In an effort to foster collaboration and communication among students interested in human rights, ISHR has compiled the following list of student organizations at Columbia University. If you are interested in including your organizations information on this page, please with the group's name, description, contact information, and website.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International CUAI is just one of many campus Amnesty groups belonging to AI USA which, in turn, is one of many sections in AI, the global organisation. The international secretariat is based in London and coordinates research and dissemination of information on human rights abuses around the world.
Daniel Gutsche, Co-President – [email protected]
Amber Ha, Co-President – [email protected]
Buddhism for Global Peace
Buddhism for Global Peace helps students unlock their potential to transform the inevitable challenges of daily life into sources of growth and fulfillment. Its members strive to become influences in schools, workplaces, families, and communities and to achieve creative harmony with the environment through the philosophy and practice of Nichiren Buddhism in the Soka Gakkai International-USA. By promoting an understanding of how Nichiren Buddhism can be applied to the challenges of modern living, activities contribute to the development of peace, culture and education within society, inspire respect for cultural diversity and human rights and encourage the protection of nature and the environment.
Hiromi Makiuchi, Co-Chair – [email protected]
Carolyn Garciaguirre, Co-Chair – [email protected]
Taemi Kawasaki, Treasurer – [email protected]
CU Food Sustainability Project
CU Food Sustainability Project supports the development of a just food system.
Kristina Gsell, President – [email protected]
Eli Geminder, Vice-President – [email protected]
Arianna Feinberg, Treasurer – [email protected]
CU International Relations Forum
CU International Relations Forum (CUIRF) is Columbia University's non-partisan International Affairs and Conflict Resolution Society. In addition to hosting a variety of interactive events, the Columbia University International Relations Forum takes great pride in inviting scholars, journalists, diplomats, Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and government officials to Columbia University to engage in Q&A sessions directly with students, and to present their respective viewpoints in an academic environment. Through such a forum, CUIRF strives to give the Columbia University student base an opportunity to hear first hand the views of prominent political leaders and representatives, and thereby allow students to develop their own conclusions and opinions about political issues.
Caitlin Barrett, Co-President – [email protected]
Rajiv Lalla, Co-President – [email protected]
Child Rights Working Group
This cross-campus Working Group strives to raise awareness on Child Rights, both in the Columbia community and beyond. It also advocates for an expansion of the curriculum with more courses and events on Child Rights. Events include brown bags and film screenings, as well as a day-long conference on Child Rights, featuring prominent speakers from various fields.
Jaclyn Ecker, Co-President – [email protected]
Marjorie Dugan, Co-President – [email protected]
Cluster Q
Cluster Q, Columbia's LGBT business association, has over 60 active members supported by over 200 straight allies. Columbia is home to the oldest LGBT society at any university in the United States and we take pride in our status as the largest LGBT organization at any business school in the world. In 2010, we are focusing our activities in six key areas: careers, membership, events, community outreach, alumni and allies.
Barry Whyte, Co-President – [email protected]
Matt Kaye, Co-President – [email protected]
Dugyu Baydur, VP of Events – [email protected]
Columbia Engineers Without Borders
Columbia Engineers Without Borders aims to address the problems facing people both locally and abroad by leveraging the skills, talents and passions of Columbia University students and the partnerships formed with our organization. Our members come from all engineering and arts backgrounds, sharing the desire to do meaningful work in improving the lives of others through creative, sustainable, engineering solutions.
General E-mail – [email protected]
Columbia Global Justice
Columbia Global Justice (the Student Global AIDS Campaign chapter) at Columbia University, New York, is an organization of students who are dedicated to fighting for the innate rights of all people in the world to health care and medical treatment. CGJ works to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and the societal inequities that AIDS, as a biosocial phenomenon, unearths and feeds on, such as structural poverty, racism, gender inequality, and cultural biases against groups stigmatized by sexuality, profession (commercial sex workers), or addiction (injecting drug users).
