Human Rights at Home: The Municipal Option

There are many paths for local human rights advocates to travel as they seek to establish and secure a human rights’ perspective in local communities.   Risa Kaufman wrote on the many of the options available to advocates.

This post focuses on the option for your community to become a Human Rights City.  For those exploring the concept, there are definitions and explanations from early and newer coalitions.  From the website of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Education comes one definition: 

‘What are human rights cities? Imagine living in a society where all citizens have made a pledge to build a community based on equality and nondiscrimination; –where all women and men are actively participating in the decisions that affect their daily lives guided by the human rights framework; where people have consciously internalized the holistic vision of human rights to overcome fear and impoverishment, a society that provides human security, access to food, clean water, housing, education, healthcare and work at livable wages, sharing these resources with all citizens– not as a gift, but as a realization of human rights. A Human Rights city is a practical viable model that demonstrates that living in such a society is possible!”  

The imperative to commit to human rights communities has never been more urgent.

This week, Northeastern Law School’s Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy holds a conference devoted to the topic of Human Rights Cities.    Go here for more information.