Date: Fri, Nov 5, 2021
Dear All,
*Please share this media alert and brief background info widely*
Background (and Open Letter) The resumption of visits by the UN Special Rapporteurs is excellent news. The Biden-Harris administration is keeping their word in this regard. The quality of such visits is up to civil society, in large part (that’s us). It is unfortunate therefore, that the US Human Rights Network’s 3 person board shut down — then revised the description to ‘paused’– operations just two weeks ago. No emergency member meeting, no warning or transparency. Just canceled. Along with 3 staff members whose email access was frozen mid-Zoom meetings and ongoing work, as a means of notifying them. Clearly, we are not all equal in dignity and rights, to these decision-makers. I look at the long list of our USHRN founders, members, prior staff, FIHRE Fellows, and many years of esteemed Human Rights Movement Builder Awardees, and am truly astounded at the lack of integrity or human rights principles behind the actions of these 3 and any enablers.
Curiously, this sudden, ‘urgent’ need to cease operations occurred on the eve of the historic “In the Spirit of Mandela” International Tribunal and shortly before such an important US visit by The UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues — visits for which the Network historically was a major partner, facilitating access by directly impacted grassroots voices to ensure balanced reporting. The trio’s surprise decision to close our expansive 18 year old Network which does not actually belong to them, also ignored and aborted extensive preparation in progress by coordinating center staff, members, partners and donors, for key upcoming human rights actions domestically (December’s annual Human Rights Report, US Domestic Summit, Int’l Human Rights Day) and internationally (ICERD, ICCPR, and CAT Treaty reviews of the US are upcoming).
Given this intentional disruption in the communications, networking, and organizing of hundreds/thousands of grassroots members, please assist in sharing this information with your lists and networks. It is vitally important. I pray the Special Rapporteur gets to hear from the people at the grassroots. Very sorry the US Human Rights Network cannot assist.
In unity,
Dr. Vickie Casanova-Willis, PhD