Jodie Liu, President – [email protected]
Columbia International Relations Council and Association
Columbia International Relations Council and Association (CIRCA) strives to explore international relations through a variety of angles ranging from community engagement to competitive international relations debate. Importantly though, our members come from the widest possible variety of backgrounds and interests, sharing only a common goal to learn more about international politics. CIRCA oversees a range of programs designed to further student engagement with international politics.
Mustafa Hameed, President – [email protected]
Chuck Roberts, Head Delegate – [email protected]
Taimur Malik, Head Delegate – [email protected]
CIRCA Executive Board, Group E-mail – [email protected]
Columbia Queer Alliance
Columbia Queer Alliance (CQA) is the oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer collegiate student organization in the United States. Since our founding in 1967, we have continued to stand up, speak out, and organize for queer students and their allies by facilitating on-campus educational workships, open forums, speaker series, and social events. We recognize the diverse and multiple needs, interests, and identities of our constituency while remaining ever committed to fostering a cohesive, unified queer community at Columbia University.
Sean Udell, President – [email protected]
Columbia UNICEF Campus Initiative
Columbia UNICEF Campus Initiative is part of a national coalition of student-led campus groups that educate, advocate, and fundraise on behalf of UNICEF. We believe strongly in UNICEF's mission to do whatever it takes to save a child's life and to ensure that the rights of children everywhere are respected. In addition to working to further UNICEF's lifesaving work on a global scale, CU UNICEF takes part in community service initiatives here in NYC to help make New York a more child-friendly city.
Nadia Sariahmed, Co-President – [email protected]
Eugenia Harim Rho, Co-President – [email protected]
Group E-mail – [email protected]
Columbia University Partnership for International Development
Janna Metzler, Co-President – [email protected]
Taylor Conger, Co-President – [email protected]
Ann Adams, VP for Communications – [email protected]
Community Impact
Community Impact is a nonprofit organization located at Columbia University. Community Impact (CI) serves disadvantaged people in the Harlem, Washington Heights, and Morningside Heights communities. Community Impact strives to provide high quality programs, advance the public good, and foster meaningful volunteer opportunities for students, faculty, and staff of Columbia University. CI provides food, clothing, shelter, education, job training, and companionship for residents in its surrounding communities. CI consists of a dedicated corps of about 950 Columbia University student volunteers participating in 25 community service programs, which serve more than 8,000 people each year. Community Impact has partnerships with more than 100 community organizations and agencies who do service work in the Harlem, Washington Heights, and Morningside Heights communities, including service organizations, social service offices, religious institutions, and schools. Many of these organizations refer their clients to Community Impact’s programs and work collaboratively to positively influence residents’ lives.
Lauren Pully, Operations Officer – [email protected]
Francesca Trianni, External Affairs Officer – [email protected]
Student Executives, General Address – [email protected]
Conflict Resolution Working Group
Conflict Resolution Working Group (CRWG) was started by SIPA students fifteen years ago and has grown into a network of students, practitioners, professors and other professionals interested in addressing intrastate and interstate conflict while promoting peace-building processes through research, workshops, community outreach and fieldwork. The CRWG is run by an elected board of students from SIPA and welcomes all individuals interested in analyzing and transforming conflict as well as developing peace initiatives toward the cessation of conflict. The Conflict Resolution Working Group provides a forum at SIPA to examine and discuss diverse approaches taken to addressing some of the world’s most complex conflicts.
Regina Jun, Co-President – [email protected]
Alyssa Smith, Co-President – [email protected]
Whitney Eulich, Communications Chair – [email protected]
Iris Bieri, Events Chair – [email protected]
Rosie Connelly, External Relations Chair – [email protected]
Everyone Allied Against Homophobia
Everyone Allied Against Homophobia is Barnard and Columbia's anti-homophobia taskforce and queer activist group. We welcome everyone--whether you are LGBTQ, an ally, or undefined. EAAH runs activist campaigns on campus and in New York City to promote equality. We also do service work with queer-friendly organizations and run educational workshops in high schools throughout New York City. Every year, we plan and run the Student Anti-Homophobia Leadership Summit, a two-day educational conference that brings some 40 high school students from all over the east coast to Columbia to participate in workshops about queer youth activism.
