Our History

Humanity in Action was founded by the historian Dr. Judith S. Goldstein in November 1997. Dr. Goldstein and the founding Board of Directors intended to educate and foster a vibrant, international network of innovative leaders committed to protecting minority rights and the values of diverse, democratic societies.

The intellectual touchstone for HIA has always been study of the Holocaust, the most devastating example of the collapse of democratic civil society and the denial of rights to minorities. Studying the Holocaust reveals stories of heroic individuals—acting alone or in communities—taking risks to resist Nazism: the Danes as a people, for instance, rescued their country’s entire Jewish population from murder. The Holocaust reveals questions too: Why do some people make courageous, moral choices while others fail? Can we enable today’s young leaders to make similarly courageous choices?

Motivated by these questions, Dr. Goldstein experimented with pilot educational programs for American and Danish students in 1996 and 1997. Since those pilot programs, HIA has grown geographically, intellectually and in its range of programs. HIA has added fellowships in five countries and has opened applications to students in 13 countries. It has expanded its scope to include topics as diverse as the legacies of American slavery, conflict resolution in the Balkans and contemporary social justice issues in Europe and the United States.

HIA has also continued to create new programs and opportunities for its growing constituency of Senior Fellows—fellowship alumni who remain engaged with HIA and its mission. HIA has developed professional development programs at the U.S. Congress, European Parliament, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and other leading institutions. It also organizes ongoing seminars and educational exchanges so that its network of Senior Fellows and the broader public may remain knowledgeable and inspired by HIA’s core issues.

HIA’s growth has been made possible through cooperation, collaboration and consultation of many generous individuals and a number of leading organizations across sectors, including but not limited to: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS); the Ford Foundation; Johns Hopkins University; The Fulbright Center, Amsterdam; Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung, Zukunft (EVZ); the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice; the US Department of State; and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

HIA Timeline

1997: HIA is incorporated in the United States.

1999: The first HIA Fellowship programs for 40 American, Danish and Dutch students take place in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. HIA The Netherlands is incorporated.

2001: The Lantos-HIA Congressional Fellowship is established. HIA Germany is founded as a separate legal entity.

2002: The HIA Fellowship program in Berlin begins. Senior Fellows begin internships at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

2003: Senior Fellows in the United States hold their first annual conference. HIA Denmark is founded as a separate legal entity.

2004: The Pat Cox-HIA Fellowship in the European Parliament is established.

2005: HIA  begins accepting Fellows from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Poland and Ukraine. HIA France is founded as a separate legal entity.

2006: The HIA Fellowship programs in Paris, New York and Warsaw begin. Internship programs for Senior Fellows are established in Berlin and San Francisco. The European Senior Fellows hold their first annual conference. HIA Germany accepts Fellows from Georgia.

2008: HIA conducts its first educational exchange for Senior Fellows, a study trip to Poland on the theme of “The Relevance of the Holocaust.” HIA expands the participation of Bosnian Fellows. The HIA Centers in the United States and Europe open.

2009: The HIA San Francisco Grassroots Fellowship at non-profit and civic organizations begins. HIA partners with the Dutch government and Felix Meritis Foundation to run the P!oneers program in Amsterdam and New York. HIA Polska is incorporated. HIA establishes a steering committe in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

2010: HIA organizes its first annual international conference. HIA accepts Fellows from Sweden. The number of HIA Senior Fellows surpasses 1,000.

2011: HIA Bosnia and Herzegovina is established as a legal entity. HIA's first book, Reflections on the Holocaust, is published. HIA's first film, "Just People," is released.