BIHR's Annual Conference 2009, Changing the Face of Human Rights

Venue: 
The British Library Conference Centre
Location: 
96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
Date: 
28/01/2009 - 09:30 - 17:00

BIHR's experience has shown that the prevailing narrow - and often negative - public discourse about human rights is preventing appropriate, beneficial and widespread use of the Human Rights Act and is a major barrier to people's understanding of human rights.

This innovative event was the first of its kind in the UK, bringing together people from a variety of backgrounds to examine how human rights are portrayed and how public discourse can be opened up to allow a more rounded discussion about them. The BIHR conference aimed to capture key debates about human rights, challenge prevailing attitudes, influence and engage key decision-makers within the media, human rights sector, wider civil society and public sector, and broaden current public understanding of human rights.
Anna Ford
Speakers and contributors included: 
 
  • Anna Ford (Chair), Former journalist and newsreader
  • Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State for Justice
  • Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
  • Professor Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner for Human Rights in Northern Ireland
  • Andrew Dismore MP, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Labour Member of Parliament for Hendon
  • Professor Francesca Klug OBE, Professorial Research Fellow, LSE and Commissioner on the Equality and Human Rights Commission
  • Clare Short MP, Independent MP and former Secretary of State for International Development
  • Edward Adams, Head of Human Rights Division, Ministry of Justice
  • Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Journalist, The Independent, Evening Standard
  • Monica Ross, Artist
  • Jeremy Dear, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists
  • Professor Roy Greenslade, Professor of Journalism at City University London, and Journalist for the Guardian.
  • Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor, Daily Mirror
  • Bob Satchwell, Executive Director, Society of Editors
  • Professor Liam Kennedy, Director of the ClintonInstitute for American Studies, University College Dublin
  • Ceri Goddard Acting Director, BIHR
  • Christine Bacon, Director, Actors for Human Rights
  • Deborah Kingsland, Head of Training and Development, Documentary Filmmakers Group.
  • Sabina Frediani, Campaigns Manager, Liberty
  • Professor Ivor Gaber, City University
  • Peter Facey, Director, Unlock Democracy
  • Ben Jackson, Associate Director, Forster For Change
  • Kully Kaur-Ballagan, Ipsos MORI
  • Jiwan Raheja, Ministry of Justice
  • Edward Waller, UNICEF
 
Further information and details

A short report of the day,with photos and links to keynote speeches can be found here.

A full conference report will be available in January 2010.