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 green jobs. The group is fighting 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 well-being 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 affected by sexual violence. We direct survivors to Brown University survivor resources and provide them with practical support.

Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic (BHRAC)

BHRAC is a medical student-run human rights clinic dedicated to providing forensic medical evaluations to survivors of persecution who seek asylum in the United States.

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 can 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 recently relocated to Providence from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. BRYTE tutors help their tutees acquire critical language skills and 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 collaborates closely 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 fosters 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 students to seek common ground and build trust across the conflict divide.

Students for Educational Equity (SEE)

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 of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Campus Initiative. Their mission is to educate, advocate and fundraise for the health, education and safety of children worldwide. Brown UNICEF organizes lectures, fundraisers and interactive educational events at Brown University because they believe in thinking globally and acting locally.