HONORING ROBIN PHILIPS' RETIREMENT

HONORING ROBIN PHILIPS' RETIREMENT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E18-E19] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING ROBIN PHILIPS' RETIREMENT ______ HON. BETTY McCOLLUM of minnesota in the house of representatives Monday, January 13, 2025 Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Ms. Robin Philips, for her lifelong commitment to defending women and girls' rights at home and abroad, and to congratulate her on her retirement. In 1995, Ms. Philips joined the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing domestic violence and other human right issues. She went on to found the Women's Human Rights Program that has made The Advocates, as it is known, a global leader on women's rights. In 2002, Ms. Philips became the Executive Director of The Advocates. Under her leadership, Ms. Philips recruited thousands of volunteers to contribute their time and talent to providing legal services, outreach efforts, fact-finding, and operational support, strengthening not only the organization but the whole human rights movement. By keeping The Advocates' work primarily volunteer-driven, the organization was able to leverage $156,300,282 (approximately $7 million/year) worth of in- kind legal services over the past 22 years. Through it all, The Advocates has provided pro bono legal counsel to more than 7,000 victims of persecution, torture, trafficking, prolonged detention, and family violence in the Upper Midwest Region. One shining example of Ms. Philips' accomplishments includes a report issued by The Advocates in 2008. The report laid the foundation for Minnesota's Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Youth Act, transforming the state's approach to addressing sex trafficking by prioritizing the protection and support of victims and those at risk. Under Ms Philips' leadership, The Advocates led many high-profile transitional projects in Peru, Siena Leone, and Liberia, which highlighted the dire need for human rights advocacy in post-conflict healing and reconciliation processes. At the request of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), The Advocates led the Liberian TRC Diaspora Project by documenting the human rights abuses experienced by the thousands of Liberians who were arrested, tortured, abused and forced to leave the country after prolonged civil war during the 1990's. Under her leadership, The Advocates recruited over 600 volunteers to provide more than $10 million in pro bono services to the Liberian TRC. As a result, The Advocates documented statements, stories and testimonials from more than 1,600 Liberian individuals and witnesses in the US, UK and Ghana. Through the Liberian TRC Diaspora Project, The Advocates held the first public hearings of a national truth commission in St. Paul in June 2008. Today, Liberia is implementing several of the recommendations made in the report, most notably by establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court. [[Page E19]] Ms. Philips' tireless efforts working with partners and advocates around the world to abolish the death penalty and to defend and protect the LGBTQI community is commendable. Finally, her commitment to building schools and providing education to young people in Nepal from Pre-K through 10th grade by serving more than 1,000 low-income Nepali students today exemplifies the spirit of American ingenuity and being a great Samaritan. Above all, Ms. Philips is a trailblazing leader and a human rights champion. Mr. Speaker, please join me in this well-deserved tribute to Robin Philips on her retirement after nearly three decades of defending human rights at home and abroad. ____________________