Campaign for a New Domestic Human Rights Agenda
IAOHRA Members Celebrate Human Rights Day, 2009!
Featured Event: The Seattle Human Rights Commission will co-sponsor a Human Rights Day Celebration on December 10. This event relates directly to the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The event will feature speaker Professor Adrien K. Wing and Human Rights awards will be given to local individuals and organizations who are human rights leaders in the community. For more information, including an event flyer and press release, click on the following link: http://www.cityofseattle.net/civilrights/events.htm or view the pdfs.
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The results of the 2008 elections offered the promise of a renewed U.S. commitment to human rights principles that will translate rhetoric to action. Public opinion polls have also found an overwhelming and bipartisan majority of Americans (80%) endorse the notion of human rights. In the wake of the elections, a coalition of more than 50 U.S.-based organizations launched discussions of how best to leverage new opportunities to influence human rights policies at the federal, state and local levels. From these talks emerged the Campaign for a New Human Rights Agenda.
In general, the campaign calls for strengthened commitment to human rights at home and abroad, and seeks to build a political culture from coast to coast that supports and advocates for human rights at home and abroad. Specifically, the Campaign advocates for reforms called for in Human Rights at Home: A Domestic Policy Blueprint for the New Administration. [Full text of the blueprint here; Summary of the blueprint here].
Key objectives of the Campaign include:
- Revitalize an Interagency Working Group on Human Rights which will serve as a coordinating body among federal agencies and departments for the promotion and respect of human rights and the implementation of human rights obligations in U.S. domestic policy.
- Transformation and strengthening of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights into a U.S. Commission on Civil and Human Rights.
- Meaningful government compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which the U.S. has ratified.
- Strengthened federal, state, and local government coordination in support of human rights.
The Campaign blends public education, media outreach, and advocacy efforts to increase awareness among state and local officials of their respective responsibilities to protect and promote human rights. Through its listserv, the Campaign additionally seeks to share information and increase collaboration among domestic human rights, civil rights, civil liberties and social justice groups in support of Campaign goals. The Campaign is led by a Steering Committee, and implements its work through four sub-committees - the IAWG, HRC, CERD and State/Local sub-committees.
Campaign Related Publications
Domestic Policy Blueprint for the New Administration
State and Local Human Rights Agencies: Recommendations for Advancing Opportunity and Equality Through an International Human Rights Framework highlights ways in which an international human rights framework can advance the critical work of state and local human rights agencies and recommends reforms at the national level to create a better system of accountability around the United States’ domestic and international human rights obligations and to coordinate and support state and local efforts. The report was produced under the auspices of the Campaign for a New Domestic Human Rights Agenda, and is a joint project of Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute and the International Association of Human Rights Officials, in conjunction with the Campaign’s subcommittee on state and local government coordination.
Campaign Press Releases and other Media
LTE New York Times, January 27, 2009
Statement on the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 75th Session
For more information on the Campaign for a New Human Rights Agenda or to join the general listserv, please contact rfowler@ushrnetwork.org.