This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone in the journey toward recognizing and safeguarding the fundamental rights of all individuals. As the global commitment to the ‘human rights project’ faces growing challenges, we are coming together to contemplate our pursuit of justice and dignity. We will do so by considering the perspectives, identities and approaches that intersect in this contemporary era. The conference will address other themes like building social movements, achieving a clean and sustainable energy future for all and examining questions of identity and belonging, particularly in the context of Africa and people of African descent.
Following the #BlackLivesMatter movement and decades of global work, in 2021 the U.N. established the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, which represents a significant step toward achieving racial justice and equality worldwide. The conference will feature a special session with two members of the Permanent Forum (Justin Hansford, USA and Gaynel Curry, The Bahamas) to share the progress on the declaration of rights and discuss the outlook for this new international mechanism. This continues the work started earlier this year with Hansford’s visit to Dayton as part of a broader effort to collect stories of the Black experience.
The conference also will be a forum for further discussion about making Dayton a “Human Rights City.” This diverse movement of community members is advocating for a formal statement of support from the city government for human rights, justice and equality for all the people of Dayton. We understand human rights are constantly being shaped by the individual and collective efforts of many people. Our social practice approach recognizes that through action, conversation and reflection, human rights can be realized in daily life.
Dayton residents can participate in conference sessions on community-engaged approaches to development, tenant rights and addressing homelessness in Dayton. There also will be discussions and case studies on co-ops, including the Gem City Market, as a means to enhance greater dignity and economic prospects of communities. On Saturday, Nov. 4, a workshop, “Lessons Learned for Dayton: A Debriefing for Local Leaders and Activists,” will be held at Kennedy Union on UD’s campus for local residents, community leaders, advocates and activists involved in driving positive change in Dayton. It will focus on sharing insights gained from the conference to inform local advocacy efforts and collaborative action.
Please visit the conference’s All You Need to Know page for a complete schedule and to register. E-mail hrc@udayton.edu with additional questions.
Satang Nabaneh is Research Professor of Law at the University of Dayton School of Law and the Human Rights Center’s Director of Programs.
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