On May 6–7, 2025, a group of activists, policymakers, academics, and humanitarians convened on the UCLA campus for the 2025 Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum, co-hosted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law, and the inaugural Humanitarian Summit. The two-day gathering, part of Aurora’s 10th anniversary celebrations, served as a catalyst for bold, integrated solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
The Humanitarian Summit, held on May 6, brought together more than 80 grassroots leaders, global activists, and changemakers—including nearly 40 Aurora Luminaries from five continent —for a day of meaningful dialogue on how to navigate the daily challenges of frontline humanitarian work amid an escalating global funding crisis.
Armine Afeyan, CEO of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, opened the Summit by welcoming attendees with a message of urgency and hope. The opening panel, “Overcoming Obstacles to Humanitarian and Human Rights Work,” featured four remarkable women reshaping the world: Leymah Gbowee, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member, Founder and President of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate; Alice Greenwald, Aurora Board Member, founder of Memory Matters LLC, and former head of the 9/11 Memorial Museum; Sunitha Krishnan, Aurora Humanitarian, and co-founder of Prajwala; Dulce Valencia, Associate Director of Entertainment Partnerships at Define American. The discussion was moderated by Aurora Director of Impact, Colin Thomas-Jensen.
The panel was followed by breakout sessions exploring vital topics, such as sustainable funding and the advancement of local leadership. During these sessions, humanitarians shared powerful stories and perspectives against the backdrop of growing global cuts to humanitarian funding. The day concluded with a closing plenary session centered on storytelling as a powerful tool not only to share personal journeys but also to elevate the voices of those served by humanitarian efforts. Moderated by Armine Afeyan, the session featured Grammy-nominated musician Aloe Blacc; Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member and The Sentry Co-Founder John Prendergast, and Aurora Board Member, retired U.S. diplomat and Navy intelligence officer Raffi Gregorian.
Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum
On May 7, The 2025 Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum convened under the theme “At the Crossroads: Driving Integrated Action for a Resilient Future.” With participants from 30 countries, including India, Pakistan, Colombia, Nigeria, Iraq, France, South Africa, Mauritania, and Argentina, the Forum offered a truly global platform for advancing human dignity, justice, and sustainable peace.
After welcome remarks by Catherine Sweetser, The Promise Institute for Human Rights Interim Executive Director, and Armine Afeyan, CEO of the Aurora, the day continued with a high-level “Global Pulse Check” panel, moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and opinion columnist at The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof. The session featured voices like Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Co-Founder of the next chapter and Board Member of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Comfort Ero, President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, and former USAID Administrator and Skoll Foundation Board Member Gayle Smith.
“The Future of Human Rights” session focused on the resilience of human rights principles amid evolving global norms and explored how cross-level collaboration—local, national, and international—can strengthen protections. Moderated by Mary Milliken, Los Angeles Bureau Chief of Reuters, the panel featured Anna Spain Bradley, Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law; Faculty Director for The UCLA Promise Institute for Human Rights and The Promise Institute Europe; Safiya Noble, Professor of Gender Studies and African American Studies at UCLA; Co-Director of the UCLA DataX Initiative, Unni Karunakara, Senior Fellow, Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale Law School; Former International President of MSF, and human rights activist John Prendergast, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member.
The session “Modern-Day Heroes: Lessons in Resilience from Aurora Humanitarians,” which spotlighted powerful stories of courage and commitment from around the world bringing together Marguerite Barankitse, 2016 Aurora Prize Laureate and Founder of Maison Shalom; Mirza Dinnayi, 2019 Aurora Prize Laureate and Co-Founder and Director of Luftbrücke Irak (Air Bridge Iraq), Julienne Lusenge, 2021 Aurora Prize Laureate and Founder of the Fund for Congolese Women; and Sima Samar, Aurora Luminary and former Vice President and Minister for Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan. The panel was moderated by Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member and Pulitzer Prize Winner Dele Olojede.
A TED-style talk session spotlighted young changemakers actively reshaping the future of human rights, humanitarian response, and climate justice. Hadiqa Bashir, Aurora Luminary and Founder & Executive Director of Girls United for Human Rights; Ana Giménez Pozzoli, Aurora Luminary and Co-Founder of the Center for Integral Crisis Management (CEGIC), Cuenca Experience, and Ducha de Sol, and Ayisha Siddiqa, J.D. Candidate at UCLA School of Law, Climate Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General (2023–2025), and Founder and Executive Director of Future Generations Tribunal, shared their own stories reminding us that the rising generation is not only demanding change but is leading it.
The “Health and Human Rights: Grassroots Approaches for Lasting Impact” panel explored how community-led strategies are reshaping public health outcomes around the world, particularly in underserved and crisis-affected regions. Moderated by Alice Park, Senior Health Correspondent at TIME, the discussion featured Nidhi Bouri, Former Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID, Geetha Tharmaratnam, Chief Impact Investment Officer at the WHO Foundation, Sriram Shamasunder, Professor of Medicine at UCSF and Co-Founder and Faculty Director of the HEAL Initiative, and Alina Dorian, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Associate Professor in the Community Health Sciences Department at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
The 2025 Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum concluded with a keynote conversation “Local Power, Global Change.” Moderated by Scott Kraft, Editor at Large of the Los Angeles Times, the discussion built on insights from earlier panels to highlight the critical role of local individuals and organizations as drivers of transformative impact. The panel featured Chelsea Clinton, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation; Peter Laugharn, President and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; and Leymah Gbowee, Aurora Prize Selection Committee Member, Founder and President of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa. Together, they offered a powerful call to action: invest in local leadership, confront misinformation with integrity, and build lasting partnerships rooted in trust and solidarity.