The Vienna Declaration of 1993 states that “All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated. ”While this is the global consensus, the United States (U.S.) has consistently rejected social and economic rights, such as the rights to food, health, and housing. This disregard has had far-reaching consequences for millions of people in the U.S. afflicted by hunger and food insecurity, chronic homelessness, and significant barriers to healthcare.

On November 12–13, 2020, the University of Miami School of Law’s Human Rights Clinic and Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights hosted a two-day strategy meeting focused on strengthening social and economic rights in the U.S. Specifically, this meeting brought together advocates and scholars to share strategies and experiences for realizing the rights to housing, health, and food and to explore opportunities for collaboration.

The meeting further provided a platform to explore cross-cutting issues, including exchanging legal tools and models for transformation, challenging corporate power and financialization of basic services, shifting narratives, fostering unusual collaborations, and disrupting the system.

The gathering featured Ben Palmquist, Rob Robertson, and Cynthia Soohoo of Partners for Dignity & Rights, among other organizers and scholars.

Additional Resources

Strategy Meeting Report