Public Speeches
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Framing the message: Turning an opponent’s message into a win for Black women’s reproductive rights

Sometimes non-profit sector campaigns may actually put people’s human rights at risk. In early 2010, a pro-life organization in Atlanta, Georgia launched a campaign which called for legislation that would criminalize abortions provided to Black women. To protect and ensure reproductive rights for Black women, the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective created a counter-campaign that used the opponent’s message and brought to light its negative implications for civil and women’s rights. 

Engaging religious leaders in a conversation about inclusion, and implementing non-violent direct action tactics

Soulforce Inc. uses dialogue and non-violent direct action to make local and national religious institutions more inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) members.  GLBT members carry out this work, attempting to engage religious leaders in a conversation about inclusion, and creating non-violent direct action tactics when negotiations fail.  The goal of this work is to empower and to renew GLBT members who have suffered as a result of exclusionary policies, statements and practices, and to change the hearts and minds of congregations, the general public, and religious leaders.  

Demonstrating outside the homes of perpetrators of abuse to generate condemnation

In Argentina, perpetrators of abuse during Argentina's dictatorship (1976-1983) often live anonymously among their neighbors, enjoying the immunity granted by the current Argentinean government.  HIJOS, a local human rights organization, is trying to unmask this anonymity.

Adopting international human rights conventions at the local level to improve women's rights

The Women's Institute for Leadership Development for Human Rights used the United Nations Convention to End Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to advocate for human rights at the local level.  Although CEDAW has not been ratified by the United States and thus cannot be invoked, WILD for Human Rights decided to apply it at the local level, in San Francisco, as a tool to combat issues such as discrimination and domestic violence.  They implemented CEDAW as a legislated municipal law with the exact wording of CEDAW; thus making it binding legally.