Activities

Shuttleworth has personally met with youth, educators, community and religious leaders, humanitarians, legislators as well as caring dignitaries, including kings, heads of government, presidents, officials of the United Nations as well as Commonwealth of Nations. Mary considers it an honor to meet volunteers, learn about their passionate work, and acknowledge their efforts. Her one-on-one meetings have taken her beyond major cities to remote villages down many less traveled bumpy dirt roads, sharing with orphans, brave survivors of human trafficking (modern-day slavery), indigenous communities, etc. Boots-on-the-ground, face-to-face with heartwarming and heart-wrenching stark realities, she remembers, for example, the all-too-skinny child who reached out to Mary as she was leaving an orphanage. Wrapping her little hands around Mary’s, the orphan pleaded, “Take me with you.” Gut-wrenching, soul sobbing. Each of her encounters could fill a chapter; all would outweigh volumes. Overwhelmingly, many agree that in our imperfect world, human rights education is vital right now. 

Mary’s global outreach started as a family affair with her then 19-year old son Taron Lexton who had recently graduated from LA Film School. They traveled from Hong Kong to Taipei, Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Katmandu, Lusaka, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Accra (Ghana), Caracas, George Town (Guyana), then Mexico City, before returning to Los Angeles. The world educational tour was a monumental task launching the series of annual world educational tours and producing the multiple international award-winning anti-bullying music video, UNITED (TXL Films), inspiring exponential expansion. 

“Human Rights Education is essential and vital right now.”

Dr. Mary Shuttleworth