A Generational Voice
The Catholic University of America and its Center for Human Rights is honored to support the work of activist Chen Guangcheng, who is a Distinguished Fellow at the University. His is a voice that defines this generation’s fight for human rights throughout the world. Blind from a young age and a self-taught lawyer, Guangcheng has spent his life fighting for the rights of the disabled and marginalized in China. He exposed the atrocity of the Chinese Communist Party’s forced abortions, leading to his captivity. Guangcheng’s cry for justice, after enduring years of brutal torture at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, shocked the world and opened his path for a new life of activism in the haven of the United States, after his harrowing, and miraculous, escape from house arrest.
Through the support of the Center for Human Rights, Guangcheng broadcasts his message for justice in both English and Chinese from the heart of Washington, D.C. His gripping story, a true odyssey for justice, is recounted in his memoir.
Fostering Human Rights On a Global Scale
Guangcheng has visited over a dozen countries to speak about the importance of human rights, throughout Europe, Asia, and Central America. The work of the Center for Human Rights is of a global scope, promoting human dignity in China, the United States and throughout the world. Through his work on digital platforms, Guangcheng is able to have a limitless reach of listeners, especially in countries that respect freedom of speech.
His new YouTube channel, The Barefoot Lawyer Reports podcast, is produced for English speakers throughout the world. Mr. Chen is happy and eager to engage in conversations with anyone about China or human rights, with his extensive experience and insider information about what is happening in China today, often not covered in the news.
Additionally, the Barefoot Lawyer Podcasts, soon to be released, will provide periodic and deep analysis of current events concerning human rights. Mr. Chen will be joined by the renowned human rights expert, law professor William Saunders.
Promoting the Blessings of Liberty
Guangcheng has found a home in the United States, the bastion of “liberty and justice for all,” whose embassy was his only hope in his most desperate hour. Now, Guangcheng understands the importance of fostering American values of freedom, rule of law, equality, and justice. In line with the Catholic University of America’s mission to “give the republic her best citizens,” Guangcheng’s work helps to underscore the immutable values promoted by both the nation and the Catholic Church and that continue to make the United States the land of opportunity.
Along these lines, Guangcheng is an activist against arbitrary, politically-motivated internet censorship, denial of free speech or religious liberty, and all forms of governmental authority that place the state above the good of the person and the community.