PHA-Exchange> PPEHRC updates, including Cuenca

[Jennifer Cox]

 Poor People's Economic 
Human Rights Campaign 
Newsletter 
The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign is committed to uniting the poor across color lines as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish poverty. We work to accomplish this through advancing economic human rights, as named in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights- such as the rights to food, housing, health, education, communication, and living wage jobs.

August 2 , 2005 

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Update from the Leadership School
>From Friday, July 15th to Saturday, July 23rd, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign held its first ever Leadership School. Over 30 organizations from 12 different states joined together to share experiences, learn lessons, and exchange organizing skills to further develop our growing movement. The school was coordinated by our educational arm, the University of the Poor.

Everyone traveled home feeling eager to take the lessons learned at the school back to their organizations, and fueled to use their new skills to continue to develop their local and regional work.

For more information on the week's events, including the schedule of workshops and photos, visit:
http://www.economichumanrights.org/about/uofpoor/leadershipschool.htm

To add pictures, reflections, or other documentation from the Leadership School onto the national Campaign website, email cecilia at economichumanrights.org 
People's Health Assembly in Ecuador
PPEHRC leaders Lori Smith and Jen Cox arrived in Cuenca, Ecuador on Saturday, July 16 for the 2nd international People’s Health Assembly. The assembly gathered with the goal of seeking more compassionate and equitable health policy around the world. The workshop they presented at, “Strategizing for a Global Right to Health, Focusing on the Right to Health Care”, was attended by representatives of the United Nations and World Health Organization, as well as organizers in the movement for the human right to health, and medical professionals from every continent.

During the workshop Lori testified to violations of her human right to health--she spoke about losing her job and health insurance at a large company where she worked after being diagnosed with Lupus and Multiple Scoliosis, chronic illnesses which prevented her from working. She spoke of how the model of for profit health care systems, and cutting medical benefit for the poor in the United States will be the model for the world unless it is resisted. Further cuts in healthcare, like the TennCare program in Tennessee, are the trend. “We must break the silence,” said Lori, “and those who are suffering must come forward to tell their stories, organize, and act.”

To read Lori's full testimony or for more information, visit economichumanrights.org/actions/healthcarebrigades/cuenca.htm 

Kensington Welfare Rights Union Holds Truth Commission
On Thursday July 28, 2005 The Kensington Welfare Rights Union held its first ever local Truth commission. The event was held at Liberty Resources. This local truth commission is one of many local truth commissions that will be occurring through out the year to prepare for the National Truth Commission in Ohio in the summer of 2006. The Commissioners included Cheri Honkala, Galen Tyler, Rev. Noelle Damico, Peter Larson, and Sister Geredi.

Several individuals testified, sharing their personal economic human rights violations ranging from violations of housing to healthcare to disability and citizens rights. All of the people who testified spoke the truth about their daily indignities and in shining a light on their struggles, the demand for justice rang loud and clear.

We ended the Truth Commission in song, celebrating our power despite the horrible conditions we are forced to endure. Charles of New Jerusalem, Reo English of KWRU, and Rev. Noelle led us as a human rights choir. We will continue to sing, to organize, and to act to end the conditions that oppress us each day. The Kensington Welfare Rights Union is committed to holding more and more Truth Commissions in the City of Philadelphia, until each and every story has been told.

Visit the KWRU website for more information.
SWAA Conference held in Ohio
>From Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31, the Social Welfare Action Alliance held it's annual conference at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Saturday's program featured a plenary on activism for human rights, with several speakers from the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. Larry Bresler of Organize! Ohio, Heather West of the Deaf & Deaf-Blind Committee On Human Rights, Cheri Honkala, National Coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, Mary Bricker-Jenkins of the School of Social Work & Social Transformation of the University of the Poor, and Field Organizer for the PPEHRC in the South, all joined with Pamela McMichael of the Highlander Center, sharing their experiences and expertise on working to promoting human rights and securing people's basic needs.

This conference was an excellent opportunity to also promote our National Truth Commission that will take place in Cleveland, OH in Summer 2006. Everyone in the audience was inspired by our vision and energized to go out and organize local Truth Commissions in their own communities.
UPCOMING EVENTS 
Stay tuned for more news on the following upcoming events!

AUGUST
1st: National Truth Commission conference call @ 12:30pm
3rd: National Coordinator speaks at the Sadie Nash Leadership Project in NYC
3rd: UPoor Staff conference call to evaluate the Leadership School @ 7pm 
7th: PPEHRC presentation at the Doctors for Global Health Assembly in NYC
9th: Deadline for PPEHRC to respond to invitation to enter the Media 4 Humanity PSA Festival
9-14th: PPEHRC attends ATTAC School in Germany with Germany's poor
10-12th: PPEHRC attends the COMPA (Convergence of People's Movements in the Americas) Assembly in Venezuela
20th: PPEHRC attends end of Brazilian homeless march
19-21st: PPEHRC participates in US Social Forum Steering Committee in Atlanta, GA

To add events to the calendar, email cecilia at economichumanrights.org

Check the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign website for regular updates as well- www.economichumanrights.org


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