Everyday People Everyday Rights

“Human rights values - freedom, respect, equality, dignity - are important to everyone. They are about the way we treat each other as people, and about the way the system treats us. Protecting and promoting human rights makes the community a better place for everyone.”

Dr Helen Szoke
Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission.

Topics

About the project

Everyday People, Everyday Rights is a pilot project run by the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission (the Commission) in the City of Hume from January-December 2009 with funding provided by the Legal Services Board

This project aims to better equip the people of Hume to understand and assert their rights. During May and June, City of Hume residents were invited to take part in community meetings and contribute to the development of new human rights education materials aimed at helping people relate human rights to their everyday experiences. In addition, a group of community members with a passion for human rights employed their diverse skills, interests and backgrounds have undergone specialised training with the Commission, designed to prepare them to run human rights activities in the community.

Why this project is important

Respect for human rights is pivotal to building a community that values inclusion, the full exercise of democratic rights, equitable and just legal processes, and good government.

Australia is the only democratic country without a federal bill of rights. Australians rightly expect full access to our human rights but often without the understanding that our rights are not generally outlined or specifically protected in law.

Victoria is currently the only Australian state with a law to protect human rights. Following the recent enactment of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities 2006 (Vic), all public authorities are required to comply with the civil and political rights it contains.

A key finding of the consultation process leading up to the adoption of the Charter was the need for education about human rights in order for the Charter to be effective, and one of the key functions of the Commission under the Charter is to educate the Victorian community about human rights.

This project offers a new approach to change the public perception of human rights as something that is ideal but irrelevant to something that is fundamental to the individual and personally relevant.

Everyday People, Everyday Rights aims to achieve this by reaching people where they live, work and play, recognising that communities' have the expertise to recognise, respond to, and solve their own "problems".

Human rights are about a "fair go" for all. When there is widespread understanding by the broader community, and human rights are seen as relevant and real for ordinary people, there will be a greater harmony and connection between people and increased capacity to positively influence the work of government.

Why the City of Hume was selected

The City of Hume was selected for this pilot project due to its active and engaged local council, diverse population, and its existing level of engagement in human rights activities.

The Hume City Council was the first local council to adopt a Social Justice Charter in 2001. Moreover, the Hume City Council has been active in ensuring its policy and services are compatible with the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, which came into full effect in Victoria on 1 January 2008.

Liana Thompson, Director of Public Affairs and Organisation Development at the Victorian Local Government Association, said during her speech at the Commission's Everyday People, Everyday Rights Conference in March 2009, that:

"the City of Hume is clearly more advanced in this arena than any other local government, as they have had a Social Justice Charter for eight years and have taken the time and energy to 'operationalise' the Charter".

The Commission has also linked in with existing human rights activities and networks, including partnering with Banksia Gardens Community Centre and providing support to their 'Stand Up and Be Counted' human rights project.

What research methodology will be used?

Everyday People, Everyday Rights will use a participatory action research approach which will allow ongoing feedback from participants, project staff and stakeholders to be incorporated within the pilot project as it is being implemented.

Integral to the participatory community development model being tested in this pilot project is the understanding of people and communities as change agents, recognising them as the experts on issues of importance such as human rights, and as capable of finding solutions to their problems.

An important part of this approach is the establishment of a Community Network Reference Group.

What the Community Network Reference Group is for

The Community Network Reference Group has been established to provide guidance and advice on effective ways to make human rights more accessible to the people of Hume in their day-to-day lives.

The reference group has representatives from the local council, neighbourhood house, senior citizens, local business, health, education and multicultural groups. Engagement with a wide variety of community representatives will encourage participation, accountability, non-discrimination and engagement of vulnerable groups, empowerment and linkages to human rights principles and standards.

Supporting Organisations

How this project will be evaluated

Everyday People, Everyday Rights has engaged an external evaluator who will incorporate quantitative (eg participant surveys) and qualitative (eg focus groups) methods. It will document the process as well as report on the outputs and outcomes achieved over the duration of the pilot.

Indicators of project success:

Trial of a participatory approach to building the capacity of Victorians to recognise and utilise human rights in their everyday interactions;
Engage with and build capacity through community organisations and networks to plan and deliver local meetings;
Develop a bank of new experience-based human rights resources that will be relevant and resonate with the Victorian public;
Develop a pool of human rights facilitators who are confident, enthusiastic and able to deliver further training in the community;
Participants in local meetings gain increased awareness of relevant human rights issues and are able to engage in discussion and relate experiences about human rights as they apply in everyday life;
Variety of organisations and networks involved and willing and able to promote, develop, deliver and review the various stages of the project
Participants express intention to stay involved, take on human rights agenda in own activities and continue relationship with the Commission.

