Human rights activist, journalism alumna, visits J school

Jane Olson, international human rights activist, will visit the College of Journalism and meet with Nebraska students who are against modern-day slavery on Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. in Andersen Hall. Olson is a 1964 graduate of journalism and history at UNL.

Nebraska University Students Against Modern-Day Slavery was created for students by students. NUSAMS' mission is to inform others about the tragedy of human trafficking. NUSAMS aim to recruit, educate and mobilize students through this social movement to effectively combat the issue of modern-day slavery through prevention, awareness, education and activism.

As Olson's career evolved, she continued to follow opportunities and create change. Most recently, Olson completed her term as chair of the board of trustees of Human Rights Watch in Pasadena, Calif., where she and her husband Ron live. She currently serves on the Emeritus Board for the organization. Human Rights Watch is the largest U.S.-based nongovernmental organization protecting human rights around the world.

Olson has also served as the chair of the Survivor Corps board of directors, and in 1979, she co-founded the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, which took her across the globe to Europe, Latin America and the Soviet Union. In addition, Olson worked to promote the Nuclear Freeze Campaign, has served on the board of the Pacific Council on International Policy and the board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Olson's lifelong dedication to humanitarian efforts earned her the first-ever Eleanor Roosevelt Award from Feminist Majority. She has also been the recipient of several other regional and national awards recognizing her volunteer work.