Human Rights Day

Saturday, December 11 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. co-sponsored by Amnesty International
Boston Public Library
Copley Square
Boston, MA

December 10 is Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The international community first expressed concern for the condition of workers when the International Labor Organization was created in 1919, at the end of the First World War.

Currently, forces of globalization and outright attacks on unions and labor laws have placed labor rights under a sustained and intensive attack. The working class is in deep crisis -- wages, healthcare, pensions, housing, education, -- all are in major decline not only for unorganized workers but for union workers as well. In many countries, union organizers are even killed, and the poor, especially children, women and indigenous peoples continue to be exploited.

Unions have ventured into new ground, on social issues, political action, and coalition building, and activist solidarity movements are growing. Meanwhile, corporate responsibility efforts to improve working conditions have gained momentum, but there is still much to be done.

This Human Rights Day event will examine current challenges facing workers here in the United States and globally and engage activists and concerned citizens in ways to organize for joint action.

PROGRAM

9:15am Registration

Opening Panel
10:00am-12:00pm

Globalizing Production, Globalizing Human Rights

Keynote Speaker:
The Honorable David Bonior
U.S. House of Representatives (1976-2002)
National Chairperson American Rights at Work
Labor Studies Professor Wayne State University.

Globalization of production, trade, and investment has failed to globalize respect for universal human rights. For example, workers in many countries are barred from organizing, indigenous family farmers are driven from their lands by a flood of subsidized imports, and immigrant workers are held hostage to a form of modern day slavery.

Globalization has also brought us all into closer connection with one another. Our problems are now intertwined, and so are our solutions. By finding new ways to organize and enforce workers' rights, we can globalize the protection of universal human rights.

Panel Members:
Robert Ross, Professor, Clark University, author of Slaves to Fashion, on sweatshops
Maria-Elena Letona, Excecutive Director Centro Presente, on the rights of immigrant workers
Simon Billenness, Oxfam America, on corporate social responsibility
Tim Wise, Tufts University, Trade Specialist on the impact of globalization on agricultural workers

12:00pm-1:00pm
Lunch (on your own)

1:00pm
Rights Violations in Colombia
Hector Giraldo: Trade Unionist, a film by Julie Rosenberg (20 min) Introduced by Miguel Fernandez, Teachers Union leader from Colombia

The Honorable Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Congressman

2:00pm Afternoon Workshops

A) Labor Rights Abroad
From Colombia to China, governments direct outright violence and repression against labor rights activists. And millions of workers are subject to slavery-like conditions.

B) Workers' Rights Under Attack in the U.S.
Workers in the U.S. are facing routine violations of their rights as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A panel will discuss current struggles and innovative new strategies to build community support for workers' rights in the U.S.

C) Immigrant Workers in Boston
As immigrant workers play an increasingly important role in the local and national economy, violations of their basic rights are also increasing. A panel of immigrant workers and organizers will discuss current struggles and strategies to defend the rights of all workers.

D) We Have the Power!
Consumer pressure can effectively reduce the use of sweatshop and child labor. Consumer groups help to bring about the implementation of labor standards. Learn about innovative ways you as a consumer can vote with your wallet.

3:00pm Closing Plenary
"Guaranteeing Workers' Rights, At Home and Abroad"
Professor Lance Compa of Cornell University will speak on the current state of labor rights in the United States. Author of Unfair Advantage: Workers Freedom of Association in the U.S. Under International Human Rights Standards, a report for Human Rights Watch (2000).

4:30pm Call to Action
Followed by a Vigil
in Copley Square.

Sponsors
American Friends Service Committee
American Rights at Work
Amnesty International USA
Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
Centro Presente
Communication Workers District 1
Cultural Survival
Greater Boston Interfaith Organization
Jobs With Justice
Massachusetts AFL-CIO
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
MIT Program on Human Rights
National Lawyers Guild
Oxfam America
Physicians for Human Rights
Reebok Human Rights Program
SEIU Local 615
SEIU Local 2020
Student Labor Action Project
Teamsters Local 25
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UFCW Local 1445
UNITE/HERE New England Joint Board
Workmen's Circle