CCJO René Cassin

CCJO René Cassin, commonly known as René Cassin, is a charitable human-rights non-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom. It promotes universal human rights while drawing on Jewish historical experience, ethical traditions and community engagement. The organisation works on issues including asylum and immigration, genocide prevention, discrimination, racial equality, religious freedom, hate speech, modern slavery, women's rights and social justice. The organisation takes its name from René Cassin, the French jurist, academic and statesman who was a principal drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. René Cassin is linked institutionally to the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations, or CCJO, which holds special consultative status with the United Nations. Through that relationship, the organisation connects Jewish civil-society advocacy with international human-rights mechanisms. The wider CCJO was active in the development and promotion of United Nations human-rights instruments from the 1940s onward. The modern organisation emerged in 2000 after Clemens Nathan and colleagues took a group of younger professionals to the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The visit encouraged the creation of a platform capable of bringing Jewish voices into national and international human-rights debates. After establishing a United Kingdom base, René Cassin developed from a largely volunteer and network-based initiative into a professional advocacy and education organisation. Its activities combine policy analysis, public campaigning, advocacy with governments and international bodies, coalition-building, training and human-rights education. Early programmes concentrated on public events and educational work within the United Kingdom Jewish community. In 2005, it introduced a secondary-school education programme addressing genocide, immigration and children's rights, reaching more than 3,000 Jewish secondary-school pupils during its first year according to published organisational history. It later developed teacher resources and programmes on issues including the conflict in Darfur. The organisation has also pursued legal and institutional change. In 2005, representatives involved in advocacy for victims of genocide helped negotiate a reference to collective or group rights in the United Nations Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, adopted by the UN General Assembly that year. René Cassin has continued to engage with UN human-rights bodies and maintains a focus on strengthening international treaty and accountability mechanisms. In the United Kingdom, its campaigns have addressed indefinite and inappropriate detention of asylum seekers, discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, modern slavery and trafficking, the protection of the Human Rights Act, hate speech and hate crime, and the rights of women and girls. More recent work has included advocacy concerning the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, including calls for recognition of alleged genocide and scrutiny of forced-labour risks in global supply chains. The organisation has also developed work on food insecurity and the right to food, inspired by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Education remains a central part of the organisation's identity. Its René Cassin Fellowship Programme brings Jewish professionals together for year-long study, seminars and practical campaigning development. A Human Rights Ambassador Programme, introduced in 2019, extends related training to sixth-form students and undergraduates. The organisation is primarily focused on the United Kingdom, with supporters and connections elsewhere in Europe, especially France. Its public-facing role is that of a specialist human-rights advocacy and education organisation rather than a commercial consumer brand.

CCJO René Cassin was established in 2000 following a visit to the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva by Clemens Nathan and a group of younger professionals with links to the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations. The founders sought to create a contemporary organisation that could bring Jewish perspectives and community participation into universal human-rights advocacy at both national and international levels. The organisation initially built its profile in the United Kingdom through public education and community engagement. From 2003, it organised public meetings, panel discussions and conferences involving figures from Jewish, legal and wider human-rights communities. Its educational work expanded in 2005 with a secondary-school programme covering genocide, immigration and children's rights. The programme reportedly reached more than 3,000 Jewish secondary-school pupils in its first year. René Cassin subsequently produced teacher materials and worked with major Jewish schools on issues such as the crisis in Darfur. René Cassin also developed a sustained presence in United Nations advocacy. In 2005, during work supporting restitution and remedies for victims of genocide, its representatives helped secure a reference to collective rights in a United Nations instrument on victims' rights. The relevant principles were adopted by the UN General Assembly in November 2005. The organisation continued to send delegations to UN human-rights forums and to support efforts to improve the effectiveness of international treaties and institutional mechanisms. In 2007, it launched the Jewish Human Rights Network in the United Kingdom, bringing together Jewish individuals and organisations wishing to speak publicly on human-rights issues. The network was supported by senior figures from the United Kingdom Jewish community, government and human-rights sectors. During its early years, Alexander Goldberg and Daniel Kingsley chaired the organisation. It appointed its first full-time director, Clive Gabay, in 2005, followed by Sarah Kaiser in 2006. Simone Abel became director in October 2010, and Shauna Leven joined as programme manager in 2011 before becoming director in 2013. Leven left in December 2014, and Mia Hasenson-Gross became director in June 2015. Under and after Abel's leadership, René Cassin increasingly combined education with policy advocacy. It began sustained work in 2010 on discrimination against Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in the United Kingdom and Europe. In 2011, it expanded activity on modern slavery, human trafficking and protection of domestic human-rights law. It published educational and advocacy material, including a Haggadah companion addressing modern slavery, and advised companies on steps to reduce the risk of exploitation in supply chains connected with the 2012 London Olympics. The organisation has campaigned against indefinite detention of asylum seekers, detention of vulnerable people and the United Kingdom's Detained Fast Track system. It has supported retention and protection of the Human Rights Act, including through public discussion and a submission to the Commission on a Bill of Rights consultation. Its hate-speech work includes the Cut It Out campaign, which challenges discriminatory language in mainstream public discourse, and the Reach Out initiative, which offers solidarity and practical support to communities exposed to hate speech and hate crime. From 2019 onward, René Cassin increased its focus on alleged crimes against humanity and repression in Xinjiang, working with Uyghur advocacy partners and challenging links between western companies and forced Uyghur labour. It also developed work on hate speech, women's rights and social justice. A women's-rights programme began in 2020, while right-to-food advocacy began in 2021 and drew on the social and economic rights expressed in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Education remains a major organisational activity. The René Cassin Fellowship Programme provides a year-long curriculum for Jewish professionals, combining seminars, expert visits and practical campaigning skills. In 2019, the Human Rights Ambassador Programme was introduced as a shorter programme for sixth-form students and undergraduates. The organisation remains primarily United Kingdom-focused, with supporters and relationships across Europe, especially in France, and continues to operate as a charitable NGO with a special-consultative relationship to the United Nations through the CCJO.

