By Cesar Fernandez, UNA-NCA Program Coordinator
On December 11th, 2024, UNA-NCA hosted our annual Human Rights Awards Ceremony at the United Nations Foundation. This year’s celebration was spectacular as it marked the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 79th anniversary of the United Nations. We were incredibly delighted to present awards to four outstanding individuals and one organization who are working to improve human rights in their communities and around the world.
On December 11th, 2024, UNA-NCA hosted our annual Human Rights Awards Ceremony at the United Nations Foundation. This year’s celebration was spectacular as it marked the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 79th anniversary of the United Nations. We were incredibly delighted to present awards to four outstanding individuals and one organization who are working to improve human rights in their communities and around the world.
This year’s honorees were: The Honorable Volker Türk, recipient of the Louis B. Sohn Human Rights Award; Megan E. Corrado, recipient of the Perdita Huston Human Rights Award; Daniel Kronenfeld, recipient of the F. Allen “Tex” Harris Human Rights Diplomacy Award; Alexandria J. Maloney, recipient of the Emerging Human Rights Leader Award; and Teaching for Change, recipients of the Community Human Rights Award.
As recipients and attendees gathered, our event began with a slideshow recognizing our honorees, thanking our sponsors, and highlighting our UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee. UNA-NCA’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Anne Simmons-Benton, then took the stage to kick off the night, welcome attendees, and speak to how significant our Human Rights Awards are for recognizing the important work being done in spaces to uphold and advocate for the human rights of all. This was followed by introductory remarks by UNA-NCA’s President Paula Boland, who then introduced William Davis, Director of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington, D.C. Mr. Davis provided brief remarks and then presented a message from UN Secretary General António Guterres, who spoke on the Universal Declaration and its importance today as a tool to “help resolve tensions and create the security and stability our world craves.”
It was then time for the presentation of our awards. First, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland (D-MD) introduced the Louis B. Sohn Human Rights Award to The Honorable Volker Türk who serves as the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He took up his official functions as High Commissioner on October 17th 2022. This role reflects his unwavering dedication to a long and distinguished career focused on advancing universal human rights, particularly through the international protection of some of the world's most vulnerable populations — refugees and stateless persons. As High Commissioner, Volker Türk has worked to ensure that good governance, transparency, and respect for human rights are integral to governance and policies worldwide. In his address, Türk delved into the current challenges facing our world, underscoring the importance of accountability in safeguarding human rights universally. He emphasized the necessity for collaborative efforts to drive meaningful change and foster a commitment to upholding the rights of all.
The second award of the evening, the Perdita Huston Human Rights Award, was presented by Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast, director of the Women, Peace and Security portfolio at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). This award was presented to Megan E. Corrado, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Alliance for Peacebuilding. Throughout her career, Corrado has embraced human rights as an international lawyer and prominent feminist leader, policy practitioner, and activist, who works to prevent atrocities and promote human rights around the world. Along with her insightful remarks, she highlighted the crucial need to prioritize inclusion within spaces dedicated to human rights work. 
The next award presented was the F. Allen “Tex” Harris Human Rights Award. This award was presented by Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and awarded to Daniel Kronenfeld, Director of the Office of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs in the Bureau of International Organizations at the U.S. Department of State. In his career, Kronenfeld has championed human rights and humanitarian affairs, previously working as the U.S. Deputy Representative for human rights in Geneva and the UN General Assembly in New York. Within his remarks, Kronenfeld shared powerful personal anecdotes from his career, shedding light on the challenges inherent in human rights work. He discussed the difficulties faced but also highlighted the fulfillment that accompanies work focused on creating impactful change.
Next, Jill Christianson, Former UNA-NCA Board Chair, presented the Community Human Rights Award to this year's honoree, Teaching for Change. The award was accepted by Deborah Menkart, Executive Director of Teaching for Change, and Keesha Ceran, the organization's Deputy Director. Teaching for Change is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 and based in Washington, D.C., with the motto of "building social justice, starting in the classroom." Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write, and change the world. By drawing direct connections to real world issues, Teaching for Change encourages teachers and students to question and re-think the world inside and outside their classrooms; build a more equitable, multicultural society; and become active global citizens. In their remarks, Menkart and Ceran acknowledged the challenges of their work but emphasized how they draw "motivation, inspiration, perseverance, and passion" from the clients, students, and teachers they serve.
The final award of the night, the Emerging Human Rights Leader Award, was presented by Kaffe Grimes of Black Professionals in International Affairs. She introduced recipient Alexandria J. Maloney, President of Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) and a visiting lecturer at Cornell University. In her current role so far, Maloney has shown leadership in human rights by formulating ecosystems to educate, prepare, and empower an organic reach of over 60,000 underrepresented professionals. Named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent” and a “Forbes 50 Champion” for Black and Brown communities, Maloney's past public service experience includes the U.S. Department of Defense, the White House Initiative for HBCUs, and various political campaigns. In her speech, she highlighted the significance of collaboration, education, and equality, alongside the imperative to hold human rights abusers accountable globally, to foster a more just and equitable world.Co-Chairs of UNA-NCA’s Human Rights Committee, Luciana Vosniak and Alex Remmel, delivered the evening’s closing remarks highlighting the inspiration of the honorees and the importance of promoting work in human rights. Following the event, attendees gathered for a networking reception in the main space of the UN Foundation. We want to thank all of our sponsors, our Human Rights Committee, and our staff for making this evening special. We congratulate all of our wonderful honorees and celebrate 76 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2024 Human Rights Sponsors
