Washington, D.C.-- Kelly Riley, Boston's Director for Youth For Human Rights (YHRI) traveled to DC to attend the 2006 Human Rights Hero Awards in Washington, DC and to discuss solutions to rising youth crime rate in Boston. The Hero Awards recognizes individuals accomplishing outstanding work in the field of Human Rights.Among those in attendance: Human Rights supporters and Academy Award nominated actress, Anne Archer; Golden Globe winning actress Jenna Elfman; Congressman Brad Sherman (27th District, CA); Mary Shuttleworth, International Director, YHRI and Leisa Goodman, International Director, Department of Human Rights, Church of Scientology, International.
The Hero awards were sponsored by Youth for Human Rights International, a group founded by educator and school principal Mary Shuttleworth in August 2001 as a project of the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, with the expressed goal to implement L. Ron Hubbard’s statement, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”
In addition to her work as the YHRI Director, Ms. Riley is an award-winning singer/songwriter and committed to inspiring youth to get more involved in their communities through the Arts and the Human Rights Campaign. She recently organized and presented an extremely successful Human Rights concert in Boston’s Copley Square, featuring some of Boston’s most celebrated bands and singer/songwriters. In light of this, Ms. Riley had a lengthy conversation with Anne Archer regarding joining forces with Archer’s organization, Artists for Human Rights. Their first endeavor together will be a Human Rights Concert in NYC’s Bryant Park on August 23-25, 2006. Artists for Human Rights will co-produce a three-day celebration of human rights at the United Nations in New York City. The festivities will kick off on Thursday, August 24th with an art exhibit featuring works from artists around the world who, due to human rights oppression and censorship, have not had a forum or stage to present their art. In addition to the conference and meetings at the U.N., the celebration will culminate with a free, live, open-air concert in New York's famed Bryant Park on Saturday August 26th featuring a number of world-class performers.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression,” Riley states. “This is a right that is very near and dear to the Artist’s heart and one that we want to cultivate and support in our communities.”
Riley encourages teachers, youth group leaders, parents and other teen empowerment groups to become involved in this important movement by contacting: www.youthforhumanrights.org or www.artistsforhumanrights.org
