History of Artists For Human Rights

Board of AFHR

         Founded by the celebrated Academy Award nominated film actress and human rights advocate, Anne Archer, Artists for Human Rights invites artists from all disciplines to contribute. Participation is broad-based, embracive of all races, creeds and nationalities with its only prerequisite - support and affirmation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Working board members are exactly that - working board members. Not in name only, working board members attend meetings, take on projects, bring their own creative genius to the cause for human rights.

          Maintaining its goals and mission statement, Artists for Human Rights works inclusively with allied organizations to bring artistic expression to bear in the human rights arena. What many do not know about AFHR founder Anne Archer is that she has tirelessly fought for human rights across the globe for nearly two decades. She has led religious tolerance movements in Germany, France, the United States, Spain and Africa. She has, with other artists, led protest marches, testified to Congress, met quietly and openly with State Department officials around the world - always bringing her creativity and passion to the fight.

          More recently, Anne has been an instrumental force for Youth for Human Rights International which has over 25 chapters around the world promoting human rights in schools, orphanages and colleges, as well as holding Youth Summits and film festivals in concert with UNICEF and the United Nations.

"Where after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works…unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world."

Eleanor Roosevelt
Chairman of the United Nations
Human Rights Commission 1948

Founder Anne Archer

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

- Nelson Mandela