Wangari Maathai was a mighty woman, creative, fearless, and full of love.
— Kerry Kennedy
Chevron's failure to adhere to basic standards of decency undermines the credibility of our capitalist model and diminishes confidence that our judicial system can serve the poor as well as the rich.
It's obvious that China faces a range of demographic and economic difficulties stemming from its own population growth, and that the global community has a vested interest in avoiding the worst impacts of that growth.
For too long, we've allowed ourselves to equate targeted bullying with innocent teasing, or dismissed it as pranks and ignored the torment and long-term impact that an incident like this has on young people.
U.S. lawmakers should take a firm and principled stand consistent with their rhetoric about the importance of human rights and democracy in Egypt.
My siblings and I were raised to honor and cherish those who serve. They are, as my father said, America's most precious resource. I still believe in that vision of the American military. I want my three daughters to believe in it as well.
When it comes to my Uncle Jack, my father, or any other loved ones we've lost, I believe in honoring lives, not deaths.
All holy days, no matter the religion with which they are associated, contain lessons for all humanity.
LGBT people are at the heart of President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on democracy.
Demonization of people on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other criteria leads to dehumanization. The notion that some are 'other' is a dangerous and slippery slope.
My father believed young people are among our nation's most valuable resources, and so we should ensure that every child - including children and youth returning from the justice system - have access to the opportunities we would want for our own children.
Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.
When people say there is a 'reason' for the depression, they insult the person who suffers, making it seem that those in agony are somehow at fault for not 'cheering up.' The fact is that those who suffer - and those who love them - are no more at fault for depression than a cancer patient is for a tumor.
My father when I was a kid was so deeply involved with Native Americans, he used to bring home these extraordinary headdresses and pipes.
You can't live in the past and say, 'if only.' You have to pick up and move along and make the world better.
There are very few women in the Senate and very few mothers.
Dr. King gave his life to peace and justice and reconciliation between people, black and white, rich and poor, and he was a great hero for not only people who were oppressed in our country but for people who believed in justice both here and around the world.
As mothers, women are often the first to know when the food they feed their children is tainted with pollutants or impurities, because they can see it in the tears of their children and hear it in their babies' cries.
Over the years, Chevron has behaved in a way that reinforces the worst stereotypes about large corporations: it has cynically avoided responsibility for its past and watched in indifference as more people become sick and die because of its failure to deal with its legacy environmental issues.
While the One Child Policy has been effective in drastically reducing Chinese birth rates, the measures adopted in its name have required exhaustive, violent, insidious and systemic violations of human rights.
In the RFK Center's Speak Truth to Power program, we are working with schools across the United States and in countries like Italy, Cambodia and Sweden to turn every student into a defender.
We must permanently reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban and the restrictions on high capacity magazines.
I come from a military family, where service is seen as a badge of honor.
Nelson Mandela represents an enduring example of the human spirit and he proved for eternity that the ideals of democracy and human rights can overcome even the direst of circumstances.
I first went to Haiti in 1979. I've gone back every few years since.
We owe our children an environment in which they can flourish, and where law enforcement, the justice system, and society as offers them a fresh start, not a jail cell.
Hate is a learned reaction, and it can be unlearned.
Robert F. Kennedy Juvenile Justice Collaborative was formed in 2009 to improve federal youth reentry policy through advocacy, coalition building, and giving voice to youth who are directly impacted by the justice system.
The struggle for human rights is at its core a struggle for human dignity.
For many Mexican human rights defenders, confronting the military does not end so well.
Everyone who has had success in his or her field of endeavor has had a mentor along the way.
Mourning is tough. But faith and family are the greatest sources of strength.
When roads are built, children can read, then jobs and prosperity will follow.
I love presidential campaigns. It is a time when people are feeling what is going on in the heart of our country.
Throughout Africa, as in much of the world, women are responsible for tilling the fields, deciding what to plant, nurturing the crops, and harvesting the food. They are the first to be aware of environmental damage that harms agricultural production.
If we support human rights, we cannot ignore legalized brutality against any group of our global community.
The fact is, human rights victories are rarely won by powerful governments or well-armed militaries. More often than not, these battles are led by individuals and small groups of people determined to overcome wrong. Think King, Gandhi, Mandela.
The U.S. government must stand on the side of human rights, the rule of law, and democratic progress, not impede or otherwise stunt such progress.
For centuries, from the dirt roads of Trenton, to the hills of Virginia, to the trenches of Amiens, our armed forces never fought in a war they didn't win.
The modern military justice system is by design a body incapable of blind justice.
The iconic life of Nelson Mandela is testament to the fact that the road to freedom is quite often long and fraught with great personal sacrifice.
We need autocracies and failing democracies alike to understand that they cannot scapegoat LGBT citizens to distract from their own shortcomings.
I won't mince words: President Donald Trump's inauguration means it is more important than ever that Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights redouble its commitment to the full scope of our humanitarian and social justice mission.
There was no quality Robert Kennedy admired more than courage.
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights supports youth reentry projects because my father cared deeply about children and young people involved in the juvenile justice system, part of his focus while serving as attorney general.
I don't believe people are moved to action when they see horror. They're moved to action when they see courage in the face of horror.
My husband is in politics and my kids are already a campaign organ for him and I really love being their mother.
A mentor is someone with a willingness to help others, who has a capacity to inspire, a determination to work hard, a clear sense of vision, an inspiring purpose, a deep sense of integrity and an appreciation for joy.
I'm told that as a child, when my dad was alive, I'd get up, put on my coat and go sit in the back of his car. The driver would just go around the neighborhood - as long as I had my little trip, I was happy.
The way we need to view aid is as a fulfillment of rights, and Mexico, as other countries around the world, have agreed and signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the covenants of Human Rights and that includes the right to food, the right to water, the right to housing and the right to education.
