Goals and Objectives

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Town Hall Meetings on Human Rights

The Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute initiated the IN YOUR HANDS campaign to engage a broad spectrum of the American people in education and action to advance the principles of the UDHR on the occasion of the Universal Declaration’s 50th anniversary. More than 120 organizations representing some 100 million Americans have already joined our national coalition.

The coaltion has established three broad goals: (1) to advance ratification and implementation of all international human rights treaties; (2) to promote more effective international institutions for the protection of human rights; and (3) to foster a wider appreciation of and commitment to the UDHR. With these three goals in mind, we will ask all participants at Town Hall Meetings across the country to sign four simple letters that will significantly advance human rights protection in today's world.

Letter 1:
Requesting a White House Summit on Human Rights

Letter 2:
 Demanding U.S. ratification of the international Women's Convention (CEDAW) 

Letter 3:
Praising successful work by the International Criminal Tribunals for Bosnia and Rwanda and insisting on the establishment of a permanent International Criminal Court.

Letter 4:
Encouraging the U.S. government to lead the way in promoting stronger international support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

While each Town Hall Meeting will explore issues unique to the local community, the national coalition is asking participants to focus on one or more of ten specific human rights areas where urgent action is needed, asking Americans and other champions of human rights throughout the world to help: