Conferences

BIHR Conference 28 January 2009: Changing the Face of Human Rights

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.

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 Clinton Institute 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

• Full Conference Programme
• Workshop Sessions
• Pre-conference capacity-building day