Equality and Human Rights Commission

Manchester | Cardiff | London

Join us for a free unique one day event to explore how human rights can be used to tackle poverty issues in your area.

The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission warmly invite you to an insightful one-day event looking at the potential to use human rights to tackle poverty and strengthen public services in the UK.

Following a two-year Poverty and Human Rights project, BIHR is offering an opportunity to explore ways in which human rights can transform our approach to poverty and social justice issues. The event will gather regional and local actors together to demonstrate how human rights can be used to link a range of issues in your area, from housing & homelessness to social services & healthcare. It will look at the potential of human rights to provide solutions to these issues - supporting the development of public services and policies where fairness, respect, equality and dignity are at the core.

The day will showcase the work of six voluntary and community sector organisations working with and for people facing poverty or social injustice in London taking a human rights based approach to strengthen their voice and influence with public sector policy makers.

The day will feature:

• Testimonials from the pilot groups: Housing Justice, Irish Traveller Movement in Britain, London Refugee Voice, Pecan, Praxis, Women in Prison
• An introduction to human rights in the UK
• Practical learning gained from putting human rights into action
• Interactive workshops and the opportunity for organisations working with a broad range of issues to network and share experiences of their understanding of poverty

Why you should attend:

• Voluntary and community sector: By reframing poverty issues as rights issues the voluntary and community sector can discover new tools to promote active and informed participation of those affected by the issues, develop new strategies hold public services and the government to account for decisions.
• Public sector: In the wake of the Comprehensive Spending Review, a human rights based approach to public services can provide a clear set of standards for all, across organisations and sectors, and a framework for making complex and difficult decisions.
• People and communities experiencing poverty: Armed with knowledge about entitlements to services (such as housing) and fair treatment enables people experiencing poverty to interact with the state as ‘rights holders,’ rather than passive recipients of charity or good will.

Locations and dates

Manchester: 28 March, 10am-4pm

The People’s History Museum, Spinningfields
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Cardiff: 4 March, 10.30am-4.30pm

Future Inn, Cardiff Bay

London: 11 April, 10am-4pm

Amnesty International UK Human Rights Action Centre
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

How to book a place

To register for a free place at the event, please visit the British Institute of Human Rights website. Please note places are limited so bookings should be made ASAP using our online booking form or by contacting Tony Daly on 0207 5490 553.

For further information and details of the pilot groups, please visit BIHR's webpages or contact Tony Daly by email.