Human Rights Ambassadors Programme

By Ashira Sears, 2025 Ambassador

“I attended the first session of the René Cassin Ambassadors Programme last week. This introduced the programme, organisation and wider human rights landscape in the UK. The session started off with ice breakers to get to know each other, introduce our backgrounds, interests and goals in how we would like to grow as leaders and advocates for human rights in the UK. This was refreshing and intriguing to hear the interests of different people and the lens that they see current issues from.

We learned about how René Cassin, named after Monsieur René Cassin, who co-drafted the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, contributes to the human rights landscape by leading with Jewish values and our Jewish legacy. I asked myself what this meant, how human rights related to Judaism and our legacy. I learned that the Universal declaration of human rights and later the following legislation of the human rights act, was created in response to the holocaust, ensuring that the atrocities could never be repeated in history to anyone. I then asked myself what It meant to lead through human rights issues and advocate for better treatment, WITH Jewish values… After some discussion, I recognised how the most appeared phrase in the Torah of ‘welcoming the stranger’ relates to the right to freedom of movement. Ensuring that we in the UK have safe routes for refugees and asylum seekers to enter our country and be treated as equals upon arrival, IS a Jewish value and attitude.

Additionally, In Judaism, we are encouraged to ask questions, gain clarity and speak out. This relates to the right of freedom of speech, and freedom to protest. Key Jewish values uphold treating people with compassion, justice, dignity along with the principle of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Discussing these shared and central values helped me understand that Rene Cassin was not created to focus on Jewish human rights, it was created to utilise our values and moral frameworks to guide practices to ensuring that everyone is treated in a just and equal manor.

Sam Grant, Director of Liberty, gave an overview the human rights landscape in the UK and how it has changed over the last 10 years. Topics included the regression in protest rights and right to free speech, potential reform government in 2029, and rising debates on the use of digital ID and the rise of AI in today’s current climate. We discussed the consequences and the rise in concerns that our government may withdraw from the European Convention of Human Rights under the false pretences that this will benefit everyday people. Lastly, we explored the shift from a post-World War II settlement to the now massive increase in far-right population and the dangers that this may bring.

The session was well run, informative and gave a great introduction to human rights, especially for those of us who had limited previous knowledge. We played games, we listened, we discussed, we asked questions and we gained insight into how we, as young Jewish leaders, can do more to educate ourselves and advocate for human rights.