fighting for human rights

Human Rights

“Fighting poverty is fighting for human rights, the two are inseparable.” – Joseph Wresinski

Extreme poverty is a violation of human rights. Coming together to ensure that these rights are respected for adults and children is at the heart of all we do.

This entails working to keep families together and to find opportunities for dignified employment and housing, for access to quality health care, and for access to education, art, and creativity.

The United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights are a significant victory in the effort to end extreme poverty. These principles, written with the contributions of many people in poverty, acknowledge that poverty is not simply a matter of lack of income. They clearly identify actions that governments and other relevant actors should take to ensure that all people are able to enjoy their human rights. Please click here, to learn more.

“Poverty is an urgent human rights concern in itself. It is both a cause and a consequence of human rights violations and an enabling condition for other violations. Not only is extreme poverty characterized by multiple reinforcing violations of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, but persons living in poverty generally experience regular denials of their dignity and equality.”

Handbook written to implement the UN’s Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.