New Mexico Human Rights Projects (NMHRP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves to educate and train students and teachers to work toward a more respectful, culturally competent and responsible society.
Begun in 1995, NMHRP (www.nmhrp.org) programs challenge youth to think critically about the choices they make when confronted with all forms of discrimination, to assume greater personal responsibility for their actions, to recognize and reject all forms of prejudice and violence, and to deal more sensitively with others.
The organization has trained more than 600 teachers, school counselors, and social workers, and has reached more than 400,000 students. NMHRP has organized two significant initiatives for the 2018-2019 school year:
Model International Criminal Court (MICC) Mock Trials in Krzyzowa, Poland
For the sixth year in a row, NMHRP has been invited by the Berlin Initiative to send eight New Mexico high school students to participate in the MICC mock trials in Poland. This November, working with teams from Germany, Israel, and Poland, the students will take on the roles of judges, prosecutors, defenders and observing journalists in three historical war crime cases. Real journalists and real attorneys with expertise in international relations will provide guidance and training.
Anne Frank: A History for Today International Exhibit
NMHRP has partnered with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam to participate in a tour of their exhibition, Anne Frank: A History for Today. The exhibit will be shown in 40 countries. The exhibit will travel to six New Mexico schools from January-March 2019:
- Bosque School
- New America School
- Menaul School
- La Cueva High School
- Sandia High School
- East Mountain High School
As part of a peer-education initiative, Anne Frank House staff will conduct a two-day session to train 48 students as exhibit guides. The student guides will educate their classmates, teachers, and visitors about the exhibit and challenge them to make relevant connections with contemporary society. This vital program teaches about the real dangers of prejudice, discrimination, and intolerance and encourages future generations to promote a just and inclusive future through the lens of the worst human rights violation in history — the Holocaust.
Founder and Executive Director Regina Turner has been a tireless community leader, dedicating her time to fostering a more compassionate, caring and responsible citizenry by bringing unique and profoundly meaningful programs to New Mexico students. She is the recipient of numerous recognition awards, including a 2006 Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women, 2010 New Mexico Humanitarian Award from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque and the FBI Community Leadership Award in 2013.
Of the upcoming programs, Turner says, “NMHRP is honored to be the only nonprofit in the U.S. to be invited to send students to the mock trials in Poland and we are equally as honored to be a long-time partner with the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam. Having brought the exhibit to New Mexico in 1995, 2000 and 2010, we are extremely excited to bring it back to a new generation of young people. Both the mock trial experience and the exhibit are empowering, inspiring and life-changing opportunities for our NM students.”
#GivingTuesday (November 27th), the national day for nonprofit giving, can be your chance to help spread the word about NMHRP. Your donation can help NMHRP defray the costs of its 2018-2019 programs. Any help is much appreciated and allows NMHRP to continue its mission of encouraging a more civil society For information about NMHRP visit NMHRP.org, Follow NMHRP on Facebook and contact Regina Turner at 505-730-1060 or info@NMHRP.org.
