ISHR’s Statement on Recent Events: Standing against racism and institutional violence

We recognize that the past few days have been especially difficult. ISHR condemns the recent murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others, as well as the ongoing instances of police brutality and abuse of power.

The pain and anger at the violent racism that erupted over the last week is all too familiar and oft-repeated. Of the many reasons causing it, from immoral and debilitating inequality to outright discrimination, the violence of the police around the country has become the focus and the proximate cause of turning peaceful demonstrations into an uprising. The police needs to be a civilian community institution that respects and upholds the rights of all individuals, not a military force that attacks the community it is supposed to serve. We call on local leadership and politicians around the country to reach out to local activists; to de-escalate the conflict rather than “dominate” it; to engage in conflict resolution rather than oppression; and to stop the trampling of human rights. We stand with those in this country and globally who are struggling against long-standing racism and institutional violence in its many forms. 

Please find below links to additional information and resources that may be useful. We also encourage you to share resources through our Slack community.