Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance

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

PLEASE DONATE to support our work! --Our work is completely based on volunteers. We appreciate your help supporting programming and other costs related to bringing human rights culture and policy to our region.

Annual Human Rights Cookout & Potluck-Sunday August 30 Everyone is welcome to attend the annual Human Rights Cookout and Potluck at Frick Park/Forbes & Braddock Shelter (Details in calendar-below)!

About Us

Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance (HRCA) The Human Rights City Alliance is a volunteer-led networking organization supporting cooperation and community learning that brings diverse groups and individuals together to advance people-centered human rights in Pittsburgh. We support the realization of our City Council's 2011 Proclamation declaring Pittsburgh a "human rights city" by fostering local democracy, coalition-building, and a human rights culture that maximizes human rights and dignity for all people in our region. See our Organizing principles

• Human Rights City Alliance Board of Directors
• About the Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance

• Human Rights Cities Principles
• Introduction to the Human Rights Cities Movement
• Resources for starting a Human Rights City initiative near you

Contact us: pghrights@riseup.net

Get Involved

We are a volunteer-led organization that supports collaborative efforts with community partners. To find out more or get involved, please contact us at pghrights@riseup.net.
Subscribe for updates on events & action opportunities!

Fall General Meeting: Wed. Sept. 16, 6:00PM at Carnegie Library East Liberty. All are welcome to learn about current work and ways to get involved. (more details below)

University Human Rights Working Group: Do you work at Pittsburgh area universities? We invite faculty, staff, and graduate students to help support human rights learning and praxis on and off campus. subscribe here.

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Calendar

Wed. September 23 6:00PM Housing Rights Working Group meeting- (Bi-weekly) At Carnegie Library East Liberty and hybrid Register to attend remotely This working group supports community learning and mobilization around housing rights and justice and supports campaigns being organized by the larger city-wide Housing Justice Table coalition. We support the annual Housing Justice Summit and similar events. New volunteers are welcome to join this work!

• Housing Rights Working Group -Contact for more details pghrights@riseup.net

  Note: CLP is not the host or organizer of this event. CLP does not support, sponsor, or represent this group or event.

Rights under threat: The roles of cities and communities as human rights defenders"--Friday October 16 (3-5PM @ University of Pittsburgh, Cathedral of Learning Rm 2017) & Saturday October 17 (10AM-2PM, Location TBA). As political leaders fuel social and political divisions, our communities and local governments have become frontline defenders of community safety and the rights of all residents. To further knowledge and networks to address threats to human rights, we invite you to hear from local leaders and affected communities as we work to generate solutions. We know that threats to vulnerable residents are ultimately threats to all of us, and we hope you’ll join us during United Against Hate Week as we stand up to hate and unlawful repression and build the city we need. Co-sponsors: Human Rights City Alliance; Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations; Women & Girls Foundation; Casa San Jose; University of Pittsburgh Center on Race and Social Problems (Other partners TBA)

News
December 10 is International Human Rights Day
Public Statement: City governments and community advocates are building “firewall for freedom” in the face of human rights emergency

Pittsburgh Activists travel to New York to testify to world leaders on housing rights and immigrant rights -- Community leaders from Pittsburgh will speak to ambassadors from around the world to encourage them to press the U.S. government to improve local human rights conditions and support international law. Read more

*Summer 2025: Pittsburgh Delegation Travels to D.C. to "appeal to the world" for human rights--Joining activists from around the country, local delegates will encourage foreign ambassadors to support recommendations for improving human rights conditions in our communities. The initiative is part of the United Nations peer-review assessment of the U.S. human rights record, known as the “Universal Periodic Review,” or “UPR.”

Current Work

The Human Rights City Alliance helps build alliances among individuals and groups in our area supporting human rights for all. We support local engagement in national and international human rights advocacy, and participate in UN human rights reviews of U.S. policies.

UN Reviews of U.S. Human Rights

We are currently involved in the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of the U.S. government and have participated in filing two civil society stakeholder reports to the UN, including: Discriminatory Taxation Policies Obstruct the Realization of Economic and Social Rights in the United States, and Housing and Homelessness in the United States. Our team continues to work with national allies to put pressure on the U.S. government and win support of international allies and human rights advocates.

Working Groups Our current working groups focus on the following issue areas, and they are shaped by efforts of volunteers like you!

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

Steel City Collaborative Housing Association
Our Board members serve on the leadership of this initiative to support the development of cooperative housing in our region.

Highlights of past actions

• (April 5, 2025), Pittsburgh Housing Justice Summit
• (April 4-7, 2022), Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Adequate Housing, visits Pittsburgh. Check out our visit summary 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)

Immigrant Rights

HRCA partners with the Global Switchboard, Casa San Jose, and other organizations led by and supporting immigrants and immigrant rights. We also collaborate with advocates and experts in the National Human Rights Cities Alliance to uplift ways cities can organize locally to protect and strengthen immigrant rights.

In January 2025, Our national counterpart, the Human Rights Cities Alliance and Young Initiative on the Global Economy, Occidental College hosted a webinar on How Cities Can Defend Human Rights in the Face of Mass Deportations, Webinar recording How Cities Can Defend Human Rights in the Face of Mass Deportations

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:

• (November 2023) HRCA members prepared an Executive Summary of the UN Expert Mechanism's Report on Racial Discrimination in Law Enforcement for local elected officials to raise awareness of the UN's investigation, conclusions, and recommendations following its U.S. Country Visit in April & May 2023.