• 2021

  Right-to-food work begins

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation began social-justice advocacy focused on the right to food and related social and economic rights.

• 2020

  Women's-rights workstream launched

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  René Cassin expanded its programme portfolio to address structural gender inequality and misogyny.

• 2019

  Human Rights Ambassador Programme introduced

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  A shorter training and campaigning programme was introduced for sixth-form students and undergraduates.

• 2007

  Jewish Human Rights Network launched

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation created a United Kingdom network to mobilise Jewish voices in support of human rights.

• 2005

  School education programme launched

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  A secondary-school programme on genocide, immigration and children's rights was launched and reached more than 3,000 Jewish pupils during its first year.

• 2005

  Collective-rights reference negotiated in a UN instrument

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  René Cassin representatives contributed to advocacy that resulted in a first reference to group or collective rights in a United Nations victims' rights instrument.

• 2003

  Public human-rights education begins

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation began engaging the United Kingdom Jewish community through public debates, conferences and other high-level educational events.

• 2000

  Organisation established

  [1]CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org

  Clemens Nathan and colleagues established CCJO René Cassin after a Geneva visit exposed younger professionals to Jewish engagement with international human-rights work.

A Jewish-rooted, universalist human-rights NGO combining advocacy, policy work, education and community mobilisation.

• Human-rights leadership and professional development

  René Cassin Fellowship Programme

  A year-long programme for Jewish professionals exploring human-rights issues through a Jewish ethical and historical lens. Fellows take part in monthly seminars, meet lawyers, academics, activists and communal leaders, and develop knowledge, contacts and practical skills for social-justice and international human-rights campaigning.

• Student education and campaigning · 2019

  Human Rights Ambassador Programme

  Introduced in 2019, this shorter programme gives sixth-form students and undergraduates an introduction to human-rights principles, current issues and campaigning methods. It extends René Cassin's education work beyond its longer professional fellowship.

• Educational materials · 2005

  Human-rights education resources

  René Cassin develops school and teacher resources on topics including genocide, immigration, children's rights, Judaism and human rights, modern slavery and international crises. The materials are intended to support classroom discussion and encourage informed civic engagement.

• 2021Right to food

  United Kingdom

  René Cassin began social-justice work inspired by the right to an adequate standard of living and food articulated in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

  Source
• 2020Women's rights

  United Kingdom · International

  A workstream addressing endemic gender inequality and misogyny was added to the organisation's human-rights programme.

  Source
• 2019Uyghur rights and genocide prevention

  United Kingdom · China-related international advocacy

  René Cassin worked with the World Uyghur Congress's United Kingdom office on alleged repression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, calls for recognition of genocide, forced-labour risks in western supply chains and criticism of the Beijing Winter Olympics as the 'Genocide Games'.

  Source
• 2011Asylum and detention

  United Kingdom

  Campaigning challenged indefinite detention of asylum seekers, detention of vulnerable people and the Detained Fast Track system as inconsistent with human dignity and international human-rights standards.

  Source
• 2011Gypsy, Roma and Traveller equality

  United Kingdom · Europe

  René Cassin began sustained advocacy against discrimination affecting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, describing these groups as chronically excluded and promoting equal treatment and rights protection.

  Source
• 2011Modern slavery and trafficking

  United Kingdom · International supply chains

  The organisation combined education and policy advocacy to raise awareness of modern slavery, encourage responsible consumer behaviour and press organisations to reduce their contribution to exploitation.

  Source
• Cut It Out

  United Kingdom

  A campaign challenging discriminatory language and normalisation of prejudice in mainstream public discourse, particularly in media and public debate.

  Source
• Reach Out

  United Kingdom

  An initiative offering solidarity and practical support to communities experiencing hate speech and hate crime, informed by experience addressing antisemitism.

  Source

• 2010

  Expand from education into advocacyStrategy

  Background

  After its initial emphasis on community education and events, the organisation identified a need for stronger policy and public advocacy on defined human-rights issues.

  Action taken

  René Cassin increasingly combined educational programmes with policy papers, coalition work, government engagement and public campaigns.

  Aftermath

  Its programme broadened to include discrimination, asylum detention, modern slavery, domestic human-rights protections and later hate speech, women's rights and social justice.

  Source

• 2005

  Prioritise structured human-rights educationStrategy

  Background

  The organisation sought to build long-term human-rights awareness and activism within Jewish schools and the wider community.

  Action taken

  It launched a secondary-school programme and developed teaching packs covering genocide, immigration, children's rights and related issues.

  Aftermath

  Education became a continuing institutional activity, later complemented by fellowships and ambassador training.

  Source

1. 1CCJO René Cassinen.wikipedia.org
2. 2René Cassin official websiterenecassin.org