Outcomes to date

Successful community meetings attended by 90 people from diverse backgrounds, with over 85% expressed interest in continued involvement
New human rights education materials developed that reflect the stories and experiences of community members, and tested to ensure relevance and resonance with the Victorian public;
High-level of interest in the Human Rights Facilitator Program, resulting in a pool of confident, enthusiastic and skilled community members with diverse skills, interests and cultural backgrounds to run further activities in the community;
The reference group and other organisations and networks have helped the Commission to promote, develop, deliver and review the various stages of the project, and expressed interest and intention to stay involved in human rights work

Community Meetings

At the community meetings, participants talked about what human rights means to them and imagined how their local community would look if everyone's rights were respected. They discussed how local issues relate to rights and how to take action when rights are not respected. Here are some quotes to give you a sense of the community meeting discussion:

Human rights to me means:

Everyone is included, no matter where they are from
Everyone is important
People can live the life they choose and not be judged because they do it differently
Living in a safe space and planning for the future

In Other Words: Explain human rights, without using the words 'human rights'?

Welcome to our meeting. Be part of our discussion
Sit down, have a sandwich
Welcome, make yourself at home
If you say hello to people they realise you are human
Treating people the way you would like to be treated
Don't judge a book by its cover
We all breathe the same air

Ideal Hume: What would it look like if everyone's rights were respected in Hume?

Harmony; It would be heaven
If children had a chance to decide what this community looked like, it would probably look a bit different than it does now
People from different backgrounds would know each other, not just live in their own worlds

Taking Action: What would you do if your rights were ignored or not respected?

I take action because this has happened to me and I don't want it to happen to anyone else
I can't speak up without being called whinger
He is not backward in coming forward. He makes a few phone calls and finds out who he can talk to
People mainly go to a person they know and trust

Getting Info: How might you find out more about your rights?

Real stories impact people, especially someone in a similar situation
You have to meet young people on their level - do the stuff they are interested in
If someone at the footy club says it, it must be etched in gold
Human rights start at home - have to be community-driven and owned
Should be a table at the local shopping centre with info in other languages

Community meeting participants stated that if they have an issue or problem, they might:

Chat to your friends or family
Look for more information on the internet or at their local library
Speak to someone - perhaps at their local church, mosque, community centre, neighbourhood house, senior citizens club, walking group, sports club, council offices, day centre, health centre, legal centre, adult education centres or library
Speak to a community worker, youth worker, counsellor, lawyer, social worker, doctor, support worker or carer
Get a group of people together and talk about it, or do something together to promote change or get their voices heard, for example write a letter or holding a meeting
Start an online discussion about the issue or find out what other people are saying on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, blogs, chat or discussion forums
If they attended school, university or TAFE, speak to their teacher, lecturer, principal, chaplain or student counsellor
If they are employed, they might speak with their colleague, Union Rep or Manager

New Human Rights Education Materials

In order to develop new human rights education materials, Commission staff collected case studies, key messages and quotes at a series of Community Meetings in the City of Hume. The Commission then worked to link local experiences to the relevant human rights and coordinate a multi-stage message development and testing process with local groups. From this process, the Commission has developed a facilitators/educators manual and a 'Human Rights Passport'. The stories, images and case examples they contain reflect the key issues and themes shared by community meeting participants using their own words and ideas. Names and personal information were changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Human Rights Facilitator Program

Community meetings held in May and June drew over 90 residents together to discuss human rights and explore how they relate to everyday life. From this group emerged 21 people with a clear passion for human rights and the willingness to take up the training as human rights facilitators. The facilitators are people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, with unique experiences and their own stories to tell.

After completing training with the Commission, the facilitators are ready to start their work in the community, to bring an awareness to and better the understanding of human rights to their communities across Hume.

The facilitators are from a range of cultural backgrounds and have diverse skills and interests. This program aims to be flexible enough to allow each individual to engage their unique skills, experiences and networks to raise awareness about human rights in their own way, as well as link them with opportunities.

What's happening now?

Hume and Sunbury Leader commit to profiling project, rights and facilitators
High level of interest in pilot and facilitators developing around Victoria
Human rights action network being formed
Other LGAs interested in pilot, being adapted in City of Yarra
Local organisations exploring ways to sustain project into 201

How can you get involved?

Contact the Commission about upcoming activities and events in your area
Talk about rights, organise an event
Register your interest with the Commission in utilising a human rights facilitator
Contact the Commission about accessing the new human rights education materials and find out about Everyday People, Everyday Rights art exhibition showcasing work and stories by Hume residents.

Join our mailing list

To stay up to date about the project, please join our mailing list. (please make sure you type 'Hume' in the 'please specify here ---->' box )

Contact Us

For more information about the Everyday People, Everyday Rights project, please contact Jessie Lees at the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission:

Email: jessie.lees@veohrc.vic.gov.au
Address: Level 3, 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9281 7108
Mob: 0428 868 444
Fax: (03) 9281 7171
TTY: (03) 9281 7110
Toll Free: 1800 134 142
Web: www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/hume