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Members of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
filed a formal request for a hearing, before the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American
States.
Along
with the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Economic
and Social Rights Initiative and the International Women's
Law Clinic at the City University of New York they are asking
this international body to conduct a hearing and investigation
on the failures of the United States government, to fulfill
its obligations under international treaties and conventions
to ensure the fundamental rights to social security (welfare),
health care and housing for residents of the United States.
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The
PPEHRC is asking that the Commission give them a forum to
present testimony from both the victims of welfare, health
and housing policy in the United States and from national
experts in welfare, health and housing policy.
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Chris
Grove of the National Economic Social and Cultural Rights
Initiative spoke of the fundamental human rights standard
that exists and how it is basic to our human dignity. "We
need to turn international attention to the United States
and its constant violations of human rights"
Jennifer
Green of the Center for Constitutional Rights expressed the
need for multiple hearings to take place, and for the IAC
to force the United States to participate and stop ignoring
international human rights law.
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These
Economic Human Rights Violations are real and happening here
in the richest country of the world. 18,000 people have died
in the past year due to a lack of healthcare. These are the
casualties of the hidden war at home. Babies are sleeping
in the streets, people are being denied healthcare, housing,
education; and all of this could have been prevented if we
had Economic Human Rights.
--Cheri
Honkala
National Coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights
Campaign
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Today's reality tour headed to East New York today to the
Housing
Works INC Cas is a former resident of the program and
has utilizes many of its services.
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With
a focus on recovery and housing, the harm reduction program
attempts to help clients get clean without having to face incarceration.
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We
talked with many of the residents and heard their stories
of addiction and recovery.
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"Big
Tim" of the NYC chapter of the Poor People's Economic
Human Rights Campaign talked about he was able to get housing
and stay clean while living at Housing Works.
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In
the afternoon we welcomed several new delegations of marchers
from Virginia, Tennessee, England, and Massachusetts.
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Many
then participated in one of our several civil disobedience
trainings of the week. Needing to be prepared for Monday's
events we looked at the history of non-violent civil disobedience
and how and why it has been used in the past.
Citing
poverty as the worst form of violence, Executive Director
of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, Galen Tyler talked
how our movment has used non-violence civil disobedience.
Educational
materials:
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Using
role play we acted out the different scenerios for Monday. We
learned some of the tactics that police use and the importance
of having leadership and a plan and sticking to it.
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We
continued the day and welcomed many new members to the Bushville.
Our encampment has almost doubled in size.
Please
join us any time. Calendar
We
need all the support we can get in the next few days to make
this march a success.
- Register
Online
- Raise
the score even more! Make an online
donation
- Join
us at our Bushville
802
Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY
(G train to Myrtle-Willoughby Aves)
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| Additional
updates |
