The UCLA School of Law has received a $20 million gift to launch a new institute that will serve as a national hub for human rights education and advocacy.

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law will be supported by proceeds from the feature film “The Promise,” as well as donations and university resources. The grant is the largest gift to launch a new institute in the history of UCLA Law.

“The Promise,” which is set during the Armenian genocide that began in 1915, opens in theaters on Friday, April 21.

“In so many corners of the campus, our faculty and students are focused on identifying and addressing the conditions that create social unrest, displacement and injustice,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “The Promise Institute will become UCLA’s center for collaboration in this area and will greatly enhance our ability to serve a global leadership role.”

The institute will advance the law school’s already-extensive work in human rights. Law school faculty and students will collaborate with scholars in other disciplines to train the next generation of human rights leaders and develop strategies to address crises around the globe.

Dr. Eric Esrailian, lead producer of “The Promise” and a faculty member at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, spearheaded the effort to establish the institute.

“The Armenian genocide must never be forgotten and this need was one reason why we made ‘The Promise,’” Esrailian said. “However, human rights tragedies – in Syria, the Congo and South Sudan and a global refugee crisis – continue to unfold today.”

Support for the Promise Institute is part of a $4.2 billion Centennial Campaign for UCLA, which is scheduled to conclude in December 2019 during UCLA’s 100th anniversary. For information, visit law.ucla.edu.