Dear friends,

Even as steady advances have been made to ensure the fundamental rights of all, injustices continue to threaten the dignity of the most vulnerable. Equitable voting rights in the U.S. are threatened in many areas, and staggering incarceration rates disproportionately affect African Americans. Around the globe, freedom of expression is repressed while torture and slavery remain scourges on modern society, and immigration has become a flashpoint for debates on how to protect those whose lives are disrupted by civil conflict and systemic poverty.

In response, the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights has a mission that is at once both ambitious and fundamental: we seek to advance the God-given dignity of all human persons. We aspire to provide innovative research and meaningful engagement with the broader community. Most importantly, we are determined to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders who will advocate and work for human dignity, in whatever career path they pursue.

The initiatives below are just a few examples of the ways that we explore critical issues. “With Voices True” presents personal stories of race and racial identity to begin the process of mutual understanding. “Building an Anti-Racist Vocabulary” examines the various and interrelated ways that racism has shaped our world, equipping us with the intellectual tools we need to work for justice. Finally, “Convocate” is an innovative research platform that brings international human rights into conversation with Catholic Social Teaching.

We are privileged to be an integral part of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, where our focus on justice contributes to its mission of promoting integral human development. Our hope is that the Klau Institute acts as an indispensable partner at Notre Dame and beyond in promoting human dignity.

Jennifer Mason McAward
Director, Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights
Associate Professor of Law
University of Notre Dame

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