Human Rights Updates
Application Period for the 2012 Human Rights Institute is now open!
Happy New Year! The Human Rights Project (HRP) at the Urban Justice Center is pleased to announce that the application period for the 2012 Human Rights Institute is now open! The 2012 Institute will take place March 28-30th in New York City. Hosted by the Human Rights Project in partnership with the US Human Rights Network, the Human Rights Institute (HRI) is an annual three-day long fellowship program that equips participants with information on the human rights framework and provides specific tools for applying the framework to strengthen their local advocacy efforts around economic and social justice, such as the human right to housing, health, education, and decent work. See Application Form here. The priority deadline for applications with scholarship requests has been extended to January 16, 2012. See scholarship request form here. Please note that scholarship requests must be submitted with the application form. The deadline for general applications (without a scholarship request) is January 16, 2012. The application is free. There will be a registration fee of $100.00 for all accepted applicants (this fee is not covered by scholarship). Women of color groups will be given priority.
Coming Soon: the 2011 New York City Council Human Rights Report Card
We are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of the 2011 New York City Human Rights Report Card. Please help us complete the report by donating here. Your donation by the end of 2011 will help support publication, distribution and community education on the report card. This annual report is the only report of its kind. It provides a comprehensive evaluation of the human rights records of individual Council Members and the Council as a legislative body, and documents the roadblocks that progressive legislation encounter in the struggle for passage.
Human Rights GOAL Update
The Human Rights in Government Operations Audit Law (Human Rights GOAL or Intro 283) has gained new momentum. We now have 30 sponsors on the bill. Human Rights GOAL would require every city agency to proactively ensure that its policies do not negatively impact the city's most vulnerable residents. Human Rights GOAL will lead to a stronger and more equitable New York City.
6th Annual National Human Rights Institute on Feb 2-4, 2011
The Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center and the US Human Rights Network invite applications for the sixth National Human Rights Institute in New York on February 2-4, 2011. The National Human Rights Institute is a three-day advanced program for advocates learn about human rights mechanisms, standards and laws, and how to use them to advance domestic policy. This year we are looking in particular at the experience of women of color in the world of work, and how to use human rights standards to advance economic justice.
Click here to download application form. Application deadline is December 2, 2010 (priority) and December 17, 2010 (regular). Priority deadline is for those applying for scholarships.
Once selected to participate, there will be a non-refundable registration fee of $100. Reduced fee if more than one person is attending from an organization, or if organizational budget is less than $100,000 There will be a limited number of scholarships available for hotel and travel.Click here to download the scholarship form.
HRP Releases 2010 Human Rights Report Card on City Council
HRP released the 2010 City Council Human Rights Report Card today. The report card grades each of the 51 members of the New York City Council on his or her human rights record, based on votes and sponsorship of key legislation before the Council in the past 12 months. Congratulations to the 2010 City Council "A" Listers:
Melissa Mark-Viverito (Manhattan, District 8) - A+
Jumaane D. Williams (Brooklyn, District 45) - A+
Gale Brewer (Manhattan, District 6) - A
Daniel Dromm (Queens, District 25) - A
Letitia James (Brooklyn, District 35) - A
Oliver Koppell (Bronx, District 11) - A
Brad Lander (Brooklyn, District 39) - A
Annabel Palma (Bronx, District 18) - A
Ydanis Rodriguez (Manhattan, District 10) - A
Mark-Viverito and Williams will be honored with this year’s New York City Human Rights Award.
Human Rights Groups Submit Report on the U.S. Human Rights record to the United Nations
The US Human Rights Network has released a compilation of reports including HRP's report on work, women and people of color.
Please download the US Human Rights Network's Human Rights Report. The UN summary of NGO reports can also be accessed online.
The report covers a sweeping range of human rights topics and was published in response to the US government report submitted to the UN on August 23rd. HRP commends the US government for its participation in the UN's Universal Periodic Review process. The review of the United States, human rights record will take place on November 5, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
List of questions sent to the United States in advance of the UPR:
Advance questions: Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, & Slovenia
Advance questions: Bolivia, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, & United Kingdom
US Government Townhall Transcript
Economic and Social Rights Recommendations
Fact Sheet for Economic Justice Groups
HRP Releases UPR Report on Work, Women and People of Color
HRP and other worker's rights groups release a joint report on the over-representation of women and people of color in unemployment, underemployment, low-wage work and poverty. The report will be submitted to the United Nations for the Universal Periodic Review of the United States in November 2010. HRP and the groups that submitted the report are calling on the Obama Administration to adopt a jobs creation program targeting women and people of color.
Please download the UPR Report on Work, Women and People of Color.
HRP Releases Toolkit on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
To start off the New Year, HRP has released a brand new toolkit on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a new human rights mechanism of the United Nations. We hope you use this toolkit to engage the UPR process as another tool for advancing human rights domestically.
HRP Coordinating UPR Report on the Right to Work and Economic Security
HRP is coordinating an effort calling on all levels of government to ensure the right to work and economic security for groups that are overrepresented in unemployment and/or underemployment and poverty – particularly communities of color and women.
HRP is coordinating the submission of a national 10-page report on the right to work to the United Nations through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The 10-page report on the right to work, which is due on April 19, 2010, will outline concrete recommendations for all levels of government to address the problems of unemployment and underemployment in communities of color and for women. The report and subsequent advocacy efforts will include contributions from organizations in cities with some of the highest income disparities such as New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and other urban areas.
Please share this factsheet on the UPR Right to Work Report with other groups and individuals working on the issue.If you are interested in participating in the Right to Work report, please contact us.
If you would like to participate in the UPR process by submitting or contributing to a report on a different topic, please contact the US Human Rights Network.
