BIHR Human Rights Tour: Making Human Rights Happen

16 Rights | 16 Cities | 16 Weeks

Welsh version / Fersiwn Gymraeg

Background

Issues / programme

Format

Timing

Dates and locations

Booking

Please note that booking for all of the Human Rights Tour 2011 events is now closed. If you wish to attend either of the London events (Monday 12 December, Tuesday 13 December) please contact Ed Wilcox directly: ewilcox@bihr.org.uk | 020 7882 5853

What’s the role of human rights in a period of cut backs to public services? What is the role of human rights in protecting the vulnerable? Do human rights offer an effective tool for people wishing to challenge the impact of service cuts or changes? How do we make sure we balance one person’s rights against the interests of society as a whole?

Full information about dates, locations, and booking is available at the end of this message. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment and please forward this information to your colleagues, friends and networks.

Background

The significant changes currently taking place to our public services, which are being cut back, redrawn, or commissioned out to other providers, raises fundamental questions about what human rights mean in our society and what role human rights can play in tackling these changes. 

What are human rights?

Human rights protect individuals from the worst excesses and arbitrariness of state power. They are meant to ensure that no-one finds themselves completely abandoned or exploited by society. As well as playing a critical role in respecting and protecting our human rights, governments must also promote and fulfil them. In other words human rights are not just there for when things go wrong, but exist to stop things going wrong. Human rights have a very positive vision which is to enshrine in law the fundamental worth and dignity of all human beings and ensure everyone is helped to reach their full potential.

Understanding how human rights work

Human rights are often both misrepresented and misunderstood, and they themselves appear to be at risk of being cut back. BIHR’s experience shows that human rights play an important role for the most vulnerable members of society - and for society as a whole. We have seen this over many years through our work with organisations and individuals. Sadly, these ‘everyday stories’ rarely reach the headlines. What’s more, we don’t believe human rights are utilised enough because people and organisations know little about how to use them. BIHR believes that until people are aware of their human rights and how they work, human rights - and the Human Rights Act - will continue to be underutilised. The media reporting also needs to be put in context. It is often wrong, inaccurate or misleading and rarely is the full story told.

With all of this in mind, we are taking human rights on tour to 16 cities throughout the UK between September and December 2011.

Back to top

Issues addressed by the events:

The programme in each area may differ slightly. This is because each event will have a regional focus addressing issues specific to the particular city / region. The following list is given as an example of the kind of issues we will address in different regions.

a) Human rights: myths and reality

• What are human rights, where do they come from, why are they important?
• Why are they necessary in this region?

b) Making practical use of human rights

• Which issues are covered by the Human Rights Act?
• How the Human Rights Act works – and how individuals can make use of it
• Examples of using the Human Rights Act to protect the most vulnerable

c) Linking today’s political changes with human rights

• How do the cuts, NHS reform, changes in legal aid – and other issues – relate to human rights?
• What are the key issues in this region – and can the Human Rights Act be used to address them?

d) Working together to protect human rights

• How can we ensure that the protections offered by the Human Rights Act are not weakened?
• How can we ensure that the Human Rights Act is better known and better used?
• How can BIHR support and sustain local initiatives to promote and protect human rights – and vice versa?

The events will occupy the best part of a day and will probably consist of 4 sessions broken up by coffee-breaks and a lunch break.

Back to top

Format

The events will adopt a workshop format: the sessions will be interactive and facilitated towards giving participants the chance to air their views and discuss the issues. Additional input will be provided by BIHR and other speakers.

Timing and programme

Dates and locations

When will we be in your area?

Back to top

Booking

Please note that booking for all of the Human Rights Tour 2011 events is now closed. If you wish to attend either of the London events (Monday 12 December, Tuesday 13 December) please contact Ed Wilcox directly: ewilcox@bihr.org.uk | 020 7882 5853

Please note that you will not be able to attend without having booked on in advance. Please contact ewilcox@bihr.org.uk if you have any queries about the Human Rights Tour.

BIHR would like to thank the following organisations who are providing assistance for various events that comprise the Human Rights Tour either as partners, co-hosts, or behind-the-scenes supporters: