The Purpose of Event

On the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) creating a global framework for the protection of the rights of everyone, and in this climate of multiple crises, we invite you to consider: do we really have human rights? What's right and wrong with them? Can 'rights' help us respond to the challenge of reconstructing society; so that justice, mutual respect and equality prevail? And if so, what concrete actions must we now take?

The 10th December event at the LSE looks to mark the 60th anniversary by finding ways to make human rights relevant to all, and not just activists, lawyers and academics. Asking the question: how can a broad civil rights platform encompass the full range of relevant social movements in Britain today? We will explore beyond civil liberties and individual rights to consider: what are humanity's essential, and collective economic, social, political and environmental rights, for which we must fight?

Event Themes

Speakers, panellists and questioners may wish to consider the history of the UDHR - successes, failures, shortcomings, opportunities - under six broad themes: Culture, Development, Dignity and Justice, Environment, Gender and Participation. They may also wish to refer to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act (HRA) aswell as the EU Charter of Fundamental Freedoms and recent UK Cabinet proposal for a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. And in respect of any or all of these, and the various crises we find ourselves in: what concrete actions must we now take?

Format, Topics & Speakers

1. Afternoon Seminar - Prison and Society

3-5pm Room H102, Connaught House Building (on Aldwych)

(1) Aisha Maniar, Hicham Yezza, Massah Barnett and others on the politics of detention;

(2) Professor Michael Edwards, Teresa Hoskyns, Dave Wetzel [tbc] and others on Land, Housing and Lebfevre's Right to the City; and

(3) Action proposals, discussion and preparing questions for Evening Conference.

2. Evening Conference - Building a Movement

6-9.30pm New Theatre, Building E, Houghton St

6pm Introductions and Initial Questions for Panel & Speakers

Panellists
Head of State Immunity (Peter Tatchell)
Academic Freedom (Hicham Yezza)
Public Services (Anne Gray)
Lebfevre's Right to the City (Teresa Hoskyns)
Housing (Michael Edwards)
(with guest appearance from Vivienne Westwood)

7pm Speaker Sessions
Civil Liberties (Professor AC Grayling)
War on Terror (Andy Worthington)
The Environment (Asad Rehman)

8-9.30pm Audience Q&A Discussion and Action Proposals

*Brief Note About Q&A*

We want to come out of the day with concrete, shared ideas about how to move forward the human rights movement after our 60-year experience with the UDHR, and more recently the ECHR and HRA. We have chosen the topics, speakers and panellists to provide the potential foundation for a movement based on liberty, dignity and justice for all in the UK and beyond. Furthermore, both the timetable and Q&A format are designed to leave sufficient space to discuss and plan future actions together. We would therefore ask speakers to plan their presentations accordingly: what collective actions we must now undertake? And we would ask participants to do the same in relation to any questions, comments or concrete proposals they put forward.


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On International Human Rights Day 2008, After 60 Years..
Public Meeting

Wednesday 10th December, 6pm
New Theatre, Building E, LSE Houghton St WC2 (nearest tube Holborn/Temple)

"Men are not capable of doing nothing, of saying nothing, of not reacting to injustice, of not protesting against oppression, of not striving for the good of society and the good life in the ways they see it" Nelson Mandela (First Court Statement, 1962)

Event organised by CAMPACC, the London Guantánamo Campaign, London Against Injustice and others. Hosted by the LSE Students' Union.

For more details, email  humanrights2012@gmail.com