Aryeh Neier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aryeh Neier
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Neier in 2013
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| Born | April 22, 1937 |
| Nationality | naturalized U.S. citizen |
| Alma mater | Cornell University, B.S., 1958. |
| Occupation | Human rights activist |
| Known for | Co-founder Human Rights Watch, President of George Soros’s Open Society Institute (1993 to 2012) |
| Spouse(s) | Yvette Celton (a merchandiser) |
| Children | David |
Aryeh Neier (born April 22, 1937) is an American human rights activist. He helped start Human Rights Watch, a major group that works for human rights around the world. From 1993 to 2012, he was the president of the Open Society Institute, a charity network. Before that, he led the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1970 to 1978. He also helped create the group SDS.
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Early Life and Education
Aryeh Neier was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1937. His family was Jewish. When he was two years old, his family had to flee Germany in 1939. This was because of the Nazis, who were persecuting Jewish people. He became a refugee, meaning someone who has to leave their home country for safety. Later, he moved to the United States. He went to Cornell University and graduated with high honors in 1961.
Working for Human Rights
Aryeh Neier started working for the ACLU in 1963. The ACLU is a group that protects the rights and freedoms of people in the United States. In 1970, he became the executive director of the organization. During his time there, the ACLU grew a lot, gaining many new members.
Defending Free Speech
One important event during his time at the ACLU was the "Skokie case." In this case, the ACLU decided to defend the right of a group to march in Skokie, Illinois. This group held views that many people found offensive. Skokie had many Jewish residents and people who had survived the Holocaust.
Many people were upset with Neier and the ACLU for defending this group. About 30,000 members left the ACLU because of this decision. However, Neier explained his actions in a book. He argued that protecting the right to speak freely, even for groups we disagree with, is very important. He believed that if the government can stop one group from speaking, it could stop any group. He felt that protecting the rights of all groups, especially minorities, helps protect everyone's freedom.
Founding Human Rights Watch
In 1978, Aryeh Neier helped create a new organization called Helsinki Watch. This group focused on human rights around the world. In 1988, Helsinki Watch changed its name to Human Rights Watch. As a leader in human rights, Neier has investigated many cases of human rights abuses. He also played a part in setting up the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. This court was created to bring justice for serious crimes committed during conflicts.
Neier has also written many articles and opinion pieces. These have appeared in well-known publications like The New York Review of Books. Today, he teaches a course about promoting human rights at the Paris School of International Affairs in Paris, France.
Books by Aryeh Neier
Aryeh Neier has written several books about rights, justice, and freedom:
- Dossier: The Secret Files They Keep on You (1974)
- Crime and Punishment: A Radical Solution (1976)
- Defending My Enemy: American Nazis in Skokie, Illinois, and the Risks of Freedom (1979)
- Only Judgment: The Limits of Litigation in Social Change (1982)
- War Crimes: Brutality, Terror, and the Struggle for Justice (1998)
- Taking Liberties: Four Decades in the Struggle for Rights (2003)
- The International Human Rights Movement (2012)
