The Human Rights Institute (HRI) at Kean University was established in 2008 to broaden the University’s longstanding efforts to promote awareness of human rights issues and violations around the globe, while inspiring the next generation of activists to create a more just and peaceful world. As a public university, Kean has an obligation to provide a forum for discussion about contemporary social justice issues, to help students and community members understand these issues, and develop the tools needed to address them as active participants in civil society.