Avi Edelman, President – [email protected]
Barry Weinberg, Campus Outreach Director – [email protected]
EAAH Board – [email protected]
Feminist Thought
Feminist Thought is an open forum to discuss an array of women's issues, and will serve as a link between the various women's interest groups at Barnard. The organization is not confined by any ideological principles, it is simply pro-woman--whatever that may mean to you. Because the organization is new, it can mold to fit the needs and wants of its membership, and you can have substantial input on the direction of Feminist Thought.
Group Email – [email protected]
Gender Policy Working Group
Gender Policy Working Group (GPWG) works to build knowledge around the social, political and economic structures that affect women, men and LGBTQ people unique ways. GPWG actively seeks the equal participation of men, women and the queer community in a discussion of gender issues.
Laura Baringer, Co-President – [email protected]
Natasha Myles, Co-President – [email protected]
Bethany Young, Co-President – [email protected]
Sarah Wilson, Treasurer – [email protected]
Lily Hindy, Communications – [email protected]
Group for Community Recovery
Group for Community Recovery (GCR) was established to improve the wellness of the United States Southern Gulf Coast community through efforts that respond to the health needs of all people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Our mission has since expanded to improve the wellness of displaced communities affected by disasters through efforts that respond to the health needs of all people affected (i.e. victims of terrorism, natural disasters, or social displacement). This organization is committed to protecting the vulnerable communities and creating a space for all survivors of traumatic events in an effective, efficient and equitable fashion.
Amparo Abel-Bey, Co-President – [email protected]
Larissa Unruh, Co-President – [email protected]
Group E-mail – [email protected]
Growth and Development Project
Growth and Development Project (Delta GDP)'s mission is to explore new pathways in the field of international development, and harness them in order to empower marginalized communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We look to promote a combination of business initiatives, corporate social responsibility, and even yet-to-be-discovered methods, as a means to improve living standards for citizens of developing countries throughout the world.
Su Ann Lime, Vice-President – [email protected]
Group E-mail – [email protected]
Human Rights Working Group
Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) is dedicated to promoting, educating, and mobilizing in support of human rights. It provides a venue for students to initiate activities related to human rights issues that they feel passionate about. Event formats include brown-bag lunches, film screenings, mixers with other student groups, panel discussions with receptions and fundraising opportunities. The organization also partners with other groups within SIPA and Columbia University to connect students from a wide range of backgrounds who have a vested interest in certain issues, but who approach them in very different ways.
Melissa Kemp, Co-President – [email protected]
Alan Krill, Co-President – [email protected]
Karina Swenson, Events Coordinator – [email protected]
Meredith Hutchison, Co-President – [email protected]
Barbara Magid, Co-President – [email protected]
International Development Club
International Development Club is a large, active and growing organization of over 250 MBA students interested in the interplay between business and international development. IDC serves as a forum for students and faculty who recognize the importance of emerging economies and their underlying development challenges, and serves as a catalyst for their investigation. IDC’s mission is to explore and create opportunities for development in emerging economies. IDC seeks to achieve its mission through four primary activities: education, experience, networks, and career services.
Michael Brown, Co-President – [email protected]
Jonathan Kornik, Co-President – [email protected]
Ariela Nathusius, Co-VP of Events – [email protected]
Jean Saint-Geours, Co-VP of Events – [email protected]
Liberty in North Korea
Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) is a humanitarian group aimed at spreading awareness of North Koreans’ plight and aiding North Korean refugees. The Columbia University chapter is one of 185 active chapters nation-wide.
Sarah Chai, President – [email protected], [email protected], 949-923-5717
Rachel Bhak, Vice-President – [email protected]
Nicholas Hwang, Senior Advisor – [email protected]
Migration Working Group
Migration Working Group aims to promote dialogue, awareness, and community involvement in national and international migration issues. Through advocacy, volunteerism, networking for careers and internships, and academic seminars and conferences we engage the Columbia community, as well as the wider New York community on these issues.
