Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies (CHRHS)

Student Advocacy

Sunrise Movement at Brown University 

Sunrise Movement Brown and RISD is a local chapter of the national Sunrise Movement. It is a youth-led organization working to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. The group is atttempting to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on politics, and elect leaders who will stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.

End Sexual Violence (ESV) Survivor Support

ESV: Survivor Support provides a safe space for survivors, allies, and stakeholders to engage with their peers who are affected by sexual violence. We direct survivors to Brown University survivor resources and provide them with practical support.

Brown Humanitarian Society

Brown Humanitarian Society aims to bring awareness to humanitarian crises, both global and domestic, to Brown’s campus and student body. The BHS attempts to bridge the gap between students on Brown University’s campus and the humanitarian sector through education, events and outreach with other campus group and organizations working in this field. The main event BHS members will co-run and grow is the Hack for Humanity, a humanitarian based hackathon event aiming to bring together participants across disciplines to create innovative solutions to humanitarian crises occurring across the world.

Scientists for a Sustainable World

Scientists for a Sustainable World provides a platform for students with concrete ideas for energy, water, and waste reduction projects at Brown and in the wider Providence community. By engaging students in ongoing dialogue with each other and our partners at Facilities, we are able to pinpoint problem areas and effectively address them.

Brown Refugee Youth Tutoring and Enrichment (BRYTE)

BRYTE is a student-led organization that pairs Brown undergraduate tutors with students in refugee families that have recently relocated to Providence from Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. BRYTE tutors help their tutees acquire critical language skills as well as cultural fluency. Tutors are required to work with their tutee for at least a year, although many tutor and mentor for much longer than this. Through the tutoring process, volunteers and tutees build strong relationships, an integral aspect in allowing refugee youth to gain the independence to excel in school and be active participants in their new community. BRYTE runs in close collaboration with the Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, and the Providence Public School District.

Strait Talk at Brown 

Strait Talk is a nonpartisan, youth-run organization that works to foster peaceful progress and constructive dialogue in the Taiwan Strait through educating, connecting, and empowering young leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the United States. Founded by Brown undergraduate students in 2005, Strait Talk’s ultimate goal is to inspire and equip the current generation of students to seek common ground and build trust across the conflict divide. 

Students for Educational Equity

SEE is dedicated to promoting educational equity in Providence and the communities in which Providence is embedded. We believe in institutions of Public Education as a vehicle for just social change and are committed to promoting justice within these institutions through advocacy, service, and awareness projects.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Chapter at Brown

Brown UNICEF is a student-led organization that is part of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Campus Initiative. Our mission is to educate, advocate, and fundraise for the health, education, and safety of children around the world. We organize lectures, fundraisers, and interactive educational events at Brown University because we believe in thinking globally and acting locally.