Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance

Pittsburgh Human Rights City AllianceDignity & Justice for All of us"Human rights don't trickle down...they RISE UP!"

Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance works to bring together diverse groups and individuals to encourage the realization of our City Council's 2011 Proclamation declaring Pittsburgh a "human rights city". We strive to realize a city that maximizes human rights and dignity for all people who live in our region (See Human Rights Cities Principles). We help network leading community organizations and concerned residents to support local efforts to realize people-centered human rights in Pittsburgh. We cannot wait for leaders in Washington to protect our basic rights! It takes engaged and creative efforts of community residents to "bring human rights home"! Our work is guided by the leadership of our Human Rights City Alliance Steering Committee.

• About the Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance
  • Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance Steering Committee

Updates

• GENERAL MEETING--Tuesday February 6, 6:00-7:30PM, UPMC Neighborhood Center (The Village at Eastside Shopping Center, 6401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Meet our new Human Rights City Alliance Coordinating Committee and find out how you can get involved in working groups on housing, community safety/policing, creating a city blueprint for human rights, and communications/outreach. Refreshments provided. For more information contact holly.hickling@theglobalswitchboard.org.
• Last spring, the United Nations sent a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations against people of African descent by U.S. law enforcement officials. Pittsburgh advocates reported on local conditions as part of this investigation (see our report here). This summary of UN recommendations for improving U.S. law enforcement practices highlights key recommendations from the UN expert group which we are sharing with all relevant city and county officials.
• December 10, 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We commemorated this milestone with City officials by hosting a press conference outside City Council. This year we were able to lift up several important new human rights initiatives, including legislation for new housing rights protections, the hiring of a new IDEA manager to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and access throughout City policy, and the creation of an Office of Equal Protection.See our Human Rights Day Press Release

Get involved

• Join the Human Rights City Alliance email list for updates on events & action opportunities
• Contact us: All are all welcome to join our work to make Pittsburgh a Human Rights City! For more information or to get involved, please contact us at pghrights[at]riseup.net.

NEW!: Working Groups are forming to support initiatives around 1) Housing; 2) Community Safety & Policing; 3) Creating a Human Rights Blueprint for the City; and 4) Communications and outreach. Let us know how you'd like to get involved!

• See Our "Sandwich Strategy"- Using global human rights to make local change

Calendar

• Webinar (National): A Tale of Two Cities: Atlanta & Birmingham During the Civil Rights Movement- Wednesday, January 17 at 4:00pm to 5:00pm (Click to join stream)

Join us for a conversation about how cities can facilitate or hinder human rights movements. By discussing the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia, our speakers will shed light on how city governments, civil society leaders, and urban geographies can advance or obstruct racial justice and human rights. Speakers: Dr. Falechiondro Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, Morehouse College, Barry McNealy, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This event is co-sponsored by University of Alabama Birmingham Center for Civil Rights and the Human Rights Cities Alliance

• Friday January 19-Saturday January 20, 2024: The 26th Annual Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit, at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (East Liberty). The 2024 theme is "From Othering to Bridging: Reconnecting for Social Change." For more information see: https://prjs.org/
• Saturday January 20, 2024-1:00-3:00PM--- Tenant Rights 101--Join leaders from Pittsburgh area's Housing Justice Coalition Table to learn how to help support the organizing of renters to support tenant rights protections, including the right to legal counsel for those facing eviction. Bring neighbors and friends! Lunch is provided, childcare and interpretation are available on request. Please register here: bit.ly/tenants4thewin
• Human Rights City Alliance GENERAL MEETING--Tuesday February 6, 6:00-7:30PM, UPMC Neighborhood Center (The Village at Eastside Shopping Center, 6401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Meet our new Human Rights City Alliance Coordinating Committee, learn about some exciting new plans for 2024, and find out how you can get involved in working groups on housing, community safety/policing, creating a city blueprint for human rights, and communications/outreach. Refreshments provided. For more information contact holly.hickling@theglobalswitchboard.org.

Current Projects

• The Human Rights City Alliance is part of the regional Housing Justice Coalition Table.

• Housing is a Human Right! A Human Rights-based Housing Strategy and Action Plan for Pittsburgh, PA --This discussion document has been developed through many months of community conversations, and we invite residents to review it and share comments as we build a movement to support our Action Plan for housing justice in Pittsburgh and the larger region.

Building Pittsburgh's Human Rights Housing Strategy-This resource page shares some of the background behind our research and strategy conversations.

• Taking Back our Human Rights! Building a Black Regional Agenda for Justice We're working to support a broad coalition of folks committed to ending long-standing racial inequities and discrimination in our region. Human rights and our global and national partners give us some great new tools for this. See how you can get involved!

• UN Report Condemns Racial Discrimination in U.S. Law Enforcement—How does this relate to Southwest PA? (Event recording)-Last spring, the United Nations sent a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations against people of African descent by U.S. law enforcement officials. Pittsburgh advocates reported on local conditions as part of this investigation (In early 2023, Report on Police Discrimination in Allegheny County. The UN Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement released its report on U.S. practices in October 2023 Panelists discuss how global policing guidelines can help us improve racial justice, violence prevention, and human rights protections in our region. Panelists: Brandi Fisher, Alliance for Police Accountability Tanisha Long, Abolitionist Law Center; Muhammad Ali Nasir (MAN-E), Advocacy & Policy and Civic Engagement Coordinator, 1Hood Media; Laura Perkins, Casa San Jose. See the reports: U.S. country visit 2023; *Reimagining Policing 2023

• Here's the Executive Summary of the UN Expert Mechanism on Racial Discrimination in Law Enforcement our team prepared as part of our work to communicate the Mechanism's findings and recommendations to local authorities.

• Renewing Pittsburgh’s Human Rights City commitments and legislation Pittsburgh’s 2011 Proclamation making us the 5th Human Rights City in the U.S. is not a strong document, especially in light of recent developments in the human rights cities movement. We’re drawing from examples in other cities such as Atlanta to bring stronger human rights commitments along with processes for monitoring and setting targets for advancing equity and protecting the rights of all residents. See Draft Resolution to Renew and Update Pittsburgh’s Human Rights City Status

• Shaping Mayor Gainey's Leadership Agenda- We are working to support a strategy for Bringing a Human Rights Perspective to Mayor Gainey’s Transition Report 2022

• Pittsburgh delegation to Human Rights Cities Leadership Summit in Atlanta, May 2023-As part of our work with human rights cities and human rights advocates around the country and around the world, we brought a team of more than two dozen Pittsburgh activists, youth, and policy experts to Atlanta to learn, share, and network. We continue to work to build this leadership team. Press Release-Pittsburgh Delegation to Atlanta Summit

Recent Events, Recordings & Documentation

• UN Report Condemns Racial Discrimination in U.S. Law Enforcement—How does this relate to Southwest PA? (Event recording)-Last spring, the United Nations sent a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations against people of African descent by U.S. law enforcement officials. Pittsburgh advocates reported on local conditions as part of this investigation (In early 2023, Report on Police Discrimination in Allegheny County. The UN Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement released its report on U.S. practices in October 2023 Panelists discuss how global policing guidelines can help us improve racial justice, violence prevention, and human rights protections in our region. Panelists: Brandi Fisher, Alliance for Police Accountability Tanisha Long, Abolitionist Law Center; Muhammad Ali Nasir (MAN-E), Advocacy & Policy and Civic Engagement Coordinator, 1Hood Media; Laura Perkins, Casa San Jose. See the reports: U.S. country visit 2023; *Reimagining Policing 2023
• The African Diaspora Convenes on the World Stage & Calls for Reparatory Justice--Reports from the Inaugural session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. (Recording) In December 2022 the United Nations launched the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (UNPFPAD) as part of the International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024). Activists who attended this historic, inaugural meeting of the PFPAD share their observations on how this new body can be a tool for building local and national movements to end white supremacy and advance racial justice. Panelists: Lisa Borden, Senior Policy Counsel, International Advocacy and Policy, Southern Poverty Law Center; Charkera Ervin, Howard University School of Law/ Movement Lawyering Clinic; Efia Nwangaza, SNCC Veteran, Civil/Human Rights Attorney, Director Malcolm X Center for Self Determination; Tiffany Williams Roberts, Director of Public Policy Unit, Southern Center for Human Rights; Gretchen Rohr, US-Liaison and Global Strategic Litigation Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative

Webinar Co-sponsors: U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance, Southern Center for Human Rights, Southern Poverty Law Center, Ubuntu Institute for Community Development, Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance, Global Studies Center & the Center for African Studies-University of Pittsburgh

• Using the Human Rights Framework for Racial Justice: A Conversation with Justin Hansford--

(Recording-November 18, 2022 by 1Hood Media). After Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson, Missouri, Justin Hansford helped Brown family members bring their appeal for justice to the United Nations See Ferguson to Geneva. This conversation brings together Black community leaders, advocates, and educators to discuss this effort and understand how we can make use of UN bodies like the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent to promote racial equity and fight white supremacy. What role do our communities play in building global tools to help defend and advance our human rights? Panelists: Dr. Rashad Williams, Assistant Professor of Race and Social Justice in Public Policy, University of Pittsburgh (Host), Tiffany Williams Roberts, Director of Public Policy Unit, Southern Center for Human Rights (Atlanta) & Steering Committee member, U.S. Human Rights Cities Alliance; Randall Taylor, Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition

• Taking Back our Human Rights: Black Pittsburgh’s Appeal to the World-Community Forum Summary Document, November 19, 2022. This document summarizes discussions at our community forum during Justin Hansford's visit, & it will guide our subsequent coalition building work aimed at centering the needs of Pittsburgh's Black residents and ensuring that no one is left behind as our city develops.

Ongoing Projects

• Building Pittsburgh's Human Rights Housing Strategy

• Realizing Racial Equity in Pittsburgh- We're working with national and global human rights networks to engage United Nations and other global resources as we tackle systemic racism.

• 2022-U.S. policies reviewed by International Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -As a party to the global Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the U.S. must report on its efforts to address racial disparities.

• See the Shadow Report Pittsburgh advocates submitted to the United Nations CERD Committee, Racial Discrimination & Equity in the United States: Evidence from Pittsburgh (2-page Report summary)

• Shaping Mayor Gainey's Leadership Agenda- We are working to discuss ideas and build community support for initiatives that would advance equity and human rights in our city and help us realize the promise of the City's 2011 Human Rights City Proclamation.

• Open Letter: Bringing a Human Rights Perspective to Mayor Gainey’s Transition Report 2022

This message follows up our earlier message to then Mayor-Elect Gainey on International Human Rights Day 2021 (Dec. 10), where we reminded him of our status as a human rights city and the prior commitments made by city officials to advance racial and gender equity and human rights.

For more information and opportunities to get involved, please contact us at pghrights[at]riseup.net.

Latest Updates

An Appeal to the World: Pittsburgh Advocates file report to UN Committee reviewing racial discrimination in the U.S.

• Racial Discrimination & Equity in the United States: Evidence from Pittsburgh-Report to United Nations Review of U.S. compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) This report draws from documentation compiled by Pittsburgh advocates, city officials, researchers, and news reporters to demonstrate where improvements are needed in efforts to implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination in the United States. This report is part of the official international review of U.S. compliance with its treaty obligations.
• A Cross-City Report on Obstacles to U.S. Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination & how Human Rights Cities Can be a Remedy -This report combines insights from Pittsburgh with those from other cities, arguing for changes in federal policies to improve local compliance with U.S. obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
• OPEN LETTER: Bringing a Human Rights Perspective to Mayor Gainey’s Transition Report 2022
• International Human Rights Day 2021 (Dec. 10): See our Open letter to Mayor-Elect Gainey

Latest Housing Rights News

• Community petition campaign to Protect Inclusionary Zoning & Demand Affordable Housing for All! In response to Pittsburgh’s chronic affordable housing crisis, the City Council recently passed a modest inclusionary zoning ordinance to require developers to designate at least 10% of units in developments of 20 or more units as affordable for low-income residents. The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP)—a special interest group made up of corporate developers—has sued the city to prevent the implementation of the ordinance, and community partners are working to fight this move as we defend the rights of all residents to affordable, safe and secure housing. Please sign the petition! here https://secure.everyaction.com/ymOliRNNIkKlrrqVBDdOkQ2] and help spread the word!

• Councilpersons Gross, Kail-Smith introduce legislation to back housing cooperatives --See this letter of support from folks in our Human Rights City network.

• Global housing leader visits Pittsburgh: In April 2022, Pittsburgh welcomed global housing expert, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha to meet with city officials, housing advocates, students and other residents. We compiled this report on the visit, highlighting insights and recommendations from our discussions with Ms. Farha, who now leads global housing rights organization, The Shift. Here you’ll also find helpful links to learning resources and legal tools to help advance housing as a human right. (Download report PDF)

• From Palestine to Pittsburgh--#Pushbacktalks Podcasts: April 20, 2022 Palestine and the Heartache of an Advocate-In her regular podcast, Leilani Farha reflects on her recent travel that took her from Palestine to Pittsburgh, considering lessons about people and our connections to the land.

Recent Actions

• During the week of April 4-7, 2022, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha visited Pittsburgh. We compiled this report on the visit, highlighting insights and recommendations from our discussions with Ms. Farha, who now leads global housing rights organization, The Shift. Here you’ll also find helpful links to learning resources and legal tools to help us advance housing as a human right. (Download report PDF)

====Other meetings==== [MOST NOW ONLINE DUE TO COVID19]

• Pittsburgh's Gender Equity Commission Monthly public meetings-3rd Tuesdays each month, 2:30-4:30PM [in the City-County building 414 Grant St., downtown Pittsburgh] Subscribe to Gender Commission newsletter
• Peoples Campaign for Reparations and Black Self-Determination- Is hosting a series of community forums on this theme to help organize and build a Reparations Commission for Black residents of Pittsburgh. For more information visit campaign4reparationsandselfdetermination.wordpress.com/
• Pittsburghers for Public Transit second Wednesday of each month [at 7pm at 1 Smithfield Street (Pittsburgh Human Services Building) downtown].
• Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition every Monday, 6:00PM, Location [115 Beatty St. East Liberty]
• Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters, (412) 908-1603.

Human Rights & Anti-Racism Organizing

Historical Truth-Telling: Key to Human Rights & Racial Healing Today:Building a human rights city requires efforts to remedy past injustices and ensure that all residents have equitable opportunities to thrive. The International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024) and the 400th anniversary of the first auction of enslaved Africans in North America provides an opportunity for renewing conversations about how we can address persistent inequities resulting from the United States's brutal history of slavery and genocide against people of African descent and indigenous peoples.

• Reparations Resource Guide
• *The World is Watching! Global movements support human rights and anti-racism in the U.S.

• UN Human Rights Council Strongly Condemns US Racial Violence: The United Nations responded to a call from Family members of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile to take action in response to racially-motivated violence in the U.S., in an unprecedented Urgent Debate in the UN Human Rights Council June 19.
• Study shows US police fail to meet basic human rights standards. Not one police department in the 20 largest American cities are compliant with international rights laws study from the University of Chicago has found.
• Recommendations to Align Pittsburgh’s Policing Practices with International Human Rights Law & Standards Pitt student, Seth Kornbau, worked this summer to review Pittsburgh's policing policies and relate them to this analysis of international legal obligations. He prepared this brief to inform the Mayor's task force on police reform.

• Indigenous People's Day & Anti-racism work

Student human rights leaders compiled the following list of films, podcasts, and short articles and reports to inspire learning that acknowledges past harms and furthers a process of truth-telling and racial healing. Recording: Community Dialogue: Indigenous Peoples Day: Deconstructing white supremacy and celebrating Indigenous Peoples' history More Resources on Indigenous peoples and human rights

Past & Ongoing Projects

• See our latest Annual Report 2019
• Pittsburgh joins national human rights review at the United Nations
• World Human Rights Day, December 10, 2019: Media Advisory: Pittsburgh joins other cities recognizing International Human Rights Day & highlights persistent challenge of racial inequities

Statement to City Council: Human Rights City Alliance backs community organizations calling for pause in vote on ARP funds: Our message to Council reminds them of past commitments and priorities that must be addressed in ARP allocations while calling for transparent and democratic process for deciding how funds will be used.

Sign the petition for a more transparent, accountable, and democratic process for allocating public resources.

• Human Rights City Alliance statement supporting City Council Fair Housing Proclamation (April 20, 2021)
  

Learning from COVID-19:Shaping a Health and Human Rights Agenda for our Region
We can’t return to status quo if we are to prevent the multiple breakdowns and failures we’re now seeing with COVID-19. Resilience and long-term, community well-being requires dramatic improvements to public infrastructure and support for housing, food, & health security. We're working with diverse groups in the community to host this forum series and build a strong people’s movement to help us realize a society that prioritizes equity and the human right to health, so that every member of our community can live dignified lives. Click here for details, recordings and summaries of past discussions

• See recordings and resources
• Housing, Health and Human Rights: January 24-Feb. 6: Housing is Healthcare! Let's Demand the Human Right to Housing!: Push

• Watch the film online: January 24-February 6. Sign up here to receive a link to view Push (Download flier)
• Advancing the Human Right to Housing in our Cities Multi-city dialogue with organizers from Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and New York- View recording here

Co-Sponsors: Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance, Atlanta Housing Justice League, Organization for Human Rights & Democracy, University of Pittsburgh Global Studies Center & Urban Studies Program, Student Human Rights Task Force- Pitt & The New School (NYC) Collaboration.

Further background and recordings at:Zero Evictions Days Resource page and webinar recordings Featuring dialogues with Leilani Farha, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing.)

Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance Steering Committee Members named to Mayor’s Community Task Force on Police Reform Community leaders Brandi Fisher, President and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability and Monica Ruiz, Executive Director of Casa San Jose, have been tasked with helping our city develop a plan to review existing policing practices and policies and make recommendations. Here is the outline of the City’s Agenda for Police Reform.

• See our letter of support from Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance

Bringing Human Rights Home

*UPR Pittsburgh Bringing Global Human Rights Home: Pittsburgh's Human Rights Assessment & the United Nations Together with human rights defenders around the country, Pittsburgh residents are working to bring the stories and accounts of human rights conditions in our region to the United Nations through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. Over 2019-2020, the United States human rights record will be reviewed by international representatives and human rights experts, and the UN will issue a formal report with recommendations to the US government for improving respect for the country's international human rights obligations. A key to the UPR's effectiveness is engagement from civil society, and we're working to provide opportunities for residents to learn about human rights and the UPR process as we generate ideas for how we can make Pittsburgh and Southwest PA places where human rights thrive.

• For more details see UPR Cities Project

Pittsburgh Activists File Report to UN on State of Human Rights in Region

• Racial Inequity at the Core of Human Rights Challenges in Pittsburgh -Full Pittsburgh Stakeholder Report to United Nations Universal Periodic Review of the U.S. Government, 2-Page Summary
• Pittsburgh joins other US Cities in UN Report: "Corporate Influence Threatens Human Rights in Communities Nationwide" (*For more details on the national campaign see UPR Cities Initiative).
  • See more details at: UPR Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh City Council Passes Zero Evictions Proclamation in Solidarity with Global Movement for Housing Justice

Housing Justice

• Housing is a Human Right-Letter to Officials The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha, recently directed letters to governments and corporate leaders around the world, pointing out how prevailing policies violate international human rights obligations. This page has details and a template for contacting your local leaders to remind them of their international legal obligations.
• Housing Justice Pittsburgh Building community power to fight displacement and promote our "Right to the City."
• Housing Summit 2018 Area organizations are working together to build a broad alliance for affordable housing in our region. Mark your calendars for our November 10, 2018 Housing Summit, and watch for a series of events and activities aimed to develop new strategies for addressing Pittsburgh's housing crisis.
• Housing is a Human Right: Slideshow on international treaties and opportunities to promote the human right to housing
  
  

• Forged for All? the Amazon HQ2 Debate & the Future of Pittsburgh

Learn more about how Amazon's bid to move to Pittsburgh would affect human rights here. Resources, data, and recordings of community forums.

• View community forums on the question of how an Amazon HQ2 would impact us:
  • "Pittsburgh's Economic Revitalization: Technology, Corporate Power, and Democratic Accountability"
  • 'Human Rights, the Right to the City, and Amazon HQ2: Forged for all?

International Human Rights Monitoring

This page links to work by national and international human rights organizers to use international treaties and United Nations human rights review processes to hold local and national officials in the United States accountable to our international human rights obligations.

News & Updates

• UN Official Confronts Governments and Corporations on Housing Rights: Recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha held a press conference in Copenhagen to speak about letters released (see links below) to governments and corporations around the world including the United States and the Blackstone Group L.P. Ms. Farha spoke out directly against policies and laws which support housing as a commodity. In the letters to various governments, Ms. Farha stated that these policies and laws contradict governments’ international human rights obligations. Letters: UN Special Rapporteur Letter to US Government On Housing Policies as Human Rights Violations, Letter to Blackstone Investment Corporation, Blackstone's response. Campaign links #MaketheShift #HousingisaHumanRight!
  • We're working to get this message to Mayor Peduto and other public officials: If your organization wants to sign this *letter to public officials* please contact us at pghrights[at]riseup[dot]net or via Facebook PGHrights. For more details see Housing is a Human Right!

• Pittsburgh’s Our Water Campaign goes Global: The current issue of the Open Access Journal of World-Systems Research features a symposium on the problem of corporate power and its implications for local democracy. This project was inspired by the recent inter-city competition to host the Amazon 2nd headquarters. See: "Water is a Human Right! Grassroots Resistance to Corporate Power!" (by local water activist Caitlin Schroering).

• Pittsburgh for CEDAW Coalition helps bring Pittsburgh Human Rights Recognition In March 2019, the NGO Committee on the Status of Women/New York awarded Mayor Peduto the Cities for CEDAW Global Leadership Award for his work to implement sustaining policies which eliminate all forms of discrimination against women at the local level. This award would not have been possible without all the hard work of PGH for CEDAW Coalition members to push for the CEDAW ordinance and to design policy recommendations that would ensure its effective implementation.
• Summary of lessons from Housing Justice Movement-Building work 2016-2019 This document provides a synthesis of ideas from conversations about how to advance the human right to housing and challenge market-oriented policies that continue to displace residents. ‎
• Print Media coverage of Racial Justice Summit- This report highlights our breakout session at the 2019 Summit, "Building an Intersectional Movement for Housing Justice"
• Pittsburgh City Council and Mayor Peduto re-affirm their commitment to human rights at the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (See Press Release December 10)
• Annual Report 2017 --See what we accomplished last year!
• National Human Rights Cities Alliance Workshop 2018, Washington DC

Human Rights Budgeting-Ideas and Resources for transforming how our city plans: This page shares links and background resources about how activists around the world are working to change the scripts of local politics to prioritize human rights over economic measures of progress. We believe that urban planning and development should be explicit in its attention to human rights and equity. More democratic budgeting processes are key to making this happen, and that means we all need to learn more about how city budgeting works and how it could be re-organized to engage more of the people who live in our region.

Past Actions:

• Stop Corporate Givaways--Sign the petition to city for transparency and accountability in deal offered to Amazon for its 2nd headquarters.
• Stop Plan to Increase Policing on Public Transit
• The Case for Human Rights Today (February 2021)
  

International Human Rights Day 2020 Public/Media Statement:
Pittsburgh Joins Global Efforts to Target Systemic Racism, Bring Human Rights Home [1]

• Communication Justice Initiative
• Community Power Movement Among other work, the Community Power Movement is promoting a People's Platform and a petition campaign calling for greater transparency and community benefits in the City's bid to host the Amazon HQ2.

Regularly scheduled meetings/ Local Human Rights Groups

• Landless People's Alliance Monthly Gathering, Wednesdays at 5:30-7:00PM --Sept. 26, Oct. 31, November 28 –Location: Postal Workers Headquarters 841 California Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15202-2705
  • Every first Wednesday of month: Alliance for Police Accountability 6:30-8:00PM Kingsley Association, 6435 Frankstown Ave. Pgh 15206 (Childcare and food provided)
  • Every 3rd Thursday 7:00-8:30PM Pittsburgh for CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) meeting, Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Ave. Everyone is welcome.

Alerts & Updates

• Campaign to Stop Plan to Increase Policing on Public Transit-- This campaign led by the Alliance for Police Accountability, Casa San Jose, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, and the Thomas Merton Center warns that the Port Authority's planned fare enforcement policy will unfairly impact communities of color, increase the problematic trend of criminalizing young people, and threaten immigrant residents.The campaign is calling for civilian fare enforcers rather than armed Port Authority Police and a citation process rather than a criminal process to deal with fare evasion (See FAQs for more information). Community organizations and individuals are asked to write letters to the Port Authority in support of this campaign (see sample letter).
• PIttsburgh Public Schools Passes Sanctuary Resolution
• Pittsburgh becomes 6th US City for CEDAW A broad coalition of human rights advocates helped advance a new ordinance enacting the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in our City, December 6, 2016. Stay involved in the work to carry out this commitment to better address needs of women and girls, families and communities in our city! www.pgh4cedaw.org

University-Based Projects

• Pittsburgh area university faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to join the University Human Rights Network. We invite volunteers from different campuses to help support work on your campus and coordinate with other campuses.
• Pitt Human Rights Initiative
• Campus worker organizing: Pitt faculty, graduate student workers, and other workers are organizing for their rights and to support and protect the right to education. Keep informed about the campaign on their website and Facebook page

How to get involved

• Join the Human Rights City Alliance email list for updates on events & action opportunities

Please get in touch if you're interested in some of these ongoing projects or in efforts to follow-up some of these past initiatives. We are an all-volunteer group and are working to create spaces for residents to work together to envision and build a different kind of city and region. pghrights [at] riseup [dot] net.

• Housing Summit-Resources & Links
• Uniting Against Hate: Immigrant Rights, Racial Justice and the U.S. Prison System
• Annual report 2016--See what we accomplished last year!
• International Decade of People of African Descent 2015-2025--Recognition, Justice and Development
• Discussion Guideto Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian prepared for use around Indigenous Peoples Day 2017, but this resource can be used anytime to facilitate discussion and dialogue around themes of institutionalized racism, internalized oppression, and the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous communities and other communities of color in the United States.

• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Teach-In: Uniting Against Hate: '''How the prison industrial complex impacts our communities & what we can do to change it: A working group is organizing an event to raise consciousness on this critical human rights issue.

NEW Research on Pittsburgh and Human Rights Organizing:
Responding to Globalization and Urban Conflict: Human Rights City Initiatives Studies in Social Justice

Dangerous Times: Defending Human Rights
Values are fragile. Because the values of human rights depend foremost on the ability to empathize with others”to recognize the importance of treating others the way we would want to be treated ”they are especially vulnerable to the demagogue's exclusionary appeal. A society's culture of respect for human rights needs regular tending, lest the fears of the moment sweep away the wisdom that built democratic rule. Human Rights Watch "World Report 2017: Demagogues Threaten Human Rights-Trump, European Populists Foster Bigotry, Discrimination."

• Truth-Telling for Reconciliation: Remembering Victims of Slavery & the Slave Trade-March 25th is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade--Ideas: convene a group to discuss an article or book such as The Case for Reparations, by Ta-Nehisi Coates or Michael Dyson's Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon for White America. UN initiatives to fight racism and xenophobia: Together (respect, safety and dignity for refugees and migrants) Let's Fight Racism", and "Stand Up for Someone's Rights Today," in addition to the International Decade for People of African Descent.
• Human Rights in Danger (Youth and public education resource) Human Rights Watch 2017 Report The Dangerous Rise of PopulismGlobal Attacks on Human Rights Values
• Local strategy working paper: Moving from Shallow to Deep Democracy
  Teaching Tolerance: Talking with kids and adults about human rights "Speak up for civility"--Human Rights Educators USA
• Building a society that works for all: This election showed the urgency of people's need for major changes in the basic structure of our economy and government policies. Neither presidential candidate offered that. There is a need to build grassroots movements for economic and social transformation rather than allowing elites to determine what kind of society we live in. "Politicians from both parties lionize the entrepreneur, casting poverty ...as an individual shortcoming, a narrative that erases ...the structurally racist policies that have continued to maintain [white privilege]."
• See examples of legislation passed in Human Rights Cities of Washington DC and Eugene Oregon's Inclusive Community Resolution.
• Strategies for Improving Local Implementation of Human Rights--Lessons from around the World

Defend Pittsburghers' Right to Stay in their City! Housing Justice
**Affordable Housing Initiative:** **Pittsburgh Housing Summit** (Resources and links to recordings of plenary sessions) "Don't evict Pittsburgh!" Housing is a human right! The essence of our city is people and communities--not buildings, businesses, and tourist attractions.Homes for All Pittsburgh

*The Human Rights City Alliance works to promote and support activities of all human rights advocates around the region. Please contact us about relevant events/activities to share: pghrigts [at] riseup.net .

About the Human Rights City Alliance

• Human Rights City Alliance Steering Committee
• See the summary of our Human Rights Cities Conference, hosted at the University of Pittsburgh
• 2017 Annual Report
• 2016 Annual Report: See what we've done in the past year as we look forward to strengthening Pittsburgh activism for human rights in the year ahead!
• 2015 Annual Report
• International Human Rights Day 2017 Press Conference at the City County Building

How to Get Involved

• Sign up for our email list to learn about upcoming events
• Community Outreach: Please invite groups you work with to be part of the Human Rights City Alliance's work! Help us invite groups around our city to link their work with the vision of building a human rights city. This letter is addressed to community leaders and invites them to reflect on actions they can take "because we're a human rights city." This letter invites congregations/church leaders to lift up human rights concerns in their churches-particularly around December 10/Human Rights Day.
• Are you a faculty or staff member or graduate student at an area university? Join our Pittsburgh Area University Human Rights Network
• Share the word and help us carry out the Human Rights City Action Plan

Resources

Link to more resources--toolkits, reports, and organizations supporting local human rights work

People-Centered Human Rights: Analyses from Around the Nation and World

• “Unmasking the hidden power of cities”. (LA-A New Economy for All LAANE, Partnership for Working Families, In the Public Interest) June 2018.
• Statement of Principles- National Human Rights City Alliance and People-Centered Human Rights
• Pittsburgh edition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Booklet format--PDF)
• Working Draft of An Action Plan for building a Human Rights City (PDF Version)
• Human Rights Recommendations to the United States: A Desk Reference for State and Local Human Rights Agencies
• Resources for State and Local Human Rights Implementation
• Sanctuary Cities: Boston Principles on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of Noncitizens
• Pitt Students work with Homewood residents on new resource website: I Am Homewood--this project reflects what can happen when we create networks among the various residents in our city. The Human Rights City Alliance helped bring creative and energetic folks together to enhance local knowledge and advance human rights advocacy work.
• Local Initiatives to Counter Violence-Promoting Political Extremism-- This document from the Swedish Association of Local and Regional Authorities was produced following violence at a 1995 white-supremacy concert organized by a growing right-wing movement. Examples of local initiatives can guide work in other communities to counter the exclusionary and hateful messages of such groups.
• Housing is a Human Right: Slideshow on international treaties and opportunities to promote the human right to housing

OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute-Human Rights in Pittsburgh and Beyond, Resource Page

Past events

World Food Day 2015: Watch video recording of October 2015 panel on the Right to Food
International Workers Day March for Immigrant Rights 2016 Statement of Unity and Solidarity


Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Website: pghrights.org Facebook: pghrights

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights booklet with Pittsburgh's Human Rights City Proclamation

YWCA Pledge Stand against racism

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• Communication Justice Initiative
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