Rebecca Chao, Co-President – [email protected]
Caitlin Deighan, Co-President – [email protected]
Milap Patel, Vice-President – [email protected]
Sheena Jones, Treasurer and Communications – [email protected]
Net Impact
Net Impact is a combination of the former CSR and Social Entrepreneurship Clubs. Net Impact’s mission is to improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of new leaders who are using the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact.
Rebecca Burton, Co-President – [email protected]
David Lavin, Co-President – [email protected]
Net Impact Board – [email protected]
Queer Health Task Force
Queer Health Task Force is dedicated to promoting the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex people. By providing opportunities for learning, activism and skills building at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, we work toward creating improved visibility of queer health issues and improved access to care. We believe that competent, informed care for LGBTQQI people is integral to Public Health.
Keletso Makofane, co-chair – [email protected]
Patrick Dawson, co-chair – [email protected]
Sophie Joslin-Roher, treasurer – [email protected]
Ken Nadolski, board member – [email protected]
Aleza Summit, board member – [email protected]
Rightslink
Rightslink (Human Rights Research) is a human rights law research organization based at Columbia Law School in New York City. We provide free legal research services to human rights and public interest groups that lack either the financial and technical capacity or the political freedom to conduct their own research.
Akshaya Kumar, Co-President – [email protected]
Andrea Lo, Co-President – [email protected]
Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Group
Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Group is dedicated to reproductive and sexual rights for all people. By providing opportunities for learning, activism, and skills building at the Mailman School of Public Health, we work toward creating universal access to reproductive and sexual health information and services. We believe that sexual and reproductive health are integral to public health.
Anne Rutledge , Co-President – [email protected]
Jennifer Hart, Co-President – [email protected]
Ali Kleigman, Social Marketing – [email protected]
Social Enterprise Club
Social Enterprise Club is the home for all students at Columbia Business School who want to use business skills to create social, environmental and economic value within the private, public and nonprofit sectors. The organization works to connect students interested in social enterprise with each other, faculty, alumni, professionals and organizations, enrich our members' understanding of industries, ideas and initiatives, that create social impact, and inspire students to become leaders who better the world. Its members use business acumen to address social, economic and environmental challenges.
Andrea Davila, Co-President – [email protected]
Pepe Morales, Co-President – [email protected]
Julia Levy, Large/Social Events – [email protected]
Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is a student-run organization at the Columbia University School of Law. SIRR is dedicated to promoting a dialogue about the rights of refugees and immigrants in the United States and globally. We sponsor guest panels, organize a career forum, and administer a number of pro bono projects through out the year.
Adriana Garcia, Director – [email protected]
Tulsi Gaonkar, Publicity Cooridinator – [email protected]
South Asian Public Health Forum for Action
South Asian Public Health Forum for Action exists to raise awareness on public health issues in South Asia and its diasporas with a focus on New York City. The organization will serve as a student-led forum to address public health in South Asians as it relates to social, political, economic, medical, law and policy-making aspects.
Heather Curtain-Natali, [email protected] – School of Public Health
Student Initiative Against Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery
The Student Initiative against Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery is a group of students committed to issues related to labor rights, international trafficking and slavery (potentially forced and uncompensated manual, sexual, child, and any other form of potentially coerced or involuntary labor). Our purpose is threefold: Educational (including research, academic discussion, panels and forums); Advocacy (campaigning, fundraising, collaborating with local organizations); and Awareness (promoting the national trafficking hotline, publications).
Ana Defillo – [email protected]
Esther Farber – [email protected]
Students for Environmental Action
Mayble Abraham, Co-President – [email protected]
Ana Sokolov, Co-President – [email protected]
Group E-mail – [email protected]
Tenants’ Rights Project
Tenants’ Rights Project (TRP) works with public interest attorneys from the Goddard Riverside SRO Law Project to assist low-income tenants in New York City in their litigation against abusive, delinquent and/or absent landlords. Membership in TRP is limited to Columbia Law School Students.
V-Day
V-Day is a global activist movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery. Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. In 2010, over 5,400 V-Day benefit events took place produced by volunteer activists in the U.S. and around the world, educating millions of people about the reality of violence against women and girls.
Group E-mail – [email protected]
