Mission

The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights is a network of organizations collaborating to promote and protect human rights in our Midwest region, in the United States, and internationally. Working together we provide broader visibility for urgent human rights issues in the Heartland and project a strong Midwest advocacy voice in the national and international human rights debate.

The Coalition was founded as a result of the serious human rights violations occuring in the United States and around the world. By becoming cognizant of the mood of national isolationism in the United States and in our Midwest region and taking into account the skills and interest of international human rights among individuals and groups working in the North American heartland, MCHR became convinced that increased communication and collaborative work in our region would lead to more effective efforts to promote and protect international human rights.

The Midwest is the Heartland, where grassroots social justice and human rights movements, like the pioneering work of Jane Addams and Ida Barnett Wells, have a long history. Efforts to abolish child labor, establish the eight-hour workday at Pullman and Haymarket, and the decades long effort to establish immigrants' rights had their start in the Midwest.

In keeping with this tradition, fifteen Midwest human rights organizations convened in Chicago in 1995 to form the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights. Comprised of academic institutions, advocacy and service organizations, and legal and clinical associations concerned with human rights issues, the Coalition aimed at providing broader visibility for human rights issues and a strong Midwest advocacy voice in the human rights debate, both in the U.S. and abroad. This one concerted voice would enhance advocacy efforts of the Coalition members and increase leverage on policy matters in the U.S. and other countries by showing a regional base of support for human rights.

Organizational Principles

• The Midwest Coalition will use the standards found in international human rights treaties, declarations, and customary norms to guide its work.
• The Midwest Coalition will work as a network to share information, to respond collectively to urgent human rights issues, to conduct joint investigations, and to sponsor educational programs.
• Members of the Midwest Coalition will meet at least bi-annually to discuss common activities and programs.
• We seek to work by consensus; each organizational member is afforded a vote in the Coalition.

The Coalition is organized by a Steering Committee formed by consensus in 2004. Beginning in January 2008, annual elections will be held to elect a seven member Steering Committee whose members will serve two years.
 
The Steering Committee is responsible for the following tasks:

• vetting of member nominees;
• vetting of funding proposals submitted by member organizations for MCHR initiatives;
• drafting of agendas for plenary sessions;
• participation in conference calls and periodic email communications for decision-making between meetings;
• setting of policy; and
• electing two Steering Committee members to serve as co-conveners whose responsibility it is to initiate meetings, select meeting chairs, and ensure necessary follow-up.

Nominations for Steering Committee members will be sought from the membership every other winter. In making nominations and in subsequent voting, members are encouraged to consider the importance of having gender and racial/ethnic diversity as well as geographical and organizational diversity represented on the committee. New Steering Committee members will be elected by ballot sent to each organizational member.  The new Committee will convene at the beginning of the next calendar year.

Current Steering Committee Members

Bernardine Dohrn – Director, Children and Family Justice Center, Northwestern University School of Law
Barbara Frey – Director, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
Mark Heller - Senior Attorney, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (Toledo)
Sid Mohn – President, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Malik Mujahid - Chairperson, Coucil of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
Darcy Tromanhauser - Director, Immigrant Integration and Civic Participation Program, Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest
Amy Weismann - Deputy Director, University of Iowa Center for Human Rights

Q: What is the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights?
A: The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights is a network of 42 advocacy organizations, service providers, and university-based human rights centers collaborating to promote and protect human rights in our Midwest region, in the United States, and internationally. Working together we provide broader visibility for urgent human rights issues in the Heartland and project a strong Midwest advocacy voice in the national and international human rights debate.

Q: How can I become a member of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights?
A: The Midwest Coalition for Human Rights welcomes as members established organizations in the Midwest region with a mission statement, nomenclature, or demonstrated activity that shows a commitment to human rights.

Organizations can be nominated to become members at any time by existing Coalition members. Organizations may also nominate themselves by completing the membership application form. Nominees are reviewed by the Steering Committee. Upon approval, a formal letter of invitation for membership will be sent.

