February 22, 2024: Chen Guangcheng and Bill Saunders attend Jimmy Lai Art Unveiling

On February 22, 2024, Chen Guangcheng and William Saunders attended the unveiling of a painting created by Hong Kong democracy advocate, Jimmy Lai. Lai, who is a friend and ally of Guangcheng, is currently incarcerated for his refusal to turn his media outlets into propaganda outlets for the Chinese Communist Party. Lai, a devout Catholic, gave this painting originally to his godfather, Bill McGurn and his wife Julie, a Catholic University trustee, both of whom were present for the unveiling.. The McGurns donated the painting to the Busch School of Business, where it will be permanently displayed outside the chapel. Lai was awarded an honorary degree by Catholic University in 2022. President Peter Kilpatrick, Busch School Dean, Andrew Abela, Father Robert Sirico, University Chaplain Father Aquinas Guilbeau, and oher CUA notables were among those in attendance. View Pictures Here!

February 8, 2024: Dr. William Saunders Delivers Remarks at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

On February 8, 2024, Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, delivered remarks at the annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. He spoke about St. Bakhita, the Sudanese survivor of slavery, who is the patroness of the M.A. in Human Rights Program. Dr. Saunders is a Board Member of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. Watch the Event Here!

January 31, 2024: Center for Human Rights Attends IRF Summit

On January 31, Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng attended the International Religious Freedom Conference, which was also co-chaired by Fellow Sam Brownback. The conference was attended by hundreds of pro-religious freedom advocates from across the world, including students who received training in religious freedom advocacy by Dr. William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights. View photos here!

January 31, 2024: Chen Guangcheng Honored for Ten Years at Catholic University

On January 31, 2024, Center for Human Rights Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng joined other faculty and staff at a dinner honoring long-term service to the University. Guangcheng, who joined President Peter Kilpatrick at the head table, was honored for his ten years as a Distinguished Fellow at CUA.

November 20, 2023: President Biden, Don't Forget China's Political Prisoners

"As the sun sets on Asia-Pacific Economic Conference, the curtain closes on another high-level diplomatic and business forum bringing East and West together. No doubt many deals were made, and many handshakes secured guarantees of mutual economic benefit for those at the top of the represented societies. But one crucial piece was missing. In particular, the widely-anticipated meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping held the promise for many Americans—and many citizens abroad—that the U.S. president might hold the Chinese dictator to account for human rights abuses in China. Sadly, it appears that the universal values that form the bedrock of Western democracies did not make it onto the summit agenda." Read Here

November 7, 2023: Chen Guangcheng Speaks at Princeton’s Whig-Cliosophic Society

Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Human Rights, recounted his human rights work and daring escape from China to the members of Princeton’s Whig-Cliosophic Society, which is the oldest debate society in the United States. Its founding members included James Madison and Aaron Burr. His presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session.

November 1, 2023: America's Global Responsibility

Originally published for the Epoch Times.

"Just as the war in Ukraine reaches a critical point and conflict engulfs the Middle East, voices across the United States are increasingly questioning U.S. involvement abroad. Some politicians and the public seem to suggest that the United States should focus on its domestic problems at the exclusion of international issues. “What’s in it for us?” they ask. “Why should Americans care about—and fund—conflicts happening in far-off nations when we have so many problems at home to address?”" Continue Reading

October 31, 2023: Chen Guangcheng and Dr. William Saunders Speak to the Columbus School of Law

Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Human Rights, and William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, spoke about human rights law at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. The event was sponsored by the law school’s Federalist Society and the Saint John Paul II Guild of Lawyers. Click here to see pictures.

October 28, 2023: Chen Guangcheng and Dr. William Saunders appear on the Ask a Lawyer Show

Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Human Rights, and William Saunders, Director of the Center for Human Rights, appeared on Michael Connors’s Ask the Lawyer show, a popular New York Radio talk show which features prominent lawyers. Click here to listen to the interview.

October 19, 2023: Chen Guangcheng Speaks to the American Solidarity Party

On October 19th 2023 Chen Guancheng, Distinguished Fellow at Catholic University of America's Center for Human Rights, gave the Catholic University of America's American Solidarity Party chapter his testimony of the Chinese Communist Party's human rights violations. Watch here.

September 23, 2023: Center for Human Rights Fellow Sen Nieh Speaks at Event about Genocides

On Saturday, September 23, 2023, Professor Sen Nieh, Fellow at the Center for Human Rights, spoke at the First Annual Convention on Forgotten Genocides, a 1-day conference in Washington, DC. At this conference, Dr. Nieh spoke about China’s Cultural Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party's history with genocide. To view his talk, Click Here!

August 2023: Dr. William Saunders Teaches at Twenty-First Annual Summer Seminar on the Free Society

Dr. William Saunders, Director of The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights, taught in the twenty-first annual Summer Seminar on the Free Society (FSS) in the Slovak Republic. The seminar was created by Michael Novak to help countries freed from the yoke of Communism to create free societies. Dr. Saunders focused on topics such as human rights, bioethics, and religious liberty. View Photos of the Event Here!

