Audrey Fratus

Passions Reflection
HNRS1010-012
September 25, 2015

What?
My primary academic and extracurricular focus, and one of my greatest passions,
is the study of human rights. In the most basic sense, human rights are the practices and
freedoms that we as humans are innately given as part of our existence. In 1948, the
United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a
declaration that laid out the rights to which all humans are inherently entitled to, and
which international law should be beholden to protect. These rights cover a broad
spectrum of potential circumstances, ranging from a right to be protected from slavery to
a right to have access to a comprehensive education. The subject of human rights has
several key elements. The first is the academic component. As with a science experiment,
the first step to creating solutions for human rights crises is identifying a problem and
conducting research. A great deal of academic focus from social scientists, lawyers, and
policy advisors goes into gathering and assessing information about the state of human
rights in a vast array of spheres. The second key element is activism. It is undeniable that
human rights are being regularly violated in every nation, on every continent. Activists, in
the form of lobbyists, advisors, aides, and representatives (as well as more traditional
protests and social movements), take the research and thought that has been produced
regarding a crisis and attempt to create change. These are the core element of my passion.

So What?
Human rights are one of the things that create unity between disparate individuals
and societies. This idea is at the center of my passion for them, as well as their continuing
significance. However, though I always had an awareness of the fight for equal and total
protection of human rights, it took genuine involvement in the process before the interest
developed into a passion. Starting in the summer before I began high school, I held an
internship at a small but deeply passionate human rights advocacy group focusing on
Central America. Seeing my co-workers do the day-to-day work of advocating for people
they have never, and probably will never, meet reinforced in my mind the belief that
defending human rights was, in essence, defending the things that made humanity a
collective whole. After I realized this, it was impossible for me not to be captivated and
involved. We are given few opportunities to form real connections with lives completely
different from our own, and being involved in the work of human rights is one of those
opportunities.

Now what?
I will continue to learn about my passion via classes at UC, as I pursue a
certificate in International Human Rights. I also plan on connecting, both through
volunteering and interning, with organizations focusing on human rights. I hope to have
the opportunity to conduct research about the focus areas I am most interested in in the
broad sphere of human rights. I also plan on traveling as a component of my education.