Annual Human Rights Lectures
Seventh Annual Human Rights Lecture Examines Ethics at the Edges of Humanity
On October 8, 2024, the Institute for Human Ecology at The Catholic University of America hosted its Seventh Annual Human Rights Lecture, featuring Professor O. Carter Snead, the Charles E. Rice Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and author of What It Means to Be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics. In his lecture titled “Ethics at the Edges of Humanity,” Professor Snead examined the foundational assumptions underlying contemporary bioethical debates.
Assisted Suicide and the Question of Human Rights: Dr. John Keown Delivers Sixth Annual Human Rights Lecture
On October 10, 2023, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights hosted the Sixth Annual Human Rights Lecture, featuring renowned bioethicist Dr. John Keown of Georgetown University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics. A distinguished scholar in medical law and ethics, Dr. Keown addressed the complex question: Is there a human right to assisted suicide? Drawing on philosophical, legal, and theological perspectives…
Additional CUA Hosted Events
Prof. Saunders Speaks at The Institute for Religion & Democracy
On July 9, the Institute for Religion and Democracy hosted a panel concerning the kidnapping in 2017 by the Chinese Communist Party of China’s leading human rights and religious liberty lawyer, Gao Zhisheng. The speakers were Professor William Saunders, China Aid’s founder, Bob Fu, and Distinguished Fellow, Chen Guangcheng. The speakers recounted the compelling need to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for Gao’s kidnapping and subsequent “disappearance,” and discussed strategies to secure his release. Gao served as attorney for Guangcheng as well as members of various faiths and spiritualities…
Religious Persecution in China
On March 3, 2025, The Catholic University of America hosted a compelling conversation featuring Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow for Human Rights at the university, and Christopher Mee, a first-year law student at Catholic Law. The discussion was moderated by Professor William Saunders, co-director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Catholic Law. Chen Guangcheng, renowned for his courageous advocacy against human rights abuses in China, shared profound insights drawn from his personal experiences and legal activism. Blind from an early age and self-taught in the law, Chen has been a steadfast voice for the oppressed, challenging authoritarian practices and championing the rule of law.
Screening: The Defenders – 20 Years of Human Rights Lawyers in China
On September 19, 2024, The Catholic University of America hosted a special screening and discussion of the documentary The Defenders – 20 Years of Human Rights Lawyers in China, featuring remarks by the film’s director, Yaxue Cao, and Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng. The event was part of the Center for Human Rights’ ongoing mission to spotlight courageous voices standing against authoritarian oppression.
Yaxue Cao, founder and editor of ChinaChange.org, introduced the film and shared the vision behind its creation. The Defenders chronicles the harrowing and inspiring stories of Chinese human rights lawyers…
30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
On April 20, 2024, The Catholic University of America hosted the 30th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The event began with a walk of remembrance, in which participants processed into the Pryzbylla student center from outside. Professor Robert Destro, Fellow at the Center for Human Rights, participated in a panel discussion, and Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, delivered remarks. Vice Provost for Global Studies Dr. Duilia F. de Mello was there to welcome the attendees…
Center for Human Rights Fellows Speak to Catholic U Honors Program
On February 7, 2024, Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng and Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights at The Catholic University of America, addressed students during the University Honors Program’s Hitchhikers Guide to Culture speaker series. The event provided a timely and insightful examination of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing human rights abuses and the broader implications for global security and freedom.
Chen Guangcheng, a blind legal advocate and former political prisoner in China, shared his firsthand experiences with the regime’s brutal tactics.
Chen Guangcheng Receives Honorary Degree from Institute of World Politics
On May 13, 2023, Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Human Rights at The Catholic University of America, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Institute of World Politics (IWP) during their Presidential Investiture and Commencement Ceremony. In his keynote address, Guangcheng shared his personal journey from a self-taught legal advocate in rural China to an internationally recognized human rights defender. He emphasized the importance of moral courage in confronting authoritarian regimes…
Chinese Embassy Protest
On March 25, 2023, Center for Human Rights Fellow Chen Guangcheng was invited to attend an anti-Communist Party protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Guangcheng brought several other renowned human rights activists with him, including China Aid President Bob Fu and three women whose husbands are currently imprisoned by the Communist Party. The protest was organized by The Catholic University of America’s Young Americans for Freedom.
Catholic University Screens “The Hong Konger”
On February 1, 2024, The Catholic University of America’s Institute for Human Ecology and Busch School of Business hosted a screening of The Hong Konger, a gripping documentary produced by the Acton Institute. The film tells the story of Jimmy Lai, a prominent Hong Kong media tycoon who found himself at the center of escalating political turmoil as the city’s freedoms came under threat from the Chinese Communist Party. The event took place on campus, drawing students, faculty, and community members concerned about the fate of democracy in Hong Kong and beyond.
M.A. in Human Rights Students Visit Victims of Communism Museum
On November 21, 2022, students from the M.A. in Human Rights program at The Catholic University of America visited the Victims of Communism Museum in Washington, D.C., as part of their ongoing formation in the dignity of the human person and the defense of fundamental freedoms. The trip was organized by Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, and featured a private tour led by Dr. Lee Edwards, Founder of the Museum and a longtime advocate for human liberty.
The museum documents the historical and contemporary impact of communism around the world…
Communism and Human Freedom
On October 7, 2022, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights and the Institute for Human Ecology co-sponsored a public conversation titled “Communism and Human Freedom” in Washington, D.C. The event featured Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, alongside Dr. Lee Edwards, Founder of the Victims of Communism Museum. Together, they presented a powerful exploration of what we can learn from past resistance to communism in order to confront its modern forms.
The discussion opened with a stark reminder of communism’s historical toll…
Tenth Anniversary of Cheng Guangcheng’s Arrival in America
On May 19, 2022, The Catholic University of America hosted a special celebration marking the tenth anniversary of human rights advocate Chen Guangcheng’s arrival in the United States. Held on campus, the event brought together Chen, his supporters, faculty, and students—many of whom had played a role in facilitating his dramatic escape from house arrest in China.
Several attendees shared testimonials recounting how they helped arrange Chen’s journey to freedom, offering firsthand insights into the network of advocates…
The Inter-American Human Rights System: Challenges to Its Legitimacy and The Road Ahead
On the afternoon of April 26, The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights and the Law School’s Center for Law & the Human Person co-hosted a symposium entitled, The Inter-American Human Rights System: Challenges to Its Legitimacy and The Road Ahead. The event, which took place in Slowinski Courtroom, invited attendees to confront the questions of how to safeguard the legitimacy and authority of the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights to shape the understanding of human rights and freedoms in the Americas after its partial renewal this year.