Meet Victoria Strang, who holds the first full-time position at Human Rights Watch focused on building faith partnerships. Passionate about helping secular organizations develop authentic relationships with faith communities to advance work to create a more just world, Victoria previously did faith outreach for the Humane Society and organizing for the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. Victoria, who lives in Rhode Island, is also an innoFaith Contributing Editor.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
I grew up in a large United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation in Massachusetts. The UCC places a considerable emphasis on social justice, community, democracy, and political participation, all of which has greatly influenced me throughout my professional and personal life. I was taught that faith was not something internal and private but meant to be acted out in the world. It is part of my beliefs to create a world in which people and planet thrive. During my studies at Yale Divinity School I was exposed to deeper theological concepts such as Liberation Theology, Womanist Theology, Eco-theology, and others, which gave theological depth to much of what I practiced. Today I attend a local Episcopal Church.
What are you currently working on?
I currently serve as the Senior Policy Advocate with Faith Communities at Human Rights Watch (HRW). This is the first time HRW has held a position specifically for outreach to religious leaders, organizations, and individuals. I have the opportunity to work with diverse communities around the world on numerous issues of human rights.
Currently I am working on projects related to refugees in the European Union with a particular focus on the increase in “off-shoring” or “externalization” of migrants to third party countries. I am also working with faith leaders to end the chaining/shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities (a particular problem led by faith organizations/houses of worship in some parts of the world) as well as ending the use of explosive weapons in civilian areas.
HRW has just finished a new Global Strategy that will help guide our work in the coming years. I have been tasked with helping to implement and socialize the plan with a particular emphasis on establishing more strategic planning and collaboration into our work.
What can we find you doing when you're not working?
Traveling, watching documentaries, reading, singing or baking.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
Two things:
1. How we work to promote human rights within areas of the world that see human rights as a “Western” concept and a perpetuation of colonialism (particularly around issues of women and LGBT rights).
2. Ties between rising authoritarianism and religion across numerous geographic areas, cultures, and religions.
What is something you'd like help on?
The two areas listed above as well as engaging secular nonprofits/social justice movements with faith communities.
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
Strategic planning, partnership building, stakeholder mapping, education for secular organizations on the benefits of faith partners, public health and religion.
You can find Victoria via LinkedIn
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at www.innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.