By Koldo Casla
Dr. Koldo Casla attended the annual conference of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) held in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The event convened nearly 200 participants, with approximately half representing over 80 academic institutions that are part of AHRI. The remaining half comprised human rights defenders, primarily from Latin America and Africa, with participation from countries such as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. This year’s conference theme centred around “Human Rights Defenders Under Siege.”
During the conference, Dr. Casla had the opportunity to present the Human Rights Local project, a project of our Human Rights Centre. Since its inception in 2020, Human Rights Local has actively collaborated with community groups, local authorities, and individuals with lived experiences of poverty. Its principal objective is to make human rights, especially social rights, pertinent at the local level in England.
The project’s activities encompass a wide range of initiatives, including commemorating the legacy of John Ball, a local hero from Colchester and one of the leaders of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. It also involved researching commonalities among self-proclaimed “Human Rights Cities” in Europe and encouraging local authorities in Essex to contemplate adopting this designation. Furthermore, Dr. Casla co-authored a report on the status of social rights and poverty in Colchester and its surrounding areas, and another study on the disproportionate impact of child protection services on families in poverty in England.
Localising human rights involves establishing connections between social rights and the local communities to which individuals belong. It means allowing some degree of flexibility in the local interpretation of rights, but, most importantly, putting lived experiences first to identify what is most pressing closest to home. The process of localising human rights necessitates engaging in a comprehensive conversation about the type of society we aspire to create. Social rights play a pivotal role in shaping the legacy we leave for future generations. This social discourse must be inclusive, ensuring that a diverse array of voices is heard. Often, a small but vocal minority shapes the terms of the debate, silencing others. There is no better way to defend social rights than to hand over a megaphone to the people most affected by the policies that have led to poverty and inequality. Human rights can contribute to challenging the historical and contemporary power structures that have excluded many individuals. The time has come for a radically different social conversation, one where social rights take centre stage.
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