We join partners and friends across the movement in mourning the passing of Rev. Pharis J. Harvey, a steadfast advocate for workers’ rights and a guiding force in the global effort to end child labor.

Pharis played an instrumental role in shaping what is now GoodWeave International. From the earliest days of the organization, he supported and mentored co-founders Kailash Satyarthi and Nina Smith while helping incubate RugMark (now GoodWeave) at the International Labor Rights Fund—work that would grow into a grassroots-to-global effort to protect children and workers in supply chains.

An ordained United Methodist minister, Pharis dedicated his life to advancing human rights. He served as Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Fund, co-Chair of the Child Labor Coalition, and led the North American Coalition for Human Rights in Korea. His work also extended to research, teaching, and storytelling, including as a Senior Program Consultant for Stolen Childhoods and as the author of Trading Away the Future: Child Labor in India’s Export Industries. In 1996, he received the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award in recognition of his contributions to labor rights.

Through his example and now in his memory, Pharis showed what this movement stands for. He demonstrated that change is possible when we work alongside workers to change systems and shift power toward them.

Reflecting on the legacy of figures such as Jane Addams, Florence Kelley, Mother Jones, and Frances Perkins, we are reminded of the individuals who laid the foundation for today’s labor rights movement. Pharis carried that legacy forward, helping to shape a modern, global effort grounded in accountability and dignity for workers.

We are grateful for his leadership, his conviction, and the path he helped build. May his memory be a blessing and a call to continue this work, together.