D.C. Human Rights People's Movement & Human Rights City

D.C. Human Rights People's Movement and Human Rights City

D.C. Human Rights People's Movement steering committee.

On December 10, 2008, Human Rights Day, at the urging of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning (PDHRE) and AFSC’s D.C. Peace and Economic Justice Program, the D.C. City Council proclaimed the District of Columbia a Human Rights City to mark the 60th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  Washington, D.C. has joined a successful worldwide movement that includes more than 17 cities in 6 countries. Read the D.C. Human Rights City Resolution.

Currently the group is working on the D.C. Rights to Housing Campaign.  They believe that a safe, secure, and affordable home is necessary for all people. 

The purpose of the D.C. Human Rights People’s Movement is:

1. To facilitate a process for human rights learning and framing of our various issues and struggles using the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. To facilitate a bottom-up process of coordinated actions and movement building for realizing human rights for all D.C. residentsThe D.C. Human Rights People’s Movement is formed by and is open to organizations, movements, and individuals involved and interested in realizing human rights.

The D.C. Human Rights People’s Movement is formed by and is open to organizations, movements, and individuals involved and interested in realizing human rights.

We are part of something bigger than our individual organizations or issue-based struggles.  Overall framing of our issues and struggles as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brings us under a “big tent.”  Lifting up and referring to D.C. as the first Human Rights City in the U.S. offers a process to hold our local officials accountable to what they have already agreed to.