Ruth Messinger was one of New York City’s most prominent politicians in the 1980s and 1990s before she took the helm of a respected but low-profile nonprofit focused on international development: the American Jewish World Service. After 18 years, Messinger is giving up the presidency of AJWS, which grew into a major player in the fight against …
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Leading Jewish international human rights organization continues to urge Honduran government to accept an independent, international investigation into Berta Cáceres’ assassination and protect all human rights defenders in the country New York, NY – American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization, applauds the release of environmental activist Gustavo …
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American Jewish World Service, the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization, commends the United States Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls for its focus on ending early and child marriage, making it possible for girls to remain in primary and secondary school, and investing in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of girls.
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“I don’t often speak publicly about my religion,” retiring California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said on the evening of March 13 as she took the stage to be honored at “AJWS at 30: Celebrating Our Global Leaders.” Boxer went on to describe how she inherited her drive for social justice from her mother, an immigrant …
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After 17 fruitful years serving as president of American Jewish World Service, Ruth Messinger will step down later this year. But she’s not retiring.
As she noted, “I’m not the retiring type.”
On July 1, Messinger will hand the reins to current executive vice president Robert Bank. Messinger will then take on the role of global ambassador for the venerable Jewish social justice nonprofit.
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American Jewish World Service mourns the tragic loss of Berta Cáceres, a veteran human rights advocate in Honduras whose work AJWS has supported. Cáceres was killed early this morning in her home. Cáceres was a champion of human and environmental rights in Honduras and fought bravely for the rights of indigenous communities.
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As a city council member, Manhattan borough president and then mayoral candidate, Ruth Messinger’s focus was New York City. But after leaving local politics, she embarked on a new career, one that has taken her around the world. “I would start my speeches by saying ‘Let me introduce myself, I’m a recovering elected official,’” Messinger …
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Mandy Patinkin, stage, screen and television actor (Che Guevara, Inigo Montoya, Saul Berenson), and Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service and democratic mayoral challenger to Rudy Giuliani in 1997, talk about their recent trip to Cambodia to meet with human rights and labor activists.
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The conversation started with a simple question: how do you celebrate your birthday? Go drink beers with friends, enjoy some cake, they answered. And the birthdays of their friends? Again, cake, beer, gifts. But when asked about the birthdays of their sisters, the men, ages 19 to 20, didn’t have as much to offer. Most …
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As an attorney and Uganda human rights activist, America’s elections thrill me. It is breathtaking to witness democracy in full roar, as candidates vie for the nation’s highest office. In Uganda, we hold elections on Feb. 18, and our eight candidates for the presidency are fiercely vying, too. But their ferocity is different; it may …
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