12/10 International Human Rights Day 2008

What would you do?

If you could advise President-elect Barack Obama and his new administration, what would be the three things you would counsel him to change immediately that would make a difference in regards to human rights? If you were in charge of International Human Rights Day, what would you do to make it more meaningful?

Ajamu Baraka Executive Director, US Human Rights Network
It is only fitting that today that I had a chance to visit the W.E.B Du Bois center, the center of the pioneering work of pan africanists and human rights activists. Dubois represents many people, the struggles on the part of individuals to ensure that the US governments and governments around the world would respect the fundamental rights and dignity of all people. It is important for us to remember that while nation states moved to put the UDHR in place, it is the people themselves that have given that document life.

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Daniel Hazen,
US Network of Users and Survivors
I welcome the opportunity to tell the president-elect what I think about a
disability agenda, especially in relation to the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities.

It is crucial to sign and ratify this Convention without any
reservations, understandings or declarations. While there are expected to
be the usual boiler-plate RUDs about non-self-executing, etc., there must
not be any RUDs specific to this treaty.

Stop the deportations, thank you

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Ramona Ortega, Cidadao Global, New York City
President Obama, make a commitment to end racialized poverty in America. Join the rest of the world in fighting for the elimination of poverty through the Millennium Development Goals. Make a commitment to restore good jobs, to bring dignity back into the workplace, and to create living wages in employment.

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Radhika Balakrishnan, Marymount Manhattan and the USHRN
I would like president elect Barak Obama to do the first thing when he gets into office to close Guantanamo, and make sure that people understand that this country does not tolerate torture, the second and incredibly important is for the US to sign and ratify the Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, so that people in this country are not hungry, cold, homeless or without food.

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Marguerite Reese, Human Rights Atlanta

I’m asking on Human Rights Day, that Obama 1) sign on to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the United States and encourage other countries that have not signed to do the same, 2) to declare Universal Human Rights Day a day of celebration and a holiday and e 3) encourage the participation of groups nationally and locally to honor all who have contributed and continue to contribute to the betterment human beings all over the world. I am also calling president Obama to honor health care as a human right in the United States and to seek to support bills in the house and senate for single payer health care, and Medicare for all residing in this country.

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Ajamu Dillahunt, Black Workers for Justice
I would like to thank the US Human Rights Network for giving me and many others an opportunity to have our say about human rights in the U.S. and around the globe. First, the new administration should address the issues of Afro-Colombians and stop the fair trade agreements that will further marginalize Afro-Colombians. Second, I would withdraw all the funding for Plan Colombia, which is another source of problems for Afro-Colombians

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Efia Nwangaza, Immediate Path National Co-chair of Jericho Movement
On the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR we call attention to the observances of the 10th anniversary of the historic 1998 march for US political prisoners, prisoners of war and exiles on the white house to call attention to their existence on the then 20th year violation of their human rights. Today we again call attention to the more than 100 political prisoners, prisoners of war and exiles languishing……

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Cherie Honkala, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
Three things that we would advise President-elect Obama to do is 1) meet with the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign and let us lay out our plan to end homelessness and provide full employment; 2) stop the criminalization of the poor in this country; and 3) meet with people who don’t have health care and understand the need to pass HR 676, which would provide universal single-payer health insurance coverage.

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Eric Tars, National Law Center on Homeless and Poverty

Our country is in the brink of a new great depression with a deep economic crisis compounding a foreclosure crisis that has already put many Americans out of their homes and unto the streets. As President Elect Obama considers on Human Rights day how to deal with this new depression he would do well to look at how President Roosevelt dealt with the previous one.

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What would human rights look like in the United States under a new administration?

1. If you could advise President-elect Barack Obama and his new administration, what would be the three things you would counsel him to change immediately that would make a difference in regards to human rights?

2. If you were in charge of International Human Rights Day, what would you do to make it a more meaningful day?
Answer these questions and more for our international podcast to be aired December 10, 2008 for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th Anniversary. Click here for past broadcasts
Do you have something to say about human rights in the US? Then Say it! Participants are encouraged to speak in their native languages.
Call (214) 615-6040 use pin code: 179-478-139# and press option number 1 to record your message.

**Please limit your answers to three minutes and be sure include your name and organization (or location/school) at the beginning of the recording. Selected audio will be featured in the next podcast, and other audio clips on our website as well as on Radio Diaspora transmitting in Atlanta every Saturday from 5-7PMEDT and worldwide via member organization wrfg.org 89.3FM Atlanta.

¿Como vería los derechos humanos bajo una administración nueva?
¿Si podrías aconsejar el nuevo presidente Barak Obama que dijeras son los tres temas más importante que tiene que cambiar inmediatamente para hacer una diferencia sobre los derechos humanos?

El día internacional de los derechos humanos es el 10 de diciembre. ¿Si estarías a cargo del día internacional de derechos humanos que hicieras para mejorar el día?

¿Tienes algo que decir sobre los derechos humanos en los estados unidos? ¡Díganos!
Cada otro miércoles les ofrecen un Podcast sobre los temas de mucha importancia en este país. La próxima semana 10 Diciembre es el aniversario de la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos.
Llámanos para grabar su audio a (214) 615-6040 usa el código: 179-478-139# presione numero uno Por favor deja su nombre, organización (o cuidad). Los audios son limitados a tres minutos.