Placing people at the heart of change www.canaction.ie Equal Power - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Placing people at the heart of change www.canaction.ie

CAN 2013

WHY?

Equal Power Relationships Universal (Vision for Society) Rights v Needs Accountability (focus on systems) Stops Stigmatising Evidence Based Outcome Focused

CAN 2013

The Human Rights Work we do.....

Can be clustered around

• the right to adequate housing, drawing on Article 11
• f the Convention of Economic, Social and Cultural

Rights plus Comment 4

• the right to the highest attainable standard of health,

drawing on Article 12 of CESCR and Comment 14.

• the right of the family, children and young persons

to social, legal and economic protection enshrined in The European Social Charter, in particular articles 16, 17

CAN 2013

CAN 2013

CAN 2013

Dolphin House

• After Ballymun, Dolphin House is the largest public

housing flats complex in Dublin.

• Built in 1950’s it has 436 units with a population of

almost 900 men, women and children

• The family homes have been substandard for many

years with problems of dampness, sewage, mould,

• vercrowding and poor facilities.
• It was ear marked for regeneration but this was put on

the back burner with the collapse of PPPs

• That said, this is a strong community with its own

unique history and identity going back through generations.

CAN 2013

CAN 2013

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948

Article 25.1 Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care....

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Convention of Economic Social and Cultural Rights 1966

Article 11.1

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. Adequate Housing is defined by the Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in General Comment 4

CAN 2013

The Right to Adequate Housing (Art.11) 1991. CESCR General Comment 4.

• Habitability. Adequate housing must be

habitable, in terms of providing the inhabitants with adequate space and protecting them from cold, damp, heat, rain, wind or other threats to health, structural hazards, and disease vectors.

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Protecting from damp?

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Disease Vectors?

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Threats to Health?

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???????

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The Campaign

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Some Statistics…….

89% sewerage in Homes 52% adults with respiratory Illnesses

CAN 2013

CAN 2013

CAN 2013

At this hearing residents..

• Launched indicators for the progressive realisation of

their rights which they have continued to monitor at three other public hearings

• Conducted very successful media campaign
• Continuously brought additional evidence to bear on

the link between poor housing, poor health and poor educational attainment

• Availed of strategic opportunities such as The Universal

Periodic Review and the visit from the independent Un Expert of Poverty and Social Exclusion

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Outcomes

Significant and measurable outcomes for Rights Holders:

• Living Conditions
• Engagement with Duty Bearers
• Empowerment
• Wellbeing

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Other Human Rights Work

• Tenants and activists from 5 communities

engaged in human rights campaigns re housing and play – FETAC accredited

• Tenants from other Local Authority Estates

participate in national Housing Rights Action Programme linked to Revised EU Charter of Social Rights

CAN 2013

Right to Health

Three Rights issues for people who are long term on methadone….

• The practice of supervised urine sampling

and the inconsistency with which it is used for treatment purposes

• The lack of real treatment choice
• The lack of meaningful treatment reviews

CAN 2013

How we do the work….

• Break the Silence of Inequality
• Gather stories and analyse issues from Inside

Out

• Imagine a Better Future
• Plan to take Action with Allies
• Claim Rights