The Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA), chaired by the University of Monterrey, Scholars at Risk, and the Human Rights Research and Education Center (HRREC) at the University of Ottawa, fosters the promotion, protection, and respect for academic freedom, with the goal of developing relevant human rights standards that serve to protect higher education spaces, to identify best practices, and to strengthen democratic principles in the Americas.
OUR GOALS
- To contribute to the effective application of the Inter-American Principles on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy that were adopted in December 2021.
- To increase public understanding of the importance of academic freedom for a democratic society in the Americas and to protect the spaces where scientists, policy makers, and advocates can develop solutions to societal problems.
- To monitor incidents that may affect academic freedom in the Americas and to establish contacts with interested parties.
- To lead, support and develop a sustainable hemispheric network of defenders and allies who are well positioned to identify and respond to threats, and generate strategies to protect and promote academic freedom that are consistent with international standards and adapted to local realities.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
The Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas is unwavering in its commitment to defend and promote academic freedom as a fundamental human right. We believe academic freedom is the cornerstone of democratic societies, enabling scientific progress, cultural and social development, and the fulfilment of all other human rights. It is essential for educators, researchers, and students to operate free from fear, discrimination, or repression, and to participate in public debate as equal members of society.
Academic freedom encompasses the right to teach, research, and disseminate ideas according to scientific and ethical standards, while engaging with diverse perspectives both inside and outside academic communities. These principles, enshrined in international frameworks, United Nations Special Rapporteurs’ reports and the Inter-American Principles on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy, emphasize the shared responsibility of states and academic institutions to safeguard this right.
The Coalition advocates for these principles irrespective of political context. Academic freedom must not be subject to shifting priorities or agendas as it is a universal and enduring right, serving as a safeguard against authoritarianism and a guarantor of democratic resilience. All governments, institutions, and individuals linked with higher education must respect and uphold academic freedom, ensuring that education remains a space for critical inquiry, creativity, and the pursuit of truth.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
SCHOLARS AT RISK
International network of institutions and individuals whose mission is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom. Throughout its 21-year history, it has helped hundreds of scholars facing serious threats by providing them with places of refuge in SAR’s growing network, which now includes more than 500 universities around the world. Scholars at Risk not only provides physical safety, but also protection for scholars’ past, present and future ideas.
HUMAN RIGHTS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTRE (HRREC) at the UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
A university research and teaching institution. It promotes training and research support, as well as the creation and dissemination of human rights knowledge and analysis. Created in 1981, the HRREC strives to bring together educators, researchers and students from other disciplines based on the need to address human rights issues from a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective, both to respect human rights and to explore what they require in a complex and interconnected world.
UNIVERSITY OF MONTERREY
With a strong network of connections throughout the Americas, this Mexican university is an active member of the Scholars at Risk Network and uniquely positioned to serve as an operational hub for the Coalition. The university has a long history of engagement and leadership on issues related to the internationalization of higher education, even as a member of NAFSA and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC).
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
