San Diego State University Launches

In June 2021, San Diego State University (SDSU) announced the establishment of a new Center for Human Rights. Housed within the SDSU College of Arts and Letters (CAL), the center aims at supporting and providing interdisciplinary education and research on human rights. Additionally, it offers opportunities to engage in related issues on both local and global levels.

CAL Dean Monica J. Casper cited SDSU’s location on land belonging to the Native American tribe Kumeyaay and the close proximity with the US-Mexico border, where human rights are often disregarded, as a particularly suitable setting for broadening ongoing human rights work. She also applauded the center’s director and professor of political science, Grace Cheng.

Dr. Cheng began the groundwork for the center in 2018. Since then, she has spearheaded the Interdisciplinary Human Rights Initiative to get students involved in the comprehensive study of human rights. The establishment of CAL furthers the opportunities for growth and expansion, which in turn will benefit future students and facilitate greater collaboration on pressing human rights issues.

Apart from being the driving force behind the center, Dr. Cheng also assembled its steering committee, which comprises SDSU faculty members and experts in human rights issues from various fields of study. The committee includes professors of communication, women’s studies, Latin American studies, European studies, international security and conflict resolution, and film, to mention a few.

This diversity aligns with the center’s aim for interdisciplinary human rights education and research and is reflected in its curriculum. The curriculum covers a wide range of related topics to provide more comprehensive insight into rights issues; topics range from politics and economics to public health and the environment.

Another key objective of the new center is to develop students’ critical thinking on contemporary social and economic issues and how to look for and develop solutions. For example, William Twayigize, a professor at SDSU’s Institute for International Security and Conflict Resolution, teaches a course titled “Our Global Future.” The course reviews the major current resource and social crises around the globe and their immediate and future impact. It also discusses these crises from various perspectives, including through the lenses of history, environment, and urban context, to discern potential sustainable solutions.

Professor Twayigize considers it essential to build awareness of human rights among students. He notes that bringing up a new generation more engaged in human rights-related issues will contribute to a fairer, more tolerant, and more equal society.

SDSU’s new center also confers a Certificate in Human Rights, obtainable by students from all majors. Additionally, it presents students with various practical opportunities, such as research opportunities and internships at local and worldwide nongovernmental and other human rights organizations.

According to Dr. Cheng, it is the joint efforts of the different academic departments, the NGOs, student organizations, and partner institutions that contribute to creating synergy.

In the future, the Center for Human Rights plans to expand both its curriculum and its experiential opportunities. Some examples include additional courses on relevant and timely matters, a film and lecture series, and more study abroad and internship options.

Mama’s Kitchen Provides Nutritious Food

Out of concern for neighbors affected by the AIDS outbreak, a San Diego caregiver founded Mama’s Kitchen in 1990. She organized a volunteer group to cook meals and deliver them to people weakened by AIDS who could no longer shop or cook for themselves. At the peak of the AIDS epidemic, when some hospitals could no longer accept patients, the volunteers persevered to provide those who were critically sick with nutritious meals.

Delivery volunteers later realized that many who were severely ill were sharing their much-needed food with their children. As a result, in 1999, Mama’s Kitchen expanded its home food delivery service to include the dependent children of its clients. Subsequently, applying the lessons learned from AIDS nutrition, the nonprofit further expanded its food home delivery service to other immunocompromised communities.

The nonprofit’s Home-Delivered Meal Service distributes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with snacks, to individuals who have cancer, HIV, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease and are physically or mentally incapable of preparing meals due to their sickness. The only service of its kind in San Diego County, it provides meals daily throughout the year, for free.

Meals are delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays, within a two-hour delivery period as agreed on with the client. The six-week menu cycle follows guidelines set by the American Dietetic Association and is registered dietitian-approved. A range of menu offerings address individual nutritional requirements, including vegetarian, soft, lactose-free, and low-salt options. To qualify for the free meal delivery service, a health care provider or case manager must provide a client referral to Mama’s Kitchen.

Mama’s Kitchen also operates a pantry service for individuals with HIV/AIDS who are economically challenged but capable of shopping and cooking their food. Clients can shop at Mama’s Pantry once a month. In addition to pasta, canned goods, cereals, and other nonperishable goods, Mama’s Pantry offers a limited range of perishable goods, such as bread, meat, and fresh fruit. There is no need for a referral to obtain pantry services, although clients must have written proof of an HIV/AIDS diagnosis, San Diego residency, and income equal to or less than $1,700 per month.

The organization’s Emergency Food Assistance (EFA) program, meanwhile, provides a maximum of 12 weekly grocery bags over 12 months. Each grocery bag includes nonperishable and perishable food items, good for one week's worth of groceries or up to 21 meals, along with a list of menu ideas. Clients can pick up their EFA bags Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm at Mama’s Kitchen.

Funded by the County of San Diego, the Emergency Food Assistance program accepts individuals who are HIV positive and have a referral from a county case manager. There are no income restrictions for participation.

Lastly, Mama’s Kitchen provides medical nutrition therapy. Through this program, clients who receive meals through the organization can take part in a one-on-one meeting with a registered dietitian, free of charge, to develop customized nutritional goals. Eligibility requirements apply. For further details about Mama’s Kitchen, visit www.mamaskitchen.org.