seeking to make the world more just.
The activists featured in the book have taken on some of the world’s most entrenched injustices. They have fought forced labor and child marriage, advanced LGBTQ and Indigenous rights, expanded access to safe abortion and free education, and built global movements to confront climate change and strengthen international justice. Drawing on decades of experience—marked by victories as well as setbacks—they share what they have learned about building alliances, making a persuasive case for change, engaging opponents, managing risk, and sustaining a lifetime of advocacy.
Praise for Lessons from Long-Haul Activists
“Fascinating, powerful, inspiring — an urgently needed reminder of how much can be achieved even in the darkest times.”
— Steve Crawshaw, author of Street Spirit and Prosecuting the Powerful: War Crimes and the Battle for Justice
“I’m tempted to say that Jo Becker’s book should be required reading for all human rights activists and scholars in these difficult times, but that doesn’t do it justice. This carefully researched and beautifully written book is deeply informative, a pleasure to read, and genuinely inspiring. I plan to order a box and give copies as gifts to students who want to become human rights advocates.”
— Kathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
“This book is a powerful, deeply human blueprint showing how ordinary people, extraordinary in their commitment and rooted in purpose and community, can turn entrenched injustices into lasting change.”
— Philip D. Jaffé, Professor Emeritus, University of Geneva
