Jurors' Verdict

Mimi Abramovitz
National Association of Social Workers, Hunter College School of Social Work, New York, NY

On behalf of the jury I would like to read the statement that we put together. [We originally were going to make group statements but in the service of time we have tried to consolidate.]
We the jury find the state and federal governments guilty of putting into law and practice human rights violations and humiliations. In particular we find violations of Article 23, 25, and 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and related articles, the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, and the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

These violations undermine human rights and human decency, especially for women and children. The laws and inhumane practices violate the fundamental right to education, and equal access to it, to adequate housing, to nutritious food, and to work that pays a living wage. All these violations are connected to each other. Taking away one right violates all the others and causes abuse and impoverishment.

The painful testimonies we have heard demonstrate the systematic neglect by our state and federal governments. Our government fails to protect the economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and communities in the United States.

We find those who perpetuate these violations without shame guilty, guilty, GUILTY!


Panel of Jurors

Mimi Abramovitz, National Association of Social Workers, Hunter College School of Social Work, New York, NY

Warren Allmand, International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Montreal, Canada

Susana Chiarotti, CLADAM, Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights, Argentina

Bill Kane, Industrial Union of New Jersey, NJ

Jack Kilroy, Grassroots Leadership, Lorain, OH

Shula Koenig, People's Decade for Human Rights Education, New York, NY

Miloon Kothari, Habitat International Coalition, Geneva, Switzerland

Elmira Nazombe, Center for Women's Global Leadership, New Brunswick, NJ

 

Acknowledgments