Rocky takes the HIgh Road for HUman Rights
Ross “Rocky” Anderson, former mayor of Salt Lake City and founder of High Road for Human Rights, went to law school to find a way to make the world a better place.
He experienced several pivotal moments that led to the founding of High Road for Human Rights including the United States’ failure to respond to genocide throughout the world even after proclaiming “never again” about the Holocaust, a movie called “The Day my God Died” that premiered in Park City, and meeting with sex workers in India.
“I felt that it was probably my mission to do what I could do to create a mechanism that could inform people about human rights problems and solutions and mobilize them into action,” says Anderson. “The founding of High Road for Human Rights was natural part of my evolution.”
He believes that there are three types of people in the world: perpetrators, bystanders and upstanders.
“The bystanders make wrong-doing possible,” says Anderson. “I see it as my job to help those who are willing to be upstanders.”
He defines upstanders as those who are willing to protect people who cannot protect themselves.
Anderson served two terms as mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000 to 2008. As Mayor, Anderson was able to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions 31 percent in 3 years. He also made investments in early childhood programs, continue the expansion of mass transit, stood up for the LGBTQ community and listened to those whom he was elected to govern.
“The most important thing was letting everybody know that they had an important place in the community,” says Anderson. “No one should be marginalized.”
Anderson has had the nickname “Rocky” since he was little. He says that it started with his parents even though they didn’t really seem the types to use nicknames.
(Editor’s Note: High Road for Human Rights was shut down due primarily to a lack of funding.)
This article was originally published at examiner.com. Links updated Feb. 2017.
He experienced several pivotal moments that led to the founding of High Road for Human Rights including the United States’ failure to respond to genocide throughout the world even after proclaiming “never again” about the Holocaust, a movie called “The Day my God Died” that premiered in Park City, and meeting with sex workers in India.
“I felt that it was probably my mission to do what I could do to create a mechanism that could inform people about human rights problems and solutions and mobilize them into action,” says Anderson. “The founding of High Road for Human Rights was natural part of my evolution.”
He believes that there are three types of people in the world: perpetrators, bystanders and upstanders.
“The bystanders make wrong-doing possible,” says Anderson. “I see it as my job to help those who are willing to be upstanders.”
He defines upstanders as those who are willing to protect people who cannot protect themselves.
Anderson served two terms as mayor of Salt Lake City from 2000 to 2008. As Mayor, Anderson was able to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions 31 percent in 3 years. He also made investments in early childhood programs, continue the expansion of mass transit, stood up for the LGBTQ community and listened to those whom he was elected to govern.
“The most important thing was letting everybody know that they had an important place in the community,” says Anderson. “No one should be marginalized.”
Anderson has had the nickname “Rocky” since he was little. He says that it started with his parents even though they didn’t really seem the types to use nicknames.
(Editor’s Note: High Road for Human Rights was shut down due primarily to a lack of funding.)
This article was originally published at examiner.com. Links updated Feb. 2017.