July 6, 2023: Human Rights Program Alumnus Represents Federalist Society in Geneva Conference

Jose Freire Nunes (center at table in photo) – who recently graduated from the M.A in Human Rights at the Catholic University of America – attended the 64th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO held in Geneva, Switzerland from July 6 to 14, 2023. He represented the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies as one of the accredited non-governmental organizations invited to attend the Series of Meetings. 

The World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) is a multilateral forum of discussion whose Member States gather periodically to discuss intellectual property related issues. Moreover, a few accredited non-governmental organizations send their representatives to attend those meetings in order to foster participation from civil society in the deliberation process. View Photos of the Event Here!

June 2023: Celebrating a Human Rights Artist

In June of 2023, Chen Guangcheng attended a gathering of human rights activists in California at Liberty Sculpture Park, a park filled with pro-democracy and anti-communism statues produced by artist and activist Chen Weiming. Below is a photo gallery of Weiming's work. View Pictures Here!

June 2023: China's Corporate Spy War

""China’s Corporate Spy War" examines the case of a Chinese government spy who tried to steal trade secrets from some of America’s biggest companies, including GE, Boeing and Honeywell. CNBC’s Eamon Javers talks with prosecutors, intelligence experts and government officials, including the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray — all of whom say the case is an example of China’s desire to dominate global markets through any means necessary, including stealing technology from the heart of corporate America. In this one-hour documentary, Javers explores the shadowy world of spies and the industrial battle space that has millions of U.S. jobs on the line." Watch Here!

May 17, 2023: Chen Guangcheng Delivers Commencement Address at Institute of World Politics

"Chen Guangcheng, Chinese human rights activist and Distinguished Fellow at the Catholic University of America, gave the keynote address at the Institute for World Politics Presidential Investiture and Commencement for the Class of 2023." He also received an honorary degree. A video of this address may be found here.

April 20, 2023: Chen Guangcheng Attends Hearing for Gao Zhisheng

"In the late morning of April 20, experts and witnesses gathered in the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs room. The Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations held a hearing entitled “China’s Political Prisoners: Where’s Gao Zhisheng?” Witnesses for the hearing included Geng He, the wife of the missing lawyer, and Sophie Luo, the wife of the recently sentenced Ding Jiaxi. Both women included powerful testimonies concerning their husbands and other prisoners of conscience." LEARN MORE HERE

March 24, 2023: Op-Ed: Coming Out of the Two Sessions, the CCP Cares for Only One Thing—Itself

Written by Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng for the Epoch Times:

"In early March, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “Two Sessions” began, during which time top officials of the CCP met to discuss policy. This year, as expected, Xi Jinping was anointed for a third term as Party chief." Read More Here!

March 7, 2023: Op-Ed: As the Rule of Law Disappears, So Do Chinese Dissidents

Written by Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng for the Wall Street Journal:

"There is no rule of law under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. This simple truth contradicts the extensive facade of a legal system the party has constructed, from a constitution to an “independent” judiciary, which for decades has painted a veneer of legitimacy over the regime’s abuses. But there is perhaps no clearer illustration of life under the yoke of Chinese authoritarianism than the case of Gao Zhisheng." Read More Here!

March 4, 2023: Chinese Dissident Warns of a 2nd Pearl Harbor Attack If US Ignores CCP Threat (Larry Elder Show)

On March 4, 2023, Chen Guangcheng appeared on the Larry Elder Show to discuss the following:

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has infiltrated the United States to an alarming degree, not just to steal economic and military secrets, but also to censor academia and bribe politicians, according to Chen Guangcheng, the blind human rights lawyer who escaped communist China. Joining Larry Elder, Mr. Chen calls on the Biden administration to take CCP’s threat more seriously and help the Chinese people regain control of China." View the Interview Here!

December 14, 2022: Op-Ed: The People Stand Up Against the Chinese Communist Party

Written by Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng for the Wall Street Journal:

"The Chinese Communist Party’s zero-Covid policy isn’t about controlling the virus. It’s about controlling the Chinese people. The white-paper or A4 protests, in which people hold up blank pages, became a visible expression of anger. The communist government announced some changes this past few days, including looser testing and dropping the mandatory Covid surveillance app on cellphones. But changes in the government’s Covid policy won’t eliminate the people’s rage." Read More Here!

December 2, 2022: Dr. William Saunders Discusses Chinese Protests on EWTN

From extreme COVID lockdowns to violations in the Vatican/China agreement, the Chinese Communist Party continues to commit human rights attrocities on a mass scale. Hosted by Montse Alvarado, EWTN News In Depth welcomed the Catholic University of America's Center for Human Rights Director Dr. William Saunders and several other guests to discuss the waves of protests against the Communist Party's tyranny. Watch Here!

