The Diversity Environment Engagement Project (DEEP) was successful in its application to participate in the ‘Human Rights in the Community’ project run by the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR).

The BIHR will be working with Capacity Global and the three BAME community groups: Sparkbrook Caribbean & African Women’s Development Initiative (SCAWDI) based in Birmingham; Wai Yin Chinese Women’s Society based in Manchester; and Mayville Community Centre is based in London to equip them with human rights principles and legislation to tackle local environmental justice concerns.

The Human Rights training will help to empower the community groups with human rights language and tools, to enable them to challenge poor environmental service provision and to improve their quality of life. The training will also improve the community groups’ confidence and ability in campaigning for environmental equality and in influencing their MPs, local authorities and governmental bodies to make positive changes in policies and practices their environment and community.

“I was amazed by how little I knew of the potential impact of human rights on my work area. It opened a whole new dimension I had never previously considered or given much thought to.” Project participant, Capacity Global

The video below is Sonia Omar from the British Institute of Human Rights talking about their joint pilot project 'Human Rights in the Community' with Capacity Global. This training is ground-breaking and the first of its kind in putting human rights in the context of environmental issues.

 

To find out more about the BIHR - Human Rights in the Community project email: outreach@capacity.org.uk

Human Rights in Action – a toolkit for change is available from the BIHR website

What is the toolkit? This toolkit is an introductory resource on human rights in the UK. It is aimed at anyone working in the voluntary and community sector in the UK, in particular those campaigning and providing advocacy on equalities issues. In will also be of general use for anyone wanting to know about how human rights apply to UK issues. It provides basic and practical information about what human rights are, how they are relevant to the voluntary and community sector and how you can effectively apply them in your work.