Please consider attending, "Advancing Human Dignity Rights in an Uncertain America," on Thursday, November 6 at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, in part to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education II.

Highlights include opening remarks by U.S. Congresswoman Sarah McBride (DE, virtual), and a keynote by Prof./Dr. Andrea Pin (University of Padua, Italy). Speakers include deans Johanna Kalb (U.San.Fran.) and Bill Piatt (St. Mary's), professors Nadia B. Ahmad (Barry), Rachel Bayefsky (Virginia), Peter Bayer (UNLV), and Etienne C. Toussaint (South Carolina), and leading public interest advocates Barrett Holmes Pitner (Sustainable Culture Lab, George Washington), Palma Strand (Civity, Creighton) and Daniel Tillias (SAKALA, Haiti). 

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Dignity Rights Advocates along with Our Children's Trust, filed a Petition and Request for Preliminary Measures with the Inter-American Commission On Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington, D.C. against the U.S. Government for Human Rights Violations on behalf of and with Our Children's Trust as well as 15 young people who were plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States. 

We allege that the U.S. government’s policies and practices addressing the climate emergency violate the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man as informed by recent Advisory Opinions issued by the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice, in three basic ways. First is by violating international law and committing “internationally wrongful acts” by causing and failing to protect people from the adverse effects of climate change. Second is by violating substantive rights, including to life, equality, privacy, family, special protection for children, inviolability of the home, health, cultural life, property, health, family, home and dignity, and to a healthy climate. Third is by violating procedural rights, including access to justice and prompt and effective judicial relief.

We ask the Commission to exercise jurisdiction; hold public hearings, take testimony, and conduct a country visit; issue a report that evaluates each alleged violation; recommend compliance measures; and monitors future compliance.

The filing also asks the Commission to intervene immediately (known as “Precautionary Measures”) given the climate emergency.

Find coverage from The Guardian here.

By James R. May

On March 22, James R. May presented “Dignity Rights in America” at the 2025 Global Summit on Constitutionalism at the University of Texas School of Law.

The course in Human Dignity Rights was taught for the first time at Washburn University, adding it to a growing list of institutions to offer it. Students researched and completed reports on two topics. The first concerned international responses to the multi-billion dollar "Independence Debt" Haiti paid France from 1825 to 1947, on behalf of project partner Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. The second was to prepare reports to advance "Dignity Rights in America," on behalf of project partner American Bar Association Center for Human Rights. Students in the class are: Kelsie Dent, Jacob Howell, Marin Schwarz, Natalie Schulte, Sean Awh, Brook Zieglemeier, Alison Moore, Jamie St. Viva, Caleb Haselhuhn, Roxanne Burton and Kaley Drewry. Congratulations!