In 2004, the ACLU created its Human Rights Program (HRP) specifically dedicated to holding the U.S. government accountable to universal human rights principles in addition to rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. HRP is part of a reemerging movement of U.S. based organizations that uses the international human rights framework in domestic rights advocacy.
In the same year, the ACLU of Mississippi and the HRP began training communities to document stories of students and families impacted by the juvenile justice system. Since that time we have expanded our human rights documentation work to include injustices associated with Hurricane Katrina.
In 2007, the ACLU of Mississippi’s Executive Director, Nsombi Lambright, delivered a report before a United Nations committee in Geneva entitled "Race and Ethnicity, Turning a Blind Eye to Injustice.” The report illuminated Mississippi’s gross under-enforcement of national and international laws written to address racial inequality. Regarding the work of the ACLU of Mississippi in reporting human rights abuses, Lambright stated: “Our reports allow the people of Mississippi to tell their stories of human rights abuses to the entire world. The world, in turn, calls on Mississippi to uphold the Declaration of Human Rights".
In 2008, the ACLU and Human Rights Watch issued a joint report documenting the use of corporal punishment in Mississippi public schools. The report (which can be read here) found that Mississippi children ranging in age from 3 to 19 years old are routinely physically punished for minor infractions such as chewing gum, talking back to a teacher, or violating the dress code, as well as for more serious transgressions such as fighting. The report shows that, as a result of paddling, many children are left injured, degraded, and disengaged from school. (Corporal punishment violates international human rights standards binding on the U.S., including norms prohibiting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and protecting the right to dignity.)
December 10, 2008, marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the founding document of the modern human rights system. The UDHR is a set of basic rights and protections that are to be enjoyed by all persons throughout the world, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The UDHR recognizes that “the inherent dignity… the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” The ACLU Human Rights Program works to ensure that the U.S. government complies with universal human rights principles in addition to the U.S. Constitution. The program uses human rights strategies to complement existing ACLU advocacy on national security, immigrant rights, women’s rights and racial justice. Honoring the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was of great importance to the ACLU of Mississippi and culminated in a rally at the Capitol designed to educate lawmakers and the community about the history of the UDHR and its role in state legislation. Human rights advocates presented information on issues such as corporal punishment, racial profiling, immigrant rights, incarceration of youth, disaster relief, the death penalty and other issues that are part of the UDHR.
By invoking international human rights sources, the ACLU has been able to make advances when previous concerns were dismissed by the courts. Having adopted an integrative approach to human rights advocacy that incorporates community organizing and coalition building, in ad dition to utilizing litigation and legisla tive strategies, HRP is strengthening its work to advance human rights in the United States.
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