Dear Fellow Champions of the People Centered Movement for Human Rights,

Seasons greetings. We come to you with a request. We need your support and input into the reformation of a Member driven Human Rights movement. Thank you for all you’ve done this year to strengthen our mutual promotion of human rights. Next month we celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a TownHall meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9th at 2pm ET (virtual). Please save this date and time and let us know that you’ll plan to attend by Registration.  

Please also fill out the following short questions to let us know your human rights focus and interests: https://forms.gle/ZRYuoBgbYnVW3EKY8. We are re-committing ourselves to this empathic work with you and hope you will join us to exchange ideas on the next phase of this important movement for justice.

A group of human rights advocates, including the organizations listed below, are organizing to ensure that the spirit and work of our past collaboration continues. We have been meeting weekly and we are reaching out to fellow champions of our people centered movement to learn how we can support each other’s efforts going forward. Of note, an open invitation was submitted for sharing with the full USHRN membership weeks ago, but was not forwarded on by the board.

Background

In late October 2021, the US Human Rights Network was unexpectedly suspended for an indefinite period and the coordinating center staff was immediately terminated. This sudden interruption of activities comes at a crucial time as several international human rights delegations, convenings, binding decisions, and treaty reports are due. 

For some publicly available information about what has occurred please read an open letter about the pausing of the network from the former ED and a report from the Sex Worker Rights Working Group 

Looking Ahead/Opportunities

Because our collaboration is valuable to our important work, we are inviting you to an expanded collaboration so that a new network &/or process can emerge to fill the current gap. 

• Please fill out the following short questions to let us know your human rights focus and interests/needs : https://forms.gle/ZRYuoBgbYnVW3EKY8. 

• Mark your calendar for the TownHall meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9th at 2pm ET (zoom) and let us know that you’ll plan to attend with your Registration 

Again, thank you for your ongoing human rights advocacy in your center of influence. Moreover, we are grateful for our past mutual efforts. We look forward to your response and our continued collaboration.

Best Practices Policy Project

Charles Watts, Founder and CEO, Empathy Surplus Network USA

Desiree Alliance

Dr. Onaje Muid, Co Chair N’COBRA Health Commission

Greg Kennedy, Trustee, Empathy Surplus Network USA

Mary Gerisch

Robin Benton, US Human Rights Cities Alliance Steering Committee

Sandy Bernabei, Antiracist Alliance

Sex Worker Rights Working Group of USHRN

The Black Sex Workers Collective

Tomiko Shine, Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign

Vickie Casanova-Willis, PhD – Human Rights Educator, Activist

Women Lead Network

Women’s Rights Working Group of USHRN