Q: Is there a fee to join the Midwest Coalition?
A: There are no fees associated with membership in the Midwest Coalition. In general, members are responsible to pay the travel costs associated with their attendance at Coalition meetings, though they may request assistance if this is an unreasonable hardship upon their organizations. Members are encouraged to attend at least one of the Coalition’s three yearly meetings.

Q: Can I make a tax-deductible donation to the Midwest Coalition?
A: The Midwest Coalition is not a 501(c)(3) organization and, therefore, cannot accept any donations. If you are interested in giving a tax-deductible donation to one of our member advocacy organizations and/or service providers, please contact Rochelle Hammer at 612.626.7947 or at rhammer@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Who should I contact for a media inquiry?
A: For media inquiries, please contact Trisha Chokshi at 312.660.1612 or at tchokshi@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Who should I contact to invite a Midwest Coalition for Human Rights representative to speak to my group about issues of Torture, Workers’ Rights, or Immigrant Detention?
A: For speaking engagements regarding our Torture or Workers’ Rights Projects, please contact Rochelle Hammer at 612.626.7947 or at rhammer@midwesthumanrights.org. For speaking engagements relating to our Immigrant Detention Project, please contact Trisha Chokshi at 312.660.1612 or at tchokshi@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Who should I contact for more information on the Midwest Coalition’s Torture Project?
A: For more information on our Torture Project and to find out how you can help, please contact Rochelle Hammer at 612.626.7947 or at rhammer@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Who should I contact for more information on the Midwest Coalition’s Workers’ Rights Project?
A: For more information on our Workers’ Rights Project and to find out how you can help, please contact Rochelle Hammer at 612.626.7947 or at rhammer@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Who should I contact for more information on the Midwest Coalition’s Immigrant Detention Project?
A: For more information on our Immigrant Detention Project and to find out how you can help, please contact Trisha Chokshi at 312.660.1612 or at tchokshi@midwesthumanrights.org.

Q: Do you have any volunteering opportunities?
A: There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at an advocacy organization, service provider, and/or university-based human rights center near you. You can check the websites of our members directly through the Our Members section or you can contact Rochelle Hammer at 612.626.7947 who can direct you to one of our member organizations.

Trisha is a recent graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science. While in college, Trisha was a determined student activist. She helped to organize multiple advocacy campaigns on a variety of issues. She has also served as a volunteer on multiple election campaigns throughout Illinois. In 2005, she has held an internship with the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, where she worked for the Irish delegation. Prior to joining the Midwest Coalition, Trisha worked as a Research Assistant on an upcoming Immigration Law book. She has been with the Midwest Coalition since July 2007, where she has primarily worked on the Immigrant Detention project. She has worked on the Coalition’s Torture/Police Accountability Project, specifically on the Chicago Police Torture Cases, and the Workers’ Rights project.

Rochelle Hammer, Coordinator of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights, has worked in the field of human rights since 2001, when she joined the newly formed Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota. In her work with the Human Rights Program, Rochelle supported research and collaboration among regional partners in the “Human Rights at Home” project focused on human rights abuses in the United States. She also provided guidance to students pursuing the graduate minor in human rights, established a regional internship program, and worked closely with U of M students interning for the Program. From 2002 to 2004, Rochelle also worked with the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program researching psychological testing methods of Spanish-speakers, and briefing capital cases involving non-triggerman to conduct a national survey of the cases and their outcomes.

Since becoming Midwest Coalition Coordinator in January 2007, Rochelle has focused her work on recruiting new members to the Coalition, enhancing communication exchange and resource-sharing amongst member organizations, coordinating efforts of members and key partnering organizations in developing objectives and strategies to carry out issue-based advocacy, further developing a regional human rights fellowship program, and providing grant management and financial oversight.

Early in 2007, Rochelle received the Sullivan Ballou Award, honoring emerging leaders in the fields of human rights and social justice. Rochelle has a B.A. in Global Studies with a focus on human rights from the University of Minnesota. She is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in nonprofit management, and learning to play the guitar.