Impact of Immigration Raids on America's Children. No. 503.

Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified immigration enforcement activities by conducting several large-scale worksite raids across the country. From an in-depth study of three communities—Greeley, CO, Grand Island, NE and New Bedford, MA—this report details the impact of these worksite raids on the well-being of children. The report provides detailed recommendations to a variety of stakeholders to help mitigate the harmful effects of worksite raids on children.


Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America's Children.

Report produced by the Urban Institute for National Council of La Raza. NCLR funded the study to obtain an independent, objective assessment of how recent immigration actions have affected the children of immigrants.

Full report in pdf is here.

New Way to Decide Who Is Poor. No. 502.

In New York city the Bloomberg administration, frustrated by the federal government’s Great Society method of determining who is poor, is developing its own measure, which city officials ,say will offer a more modern and accurate picture of poverty.

Officials also hope the new measure will set off a nationwide re-examination of the current federal standard, and prompt other cities and states to adopt the city’s method.

The politics of determining a poverty level are intense because the number largely determines eligibility for numerous federal entitlement programs. And, perhaps as important, it is used by people across the political spectrum as they debate how well this nation cares for its less fortunate.

Human Rights Education Action Plan. No. 501.

The Plan of Action for the first phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education is now available in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese). Following the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), the plan defines five keys to success of human rights education.

The five keys to success for Human Rights Education as outlined in the Plan of Action for the first phase of the World Programme are as follows:

# Educational policies should promote a rights-based approach

# Policy implementation should be consistent and regularly monitored

# The learning environment should enable the practise of human rights in the whole school community

# Teaching and learning should be holistic and reflect human rights values

# Education and training of school personnel should allow them to transmit human rights values.

Human Rights Day. 2007. Dignity and Justice for All of Us. No. 500.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 1948-2008.




Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos: 1948-2008.

EL DÍA DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS DE 2007. No. 499.

EL DÍA DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS DE 2007
El tema para el 2008, “Dignidad y justicia para todos nosotros,” refuerza la visión de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos como compromiso con la dignidad y la justicia a escala universal. No se trata de un lujo ni una lista de deseos. La Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos y sus valores básicos, la dignidad humana inherente, la no discriminación, la igualdad, la equidad y la universalidad se aplican a todos, en todos los lugares y en todo momento. La Declaración es universal, duradera y dinámica, y nos atañe a todos.

Desde su aprobación en 1948, la Declaración ha sido y sigue siendo una fuente de inspiración de los esfuerzos nacionales e internacionales para promover y proteger los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales.

“Es difícil imaginarse hoy el cambio fundamental que representó la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos cuando se aprobó hace 60 años. En un mundo de posguerra lacerado por el Holocausto, dividido por el colonialismo y sacudido por la desigualdad, una carta en que se establece el primer compromiso global y solemne con la dignidad y la igualdad inherentes de todos los seres humanos, independientemente del color, el credo o el origen, era una empresa audaz y temeraria.”
Sra. Louise Arbour, Alta Comisionada para los Derechos Humanos

Un elemento esencial de la protección de los derechos humanos es la difusión amplia de los conocimientos y el fomento de la comprensión entre las poblaciones de cuáles son sus derechos y cómo pueden defenderlos. En la actualidad, la Declaración está disponible en más de 360 idiomas y es el documento que más se ha traducido en el mundo, lo que da testimonio de su carácter y su alcance universales.

Sesenta años después, rendimos homenaje a la visión extraordinaria de los redactores originales de la Declaración y a los numerosos defensores de los derechos humanos en todo el mundo que han luchado para hacer realidad su visión.

La Declaración pertenece a todos y cada uno de nosotros: corresponde ahora leerla, estudiarla, promoverla y reivindicarla como nuestra.

UNESCO launching 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. No. 498.

Celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be launched at UNESCO on 10 December, Human Rights Day. Events commemorating the anniversary will take place over the next year, until 10 December 2008.

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, and Bacre Ndiaye, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will open the ceremony. Two special guests, Karel Vasak, human rights expert, and Hector Gross Espiell, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Uruguay to UNESCO, will then recall the drafting of the 1948 Declaration and UNESCO’s role in its implementation.
In his message on the occasion of Human Rights Day, the Director-General declared,

“The Universal Declaration remains a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Human rights belong to everybody, and we should work together to transform into a reality the motto chosen by the United Nations for the 60th anniversary: ‘Dignity and justice for all of us’.”

Human Rights. Major International Instruments. Status as at 31 May 2007 offers a comprehensive picture of the status of ratification of binding human rights instruments. Published annually, it shows developments in the ratification process of universal and regional normative instruments.
PDF file: HUMAN RIGHTS: MAJOR NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

The 60th anniversary provides an opportunity to mobilize the whole of the United Nations and to evaluate progress in respecting and promoting human rights. UNESCO will take this opportunity to assess the situation of rights in its fields of competence. UNESCO is planning two international conferences on the subject in 2008: one on human rights in the Organization’s fields of competence, the other on human rights education. In addition, the 61st International Conference of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which will be organized at UNESCO in September 2008, in partnership with the United Nations Department of Public Information, will focus on the celebration of the Universal Declaration’s 60th anniversary.

Human Rights Watch. No. 497.

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.
We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.

We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable.

We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law.

We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. It accepts no government funds, directly or indirectly. Contribute today or view HRW's financial statements first.