• (October 2023) HRCA organized a panel discussion of UN recommendations to end racially discriminatory policing and uphold human rights in the context of law enforcement. Event Panelists: Brandi Fisher (Alliance for Police Accountability), Tanisha Long (Abolitionist Law Center), Muhammad Ali Nasir (MAN-E) (1Hood Media), Laura Perkins (Casa San Jose). Read the UN reports: U.S. Country Visit 2023 & Reimagining Policing 2023. Event recording: UN Report Condemns Racial Discrimination in U.S. Law Enforcement: How does this relate to Southwest PA?

• (April 2023) HRCA joined the Alliance for Police Accountability and other advocates in submitting a report on policing and racial discrimination in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to the UN's International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement (EMLER) ahead of its visit to the US from April 24 to May 5, 2023. (Full report: Treatment of People of African Descent by Law Enforcement Agencies in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Press release: Local Advocates File Report on Police Discrimination in Allegheny County to UN Fact-Finding Body on Law Enforcement and Racial Justice)

• (November 2022) HRCA assisted to facilitate a listening session with Justin Hansford, Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law and an elected founding member of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. For more details, review our summary Taking Back Our Human Rights: Black Pittsburgh's Appeal to the World and our background page for the event.

• (July 2022) HRCA prepared and submitted a Shadow Report to the United Nations CERD Committee (Full report: Racial Discrimination & Equity in the United States: Evidence from Pittsburgh, Summary report: Summary Document)

: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 Events & Actions

• (December 10 2024) International Human Rights Day Press Conference & Proclamation. The Human Rights City Alliance assisted in bringing together City leaders, residents, and community groups to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to renew our shared commitment to using human rights as a path to building a just and equitable city in which everyone can thrive. The Mayor's office also issued and presented our proclamation recognizing Dec. 10 as International Human Rights Day in the City of Pittsburgh.

Relevant Documents

• 2011 City Council Proclamation declaring Pittsburgh a "HUMAN RIGHTS CITY."
• 2024 Proclamation by Mayor Ed Gainey recognizing December 10 as International Human Rights Day and "affirm[ing] the City's commitment to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights and promote a culture of human rights in our City."
• Draft Resolution to Renew and Update Pittsburgh’s Human Rights City Status
• Bringing a Human Rights Perspective to Mayor Gainey’s Transition Report 2022
• Message to Mayor-Elect Gainey on International Human Rights Day 2021 (Dec. 10)

• Pittsburgh Delegation Attends 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.

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

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• International Bill of Human Rights

Resources

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

Annual Reports

• 2019 Annual Report
• 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

• Official Reports to UN Human Rights Bodies (multiple years)

Past Events & Actions

• Past Actions & Events

Archive

• Archive

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

All Pages

• Communication Justice Initiative
• Forums on Amazon HQ2 and the Right to the City
• Frequently Asked Questions

• 2025 Housing Justice Resources & Follow Ups
• 2025 Pittsburgh Housing Justice Summit
• 2026 3rd Annual Housing Justice Summit
• About the Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance
• Archive
• Book Discussions
• Bringing Human Rights Home
• Call for Artists
• Communication Justice Initiative
• Communications, Education and Outreach
• Community Safety & Policing
• Coordinating Committee
• Educator Outreach
• Events
• Films
• Forums on Amazon HQ2 and the Right to the City
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Health, Human Rights, and Cities Initiative
• Health is a Human Right
• Housing Justice
• Housing Justice Coalition Table
• Housing Justice Pittsburgh
• Housing Rights
• Housing Rights Resources Page
• Housing Summit
• Housing Summit Resources
• How Cities Can Defend Human Rights in the Face of Mass Deportations
• How to get involved
• Human Rights Budgeting Resource Page
• Human Rights City Action Plan
• Indigenous Peoples Day in Pittsburgh
• International Human Rights Monitoring
• Jackies Homepage
• Learning from COVID-19:Shaping a Health and Human Rights Agenda for our Region
• Main Page
• Making the Global Local-Human Rights Cities Workshop
• Media Advisories
• Model Letter supporting Pennsylvania Fairness Act
• More resources for housing rights
• National Human Rights Cities Alliance Workshop 2018, Washington DC
• OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute-Human Rights in Pittsburgh and Beyond, Resource Page
• Outreach Material
• Participants Partners and Allies
• Past Actions & Events
• Past Working Group Activities and Reports
• Past events
• Pitt Human Rights Initiative
• Pittsburgh Housing Justice Summits
• Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance
• Pittsburgh Human Rights Housing Strategy
• Pittsburgh delegation to Human Rights Cities Leadership Summit in Atlanta, May 2023
• Police Reform
• Policy, Legislation, & Governance (PLuG)
• Preliminary Schedule
• Recordings & Documentation
• Remembering Penn Plaza
• Reparations Resource Guide
• Reports to UN Human Rights Bodies
• Resources
• Schedule
• Speakers
• Statement of principles
• Steel City Cooperative Housing
• Steel City Shared Equity Housing Association
• Steering Committee
• Taking Back our Human Rights! Building a Black Regional Agenda for Justice
• Task Forces
• Teach-In
• U.S. Human Rights Network UDHR Campaign
• UPR Pittsburgh
• University Human Rights Network
• University Human Rights Working Group
• Washington DC 2016 Human Rights Cities Convergence
• Washington DC 2016 Human Rights Cities Convergence Documentation
• Workshop Human Rights Cities 2015 Making the Global Local
• Workshops
• Youth-led Candidate Forum
• Z Human Rights Days of Action 2015
• Z Human Rights Days of Action Spring 2015
• Zero Evictions Days 2020