October 1, 2022: Prof. Sen Nieh presents at the International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom

The practice and even private belief in religious or spiritual thought is strictly controlled in China, and given leeway only as long as their assemblies do not grow beyond a certain point. This insecurity drives a system of monitoring and repression that can brutally crush even peaceful spiritual assemblies. What are the implications of this for the world? Speaking at the International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ICHRRF), Center for Human Rights Fellow Prof. Sen Nieh presents the case of Falun Gong. Watch Here!

September 20, 2022: Chen Guangcheng Speaks out for Gao Zhisheng

On September 20, 2022, Center for Human Rights Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng attended and spoke at the unveiling of an artwork of fellow Chinese human rights activist Gao Zhisheng, who has been missing for years. Read more about the event here, and see the gallery of speakers, which included Guangcheng, Center for Human Rights Fellow Sen Nieh, and Representative Chris Smith. The event was sponsored by China Aid, and the artwork, made of 5,000 bullet casing, was created by Zhisheng's wife. See Pictures Here.

July 13, 2022: Why the Chinese Communist Party Is Destroying My Village

Written by Distinguished Fellow Chen Guangcheng for the Wall Street Journal:

"The Chinese Communist Party is again burying history to make a profit and hide its inhumane deeds. How else can one describe its plan to build a dam submerging 27 villages—including my own—without a demonstrated need for such a large-scale public-works structure?" Read More Here! Listen to Podcast Here!

May 17, 2022: Chen Guangcheng Delivers Speech after Winning the 2022 Bradley Prize

On May 17, 2022, The Bradley Foundation awarded Chen Guangcheng, a renowned human rights activist, scholar, and outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party, its annual Prize. Below are pictures from the ceremony, during which Guangcheng gave a speech, and reception. View his remarks here! View photos from the event here!

March 30, 2022: M.A. Faculty Member Chen Guangcheng named 2022 Bradley Prize Winner

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation announced today that Chen Guangcheng, a renowned human rights activist, distinguished fellow at The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights, and outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party, has been named a 2022 Bradley Prize winner. The honor recognizes individuals whose outstanding achievements reflect The Bradley Foundation’s mission to restore, strengthen, and protect the principles and institutions of freedom and American exceptionalism. Chen will receive the award at the 18th annual Bradley Prizes ceremony on Tuesday, May 17th at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Read More Here!

February 3, 2022: William Saunders and Chen Guangcheng Discuss the Beijing Olympics on EWTN

Chen Guangheng, distinguished fellow, Center for Human Rights, and William Saunders, director, Center for Human Rights, appeared on EWTN News Nightly to discuss China and the Beijing Olympics. Watch Here!

January 26, 2022: Chen Guangcheng and Dr. Saunders meet with Mike Pompeo

On January 26, Chen Guangcheng and William Saunders met with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  to talk about the Chinese Communist Party, its influence on the United States, and its efforts to destroy democracy in Hong Kong.

January 1, 2022: Open letter: 2022 New Year’s Declaration on China’s Human Rights Crisis

Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Senior Fellow at our Center for Human Rights, and Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of China Aid, signed this open letter against the Chinese Communist Party's oppression of human rights, hoping for change in 2022. Read the letter here!

October 19, 2021: Annual Human Rights Lecture Ambassador Sam Brownback In Conversation With William Saunders On Human Rights And International Religious Freedom

In the Fourth Annual Human Rights Lecture, Ambassador Brownback will discuss the challenges and opportunities for religious freedom with the IHE’s William Saunders, Director of the Program on Human Rights. Sam Brownback served as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from February 2018 to January 2021. He served as Governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Prior to that he represented his home state in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. While a member of the Senate, he worked actively on the issue of religious freedom in multiple countries and was a key sponsor of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Ambassador Brownback currently serves as co-chair for the International Religious Freedom Summit. He and his wife Mary have five children and six grandchildren. Watch Here!

September 15, 2021: William Saunders at the 17th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

Hosts Tracy Sabol and Catherine Hadro talk to William Saunders, Director of the Program in Human Rights at the Catholic University of America, at the 17th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast about Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong publisher who was imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party and was given the Christifidelis Laici Award at the event. Watch here!

July 13, 2021: Summit on International Religious Freedom and Human Rights in China

Chen Guangcheng and Professor William Saunders discuss religious freedom in China at the International Religious Freedom Summit. Watch Here!

July 9, 2021: The Hundredth Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party

Chen Guangcheng and Dr. Bill Saunders are interviewed by the Westminster Institute about the Chinese Communist Party's one hundredth anniversary. Watch here!

April 8, 2021: Chen Guangcheng wins Leopoldo López Freedom and Democracy Award

The Leopoldo López Freedom and Democracy Award honors an individual who has shown a commitment to plural and inclusive democracy echoing that of the award’s namesake, prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and political prisoner Leopoldo López ’93 H’07. In creating the award, López’s classmates, family and the Kenyon community at large ensure López’s commitment and bravery will not be forgotten, and they shine a light on the dangers of undermining the core principles of democracy. The award, which comes with a $10,000 honorarium, will be presented for the second time in spring 2022. The inaugural winner of the López Award was Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng. Watch Here!