Oxford Consortium for Human Rights

The Oxford Consortium for Human Rights (OCHR) conducts workshops on human rights, global conflict, humanitarian aid, peace-building, and related topics. Sonoma State University is proud to be an OCHR partner institution, and the only university in the United States to host an annual OCHR workshop.

A student standing in a light-filled hallway

"I was expecting something that would look interesting on a resume. What I got instead was something that changed my outlook on life."

Donald Jaycox, 2024 OCHR Student Fellow and history major

"It changed my life. Because of the OCHR workshop I want to continue community organizing and hope to pass on what I learned to others."

Paige Johnson, 2024 OCHR Student Fellow and history major

"The OCHR workshop strengthened my desire to support change and solidarity to everyone in need of transformative change."

Ismael Lopez, 2024 OCHR Student Fellow and sociology major

"Interacting with students and scholars from diverse cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds enriched my perspective and expanded my understanding of global human rights issues."

Emily Ong, 2024 OCHR Student Fellow and psychology major

"Our students speak from the heart about what they know and have experienced. Issues of human rights are real for them."

Troi Carleton, Dean of the College of Humantities, Social Sciences and the Arts andOCHR Advisory Board Member

"The opportunity to be fully immersed in the discussion of human rights and learning the processes of activism and community action made me realize that I have value to add to these spaces."

Alayna Claus, 2024 OCHR Student Fellow and sociology major

Bringing Human Rights Home

The SSU workshop, which has been held every January since 2022, focuses on human rights, activism and community action. About a dozen SSU students attend the Sonoma State workshop each year. They learn from scholars and activists, participate in discussions and workgroups, and engage with a local grass-roots organization to get an in-deth view of local issues, connecting these ideas with broader principles and inspring them to engage with their own communities. Another four students attend a workshop in Oxford, England over spring break in March led by Troi Carleton, Dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts and OCHR Advisory Board Member.

Regardless of the workshop they attend, our OCHR Student Fellows gain invaluable knowledge, expand their horizons, and make personal connections that last a lifetime.