Civil Society Strikes Back

Tour 2012 ends with a bang!

The Human Rights Tour 2012 came to a close in York on the 12 December. All 16 events have been hugely successful and we met some amazing people along the way. Read all about the journey on our #16cities event blog.

Background

Human Rights are for everyone. Human Rights are the result of centuries of struggle, by groups and individuals who suffered persecution or neglect at the hands of an often all too powerful state. Human Rights became international law after the horrors of World War II when, thanks to the advocacy of civil society, the international community adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human Rights are under attack. Too many of our political leaders and some sections of the media want to go backwards, not forwards. Join the fight back at the BIHR 2012 Human Rights Tour – coming soon to a city near you! Human Rights go to the heart of the kind of society we want to be. Learn more, and get involved, at the 2012 Human Rights Tour.

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Venues and dates:

All venues are centrally located. Further details on remaining venues will be posted shortly.  

Please note: Some of the dates have changed since our initial correspondence regarding the Tour; the dates on this page and the booking form are confirmed.

Cardiff – 17 September - Cardiff County Hall, Committee Room 3, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 4UW

Truro - 20 September - Truro Town Hall, Municipal Buildings, Boscawen Street, Truro, TR1 2NE

Ipswich – 25 September - Ipswich Town Hall, Cornhill, Ipswich IP1 1DH

Bournemouth - 3 October - Room BG11, Bournemouth House, Lansdowne Campus, Bournemouth University, 19 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 3LH

Brighton – 11 October - Brighthelm Community Centre, North Road Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1YD

Inverness - 17 October - Spectrum Centre, 1B Margaret Street, Town Centre, Inverness IV1 1LS

Edinburgh - 18 October - Pleasance Theatre (Edinburgh Students Union), 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ

Preston – 30 October - The Avenham Park Pavilion, South Meadow Lane, Preston, PR1 8JT

Manchester – 1 November - Age Concern Manchester, 24 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 3NN

Belfast – 5 November - NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast, BT15 2GB

Bangor – 14 November - The Reichel Conference Centre, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, LL57 2TR

Leicester – 22 November - Leicester Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ

Boston – 29 November - Centenary Methodist Hall, Red Lion Street, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6NY

Sunderland – 4 December - Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Burdon Road, Sunderland, SR1 1PP

London - 7 December, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL (final event for the Human Rights in the Community project - voluntary and community sector focus)

London - 11 December, Amnesty International UK, The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA

York – 12 December - York University (Room TBA)

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Programme outline

The programme in each area may differ slightly because each event will have a regional focus. The following list is given as a general outline of issues to be addressed. 

Timing

The events will mostly run from 10.00 - 4.00 and will consist of 4 sessions broken up by coffee-breaks and a lunch break. Specific timings for each event will be mailed out separately.

Session 1:

• An introduction to the overall concepts and ideals at the heart of human rights
• A look at the international legislation
• A historical perspective

Session 2:

• How practical are human rights?
• How useful are the international mechanisms?
• How does the Human Rights Act differ?

Session 3:

• Which rights are covered by the Act?
• How it works and where the value lies
• Examples of the Human Rights Act at work

Session 4:

• The threat to human rights: the political climate and the current discourse
• The Commission on a Bill of Rights
• What you can do to get your voice heard

Sponsors and partner organisations

The BIHR Human Rights Tour is partly funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission  through BIHR’s Human Rights in the Community Project.

We would like to thank to Bindmans LLP for their generous sponsorship of the Human Rights Tour. Bindmans LLP provides a wide range of legal services and has a reputation for being at the cutting edge of legal developments, particularly in relation to issues around human rights, discrimination and public authorities’ powers.

BIHR would also 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:

The 2012 Human Rights Tour

Civil Society Strikes Back