We are the Jewish voice for human rights in the UK

We celebrate

• the timeless and universal nature of human rights values and protections
• the distinctive Jewish contribution to the current landscape of international human rights
• the particular historical role played by our namesake, Monsieur René Cassin, to the development of contemporary human rights values in the aftermath of the Second World War

What we do

• we continuously advocate within the Jewish community on the importance of human rights, of the many Jewish contributions to their design and development, and the contemporary importance of human rights
• we engage with issues and communities outside our community where we feel that much stronger human rights protections should apply and which resonate with Jewish historical experience. Current examples include our work on indefinite detention. modern day slavery and the discrimination faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

This is an important time. In the new era characterised by Brexit, Trump, the rise of nationalism, and weakening of international norms and institutions, the underlying principles of human rights, and even of the rule of law, are coming under sustained attack.

Principles that have been hard fought for and had appeared firmly entrenched are now being questioned and attacked. The system of human rights protections, largely rooted in the Jewish experience in Europe from 1933-45, is being casually discarded.

As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, there has never been a greater need for a strong Jewish advocate, actor and partner making the case for the contemporary importance of human rights values and protection. There has never been a more important time to get involved in our work.

Add your voice to René Cassin’s call for universal human rights

You can make a donation to support our work via this website at www.renecassin.org/donate