Seeking Human Rights For All

Sociology 290 – Human Rights Cities
Judith Blau,
Judith_Blau@unc.edu

Human rights are ancient, of course, but first formalized internationally beginning in 1948, with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and then in international treaties and agreements, most notably those dealing with civil and political rights, socioeconomic rights, the prohibition of discrimination, prohibition of torture, abolition of the death penalty, the rights of the child, the rights of migrants and indigenous peoples, under UNESCO’s jurisdiction, the rights to culture, and recent ones relating to environmental rights. The International Labour Organization’s Conventions clarify in great detail the rights of workers.

International treaties and conventions are powerful, of course, and so are State Constitutions that encompass human rights, as many now do. Yet human rights are enacted and practiced at the local level, in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and government agencies. Within the past few years, a variety of cities around the world have embarked on the process of becoming Human Rights Cities. There is a HR City (PDHRE) network of 17 cities from all continents, which includes Edmonton in North America, and outside of this network, Eugene Oregon has declared itself a Human Rights City. (Others, including San Francisco, Iowa City, Boston, New York City, and Milwaukee have launched similar projects.)

In the Fall 07 term, students in two of my sociology classes, one devoted to Human Rights and the other Labor Rights seeded what has become the beginning of a process that would make Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Right Cities. In the Spring 08 term, a class, Human Rights Cities, was specifically designed for this purpose. Although there has not yet been a formal declaration or ordinance in either of the two cities, the process is underway and has the support of both Mayors. The Steering Committee will soon meet with both Mayors Mark Chilton and Kevin Foy.

Together with the students I am finding ways that we can be helpful: giving workshops on human rights; writing grant proposal to facilitate collective projects, identifying ways the community can be more inclusive; writing “white papers” for the Steering Committee; and identifying within-community communication gaps. In short, because the students in the class are experts on international human rights, they take that perspective and knowledge and are “consultants” to Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents, asking critical questions at town meetings and seeking always to highlight the many ways that both towns have advanced the common good and the rights of residents.

We, my students and I, are very welcome to have suggestions.