HUMAN RIGHTS CITIES

Porto Alegre

Nagpiur

Taiwan

Eugene

Ithaca

San Francisco

2006: Eugene City Council approves 2006: Eugene City Council approves the Human Rights Commission putting the Human Rights Commission putting the Human Rights City Project on its bi-the Human Rights City Project on its bi-annual, 2006 – 2008, work plan. annual, 2006 – 2008, work plan.

A Human Rights City filters all city programs A Human Rights City filters all city programs through international human rights standards through international human rights standards

and principals and principals

• Brings all levels of the community togetherBrings all levels of the community together• Strengthens relationships between individuals and organizationsStrengthens relationships between individuals and organizations• Ensures all citizens are engaged, informed, active and part of an Ensures all citizens are engaged, informed, active and part of an ongoing dialog about how to obtain universal human rights. ongoing dialog about how to obtain universal human rights.

Human Rights Standards and Principles

. . December 10December 10thth, 1948: , 1948: United Nations United Nations adopted and adopted and

proclaimed the proclaimed the Universal Declaration Universal Declaration

of Human Rightsof Human Rights

We are all free and equal

No slavery

Fair treatment by the courts

The right to asylum

The right to marriage and family

The right to freedom of thought and expression.

The right to participate in cultural life

No torture

The right to take part in government

The right to work and equal pay

The right to a fair standard of living – housing, health care, food, clothing

The right to education

The right to rest and leisure

How is the Eugene Human Rights How is the Eugene Human Rights City Project Different than the City Project Different than the Eugene Human Rights Ordinance? Eugene Human Rights Ordinance?

Human Rights Ordinance:• “Reactive” - Responding and reacting to discrimination when it occurs. • Primarily talks of Civil Rights.

Human Rights City Project: • “Proactive” – taking initiative to prevent discrimination and ensure human rights for all. • Encompasses civil, political, cultural, social and economic rights, akin to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. • Addresses unintentional or inadvertent discrimination.

    What’s unintentional discrimination?What’s unintentional discrimination?

If an elephant steps on your foot, it hurts whether the If an elephant steps on your foot, it hurts whether the elephant meant it or not. Discrimination may not be elephant meant it or not. Discrimination may not be intentional, such as segregation laws were, but it is still intentional, such as segregation laws were, but it is still discrimination.discrimination.

What are Some Benefits of the What are Some Benefits of the Human Rights City Project?Human Rights City Project?• Makes government more accountable.Makes government more accountable.

• More fully address the needs of all our citizens.More fully address the needs of all our citizens.• Improves the quality of life for all.Improves the quality of life for all.

• Changes the lens in which we view what we need to Changes the lens in which we view what we need to do as a communitydo as a community. .

Changing the Lens on Changing the Lens on HomelessnessHomelessness

FromFrom: Helping “those” people who are different from us.: Helping “those” people who are different from us.ToTo: The Human Right to a fair standard of living with : The Human Right to a fair standard of living with

housing, food, health care, and clothing for all. housing, food, health care, and clothing for all.

What are Some Challenges of What are Some Challenges of the Human Rights City Project?the Human Rights City Project?

Despite our best intentions:Despite our best intentions:•  We don’t have the economic means to house and feed all who are in We don’t have the economic means to house and feed all who are in need. need. •We can’t prevent all conflict. We can’t prevent all conflict.

•A human rights framework on a city level may seem intangible, abstract, A human rights framework on a city level may seem intangible, abstract, too all encompassing or too difficult to accomplish realistically.too all encompassing or too difficult to accomplish realistically.

  

““It is not incumbent upon you It is not incumbent upon you to finish the task, but neither to finish the task, but neither are you free to absolve are you free to absolve yourself from it.” yourself from it.”

- Talmud- Talmud

How is Eugene already How is Eugene already working on being a Human working on being a Human Rights City?Rights City?

City of Eugene Adaptive City of Eugene Adaptive Recreation’s Arts for All Recreation’s Arts for All ProgramProgramArt tools are available so people with limited movement or Art tools are available so people with limited movement or lack of or impaired fine motor skills can paint, draw, print lack of or impaired fine motor skills can paint, draw, print and have artistic expression for their creative selves. and have artistic expression for their creative selves.

Human Rights

Making art tools accessible for all people means no matter what abilities or dis/abilities you have, you have the right to freedom of thought and expression and the right to participate in cultural life.

City of Eugene Manufactured Home City of Eugene Manufactured Home OrdinanceOrdinanceWhen manufactured home parks close, the people who live there When manufactured home parks close, the people who live there are vulnerable to losing their homes. The ordinance protects those are vulnerable to losing their homes. The ordinance protects those people and provides compensation. people and provides compensation.

Human Rights

Looking at this through a human rights lens, we see that this helps provide people the right to a fair standard of living – including housing.

Eugene City Council 2007 – 2008 Eugene City Council 2007 – 2008 GoalGoalEnhance understanding of race issues, working towards a Enhance understanding of race issues, working towards a plan to “…ensure a respectful workplace for all City plan to “…ensure a respectful workplace for all City employees and to ensure equitable service delivery to all employees and to ensure equitable service delivery to all members of the community.” members of the community.”

Human Rights

City goals such as this have broad human rights implications – such as the right to dignity, the right to be free from discrimination and the right to work and equal pay.

    These programs and goals These programs and goals address address unintentional discrimination.unintentional discrimination.

For instance, lack of accessible tools for all people to be able to For instance, lack of accessible tools for all people to be able to have artistic expression does not intentionally discriminate have artistic expression does not intentionally discriminate against people with disabilities. It is unintentional against people with disabilities. It is unintentional discrimination that still interferes with a human right to free discrimination that still interferes with a human right to free expression and full participation in a cultural life. expression and full participation in a cultural life.

    

These programs and goals have a proactive These programs and goals have a proactive approach.approach.

Creating a plan where there is a respectful workplace can Creating a plan where there is a respectful workplace can prevent incidents of discrimination from happening, as well as prevent incidents of discrimination from happening, as well as

addressing discrimination when it occurs. addressing discrimination when it occurs.   

Having a plan in place to address possible future issues of loss Having a plan in place to address possible future issues of loss of homes, can help prevent an increase in homelessness. of homes, can help prevent an increase in homelessness.

Human Rights

What are some other ideas of What are some other ideas of how Eugene could adopt a how Eugene could adopt a Human Rights City Human Rights City framework?framework?

Citywide Youth Contest: Citywide Youth Contest: Design a Human Rights Web Design a Human Rights Web

Page Page • Eugene children will be encouraged to explore one of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how it relates specifically to Eugene.• Participants can do interviews, take photographs, do research, draw pictures, write poetry, etc. that would be included on a web page.• Participants will not be expected to actualize the web page, so no particular technical skills or equipment is needed.• Contest winners will be announced at the annual Human Rights celebration event on December 10.• Contest winners will get to work with a professional web designer to actualize their web page. • The “final product” will be added to the Human Rights section of the city web page.

Citywide Youth Contest: Citywide Youth Contest: Design a Human Rights Web Design a Human Rights Web

Page Page Eugene children will have the opportunity to:

• Explore how human rights are being applied or not in Eugene and learn what a Human Rights City means. • Meet with citizens and gain a deeper understanding of their community.• Develop leadership skills.• Explore career possibilities in technology; creative pursuits of writing, art and photography; and learn local history and culture.• Gain self-esteem through the affirmation of their work and ideas.

A Preventive Approach:• Youth of today will be future Eugene and Universal Human Rights activists and citizens of tomorrow.

Health Care and Women of Health Care and Women of ColorColor

Racism has a pervasive negative impact of the health of women of Racism has a pervasive negative impact of the health of women of color: color: • Health care services are not presented in culturally appropriate ways.Health care services are not presented in culturally appropriate ways.• Environmental racism and sexism puts them at greater risk. Environmental racism and sexism puts them at greater risk. • Lack of focus by medical researchers means prevention and cures are Lack of focus by medical researchers means prevention and cures are less feasible and specific issues such as maternity or aging are not less feasible and specific issues such as maternity or aging are not explored. explored.

Approaches the Eugene Human Approaches the Eugene Human Rights City Project Could TakeRights City Project Could Take

Providing information and culturally competent Providing information and culturally competent support to women of color in dealing with health support to women of color in dealing with health care issues, health care workers, and the health care issues, health care workers, and the health care industry, including insurance companies. care industry, including insurance companies.

Providing training opportunities for health care Providing training opportunities for health care workers on cultural competency generally and workers on cultural competency generally and specifically on health care issues.specifically on health care issues.

Making accessible information such as the report Making accessible information such as the report Women of Color Health Data Book: Adolescents to Women of Color Health Data Book: Adolescents to Seniors Seniors or web pages such as or web pages such as Scorecard: The Scorecard: The Pollution Information SitePollution Information Site that evaluates that evaluates environmental burdens in specific localities by environmental burdens in specific localities by ethnicity, race, gender or income. ethnicity, race, gender or income.

CollaborationCollaboration

Health Care and Women of Color:Health Care and Women of Color:• Lane Community College Nursing Program Lane Community College Nursing Program • Lane Community College Native American Lane Community College Native American Studies ProgramStudies Program• University of Oregon Center For Study of Women University of Oregon Center For Study of Women in Society, Research Interest Group: On Becoming in Society, Research Interest Group: On Becoming Bicultural, Latino Immigrant Mothers Raising Bicultural, Latino Immigrant Mothers Raising American Children American Children • Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) Support Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) Support Groups for Women of Color Survivors Groups for Women of Color Survivors

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” - Eleanor Roosevelt- Eleanor Roosevelt