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On December 10, 2008, Human Rights Day, at the urging of the PDHRE, the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning and the American Friends Service Committee DC Peace and EconomicJustice Program, joined by the City Office of Human Rights and more than 20 community organizations(*), individuals, churches and colleges, the D.C. City Council proclaimed the District of Columbia a Human Rights City to mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Washington, D.C. has joined a successful worldwide movement that includes more than 17 cities in 6 countries.

Please join us Saturday, May 30, 2009 for: Gathering of DC Human Rights People's Movement
 
It will be a facilitate a process for human rights learning and framing of our various issues and struggles using the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Facilitate a bottom-up process of coordinated actions and movement building for realizing human rights for all D.C. area residents. (Schedule of event forthcoming)
 
Time: 12 pm – 5 pm (a light lunch will be served)
Location: United Methodist Building, Room 4
   100 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
 
 

Agenda

 

1: Introduction: Covering background, demonstration, resolution, purpose of gathering

 

2: Mapping Process: Initial demonstration, 1-2 min. modeling process to examine what your issues are through human rights lens

 

     a) Small group work

     b) Posting to the articles

 

3: Synthesis: Envisioning human rights implementation: What is this movement?

 

     a) Reporting out and taking stale

     b) Proposal to do DC Human Rights Report Card as a first step to holding the city accountable to the resolution

     c) Concrete tasks/ time line moving into December

     d) Announcement

 

Our Purpose

The purpose of the D.C. Human Rights People’s Movement is:

(1)   To facilitate a process for human rights learning and framing of our various issues and struggles using the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

(2)   To facilitate a bottom-up process of coordinated actions and movement building for realizing human rights for all D.C. residents.

The D.C. Human Rights People’s Movement is formed by and is open to organizations, movements, and individuals involved and interested in realizing human rights.

 

Value Added

  • We are part of something bigger than our individual organizations or issue-based struggles.
  • Overall framing of our issues and struggles as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brings us under a “big tent.”
  • Lifting up and referring to D.C. as the first Human Rights City in the U.S. offers a process to hold our local officials accountable to what they have already agreed to.

 

Methods of Action

Among others:

  • Coalition and relationship building
  • Human rights actions and campaigns
  • Public and popular education
  • Testimonies to city council, input to and drafting of legislation
  • Participatory budgeting through a human rights lens
  • Participation in the US Social Forum process
  • Monitoring of DC government policies and practices through a human rights lens

 

Current partner organizations (Partial list):


  • American Civil Liberty Union-DC
  •  American Friends Service Committee-DC
  •  American University International Human Rights Clinic
  •  American University Human Rights Council
  • Committee 2 Save Franklin
  • Cities For Peace-a project of the Institute for Policy Studies
  • DC Chapter of Earth Charter
  • DC Interfaith Worker’s Justice Coalition
  • DC Statehood Green Party
  • DC Jobs With Justice Coalition
  • DC Office of Human Rights
  • DC Metro Social Forum
  • Empower DC
  • Fair Budget Coalition
  • Fellowship of Reconciliation-DC
  • Global Awareness Project Consulting
  • Hispanic Congregation National City Christian Church
  • Jews United For Justice-DC
  • Robert Kennedy Center for Human Rights and Justice
  • Sociologists Without Borders
  • Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition,
  • Washington Peace Center

 

 

 

Subpages (1): What is a Human Rights City?