About Us

HRA is a human rights organization based in Berkeley, California. We are dedicated to promoting and protecting international human rights in the United States and abroad.

Celebrating 35 years!!

  • Human Rights Advocates is a human rights organization based in Berkeley, California. We are dedicated to promoting and protecting international human rights in the United States and abroad, and have been doing so for the last 35 years, since 1988.

  • Human Rights Advocates (HRA) is dedicated to promoting and protecting international human rights both in the United States and abroad. We engage in advocacy, litigation, and various projects and events to uphold human rights standards.

  • We are able to do this at the leadership of our Board of Directors, and under advisement of both our National and International Advisory Board. Our dedicated members are crucial in informing our decisions, direction and advocacy efforts. In addition, all the wonderful students that have previously participated in our fellowships and internships are critical to continue our advocacy work, and building the foundation of our organization.

Meet the Team!

Board of Directors

  • Julianne C. Traylor

    PRESIDENT

  • Connie de la Vega

    TREASURER,

    CHAIR OF UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE

    LINKEDIN PROFILE

  • Kokeb Zeleke

    SECRETARY,

    CHAIR OF COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE

    LINKEDIN PROFILE

  • Betelhem Gedlu

    CHAIR OF DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

    CHAIR OF NOMINATION COMMITTEE

    LINKEDIN PROFILE

  • Neil A.F. Popović

    CHAIR OF LITIGATION COMMITTEE

    LINKEDIN PROFILE

  • Kathy Burke

    CHAIR OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE

National Advisory Board

  • Sandra Coliver
    Sr. Legal Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative

  • Laurel E. Fletcher
    Clinical Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, Berkeley, CA

  • Paul Hoffman
    Schonbrun, Desimone, Seplow, Harris and Hoffman LLP, Venice, CA

  • Peter Honigsberg
    Professor of Law, University of San Francisco

  • JoAnne Kagiwada
    Human Rights Consultant on Religious Affairs, Oakland

  • Rita Maran
    Author, Human Rights Consultant, Berkeley

  • Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
    Director, Indigenous World Association, San Francisco

  • Naomi Roht-Arriaza
    Professor of Law, Hastings College of the Law, University of California

International Advisory Board

  • Philip Alston
    Professor of Law, New York University

  • Jose Lindgren Alves
    Executive Secretary, Institute for Public Policies in Human Rights in Mercosur, Buenos Aires, Argentina

  • Jeremy McBride
    Barrister, Monckton Chambers in London, U.K.

  • C.M. Eya Nchama
    Judge, Court of Leases and Rents, Geneva, Switzerland

  • Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
    Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 1980, Argentina

  • Deepika Udagama
    Center for Study of Human Rights, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka