Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance

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

About Us

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 foster a human rights culture 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 advance 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"!

Ways to Get Involved

Subscribe

Join a Working Group

We currently steward four working groups that convene on a regular basis. Additional working groups may be formed as our work evolves and to support campaigns or special projects as needed. To learn more about each one, click on the links below. All are welcome to get involved! For more information and meeting links, please contact Maddy McGrady at madeline@theglobalswitchboard.org

Housing Rights

This working group seeks to expand public awareness that housing is a human right and to advance policy changes to expand access to safe, stable, adequate, and affordable housing in our region.

Community Safety & Policing

This working group works to promote a human rights-based approach to law enforcement, drawing from global laws and standards that prohibit racial discrimination and promote community-centered alternatives to police.

  • Next meeting Tuesday, October 8, 2-3 pm (Online).

Communications, Education and Outreach

This working group helps to shape and support our overall communication strategy. Volunteers can support in a variety of ways such as assisting with our newsletter, creating promotional materials, and reviewing and editing content, among other key tasks. This group is growing and we welcome folks with a variety of interests and skills to help us grow our capacity and get the word out about human rights.

  • Next meeting Tuesday, October 15, 6-7pm (Online).

Policy, Legislation, & Governance (PLuG)

This working group is designing a Human Rights Blueprint & Scorecard to help advance and monitor local policies through a human rights lens.

  • Next meeting Thursday, October 3, 5:30-6:30 pm (Online).

Calendar

PUSH Documentary Screening - Monday, September 30th, 6-8pm, Barco Law Building (3900 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260)

PUSH tells the story of how global banks and investment firms are turning our communities into sources of private profit, taking control of residential housing around the world, and pushing out low-income residents. The film tells another story too: residents and city officials are coming together to demand that housing be protected as a human right.
RSVP here (encouraged, not required). Food will be provided

Contact Us
All are welcome to join our work to make Pittsburgh a Human Rights City! For more information or to get involved, please contact us at hrca@theglobalswitchboard.org.

Current Areas of Focus

HRCA's work continues to evolve. Our current work focuses on the following issue areas, which were identified by community members and organizers as key regional priorities. Our working groups correspond with these areas of focus.

Housing Rights & Justice

HRCA is an active member of the Pittsburgh Housing Justice Table, a coalition of allied local organizations and independent advocates who believe that housing is a human right and that everyone should have access to the housing they need. Our Housing Rights Working Group supports the work of the Housing Justice Table through related events, education and advocacy efforts.

Through community engagement and conversations with Housing Justice Table coalition partners, HRCA developed A Human Rights-based Housing Strategy and Action Plan for Pittsburgh, PA which serves as a guiding document for our housing advocacy. We want our goals and strategy to reflect the needs and perspectives of our community, which is why we invite residents to review the document and share input with us so that we can strengthen it. Send your comments to hrca@theglobalswitchboard.org or join us for our next working group meeting!

You can learn more about the history behind our research and strategy conversations by reviewing our resource page, Building Pittsburgh's Human Rights Housing Strategy

Relevant Events & Actions

Racial Equity & Justice

HRCA is active as part of a broad coalition of community members and organizations committed to ending and redressing long-standing racial inequalities, inequities, and discrimination in the Pittsburgh region and beyond, recognizing that Freedom from Racial Discrimination is a Right, Not a Privilege.

This work includes raising awareness of the U.S. government's legal obligation to address racial discrimination under international law. For example, the U.S. ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in 1994 and has thus legally agreed to comply with and implement its requirements.

Recent events & actions:

Creating a Human Rights City

In 2011, the City of Pittsburgh issued a Proclamation declaring Pittsburgh the 5th Human Rights City in the U.S.. While this represents a step in the right direction, much work remains to strengthen and actually realize the City's commitment and to create a City in which everyone can thrive. 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.

Relevant Documents

Human Rights Education & Outreach

A key focus of HRCA is raising awareness among civil society and elected officials of the international human rights framework, and how we can (and should) use this framework to advocate for, monitor, and uphold "people-centered human rights" at home. This work includes building a movement of human rights enforcers and educating elected and government officials about their obligations under international human rights laws.

Relevant Documents

Recordings & Documentation

  • (April 13, 2024) 2024 People's Assembly for Fair & Equitable Housing Around 150 people gathered at the Frick Fine Arts Building to engage in learning and dialogue focused on the affordable housing crisis in Pittsburgh and potential solutions. Participants heard from local housing and human rights advocates about current community-led efforts to address our region's affordable housing needs, as well as from international advocates about innovative potential solutions being explored in other cities and countries. Topic areas included funding a Right to Counsel+ initiative for tenants facing eviction, establishing a Tenant Bill of Rights and related protections, and exploring creative solutions for creating permanently affordable, community-controlled affordable housing, such as through housing cooperatives (co-ops) and community land trusts. Co-sponsors: Pittsburgh Housing Justice Table, Human Rights City Alliance, City of Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, Pittsburgh United, Casa San Jose, University of Pittsburgh Department of Sociology, Pitt Graduate Workers’ Organizing Committee, The Global Switchboard. View the full program here, English Flier , Spanish Flier
  • (January 19, 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
  • (November 19, 2022) 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.
  • (November 18, 2022, 1Hood Media) Using the Human Rights Framework for Racial Justice: A Conversation with Justin Hansford 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
  • (July 14, 2022) 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.
  • (July 11, 2021) 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.
  • (June 23, 2020) See Human Rights City Alliance's letter of support for the appointment of Brandi Fisher (President and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability) and Monica Ruiz (Executive Director of Casa San Jose) to Mayor Gainey's Community Task Force on Police Reform.

See this outline of the City’s Agenda for Police Reform.

Local 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.

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.

  • 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

Bringing Human Rights Home

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

*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.

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

Housing Justice

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


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


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.

Resources

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

Other meetings

Pittsburgh

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


Dangerous Times: Defending Human Rights


Past Actions & Events

Actions HRCA Has Supported


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


Past Events

  • (2024) 10th Annual Human Rights Cookout and Potluck - Sunday, August 25th, 2024. Around 60 human rights supporters and advocates came together to enjoy food, music and updates about human rights work happening in Pittsburgh.
  • (February 2021) 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.)

Annual Reports

Archive




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

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

All Pages

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