Despite our great wealth, almost one-fifth of Scots live in poverty. Inadequate standards of living, poor provision of basic goods and services, discrimination and social exclusion are all features of poverty in this country.
They are also violations of the human rights that our government has promised to respect, protect and uphold.
Community organisations, charities and activists are working across Scotland to loosen the grip of poverty. Rights In Action will work with communities to add human rights to their collective power.
Our Rights in Action Project has three main components:
• ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops to raise awareness of how human rights can be used as a tool in the fight against poverty.
• Learning groups that create opportunities for community organisations and community members to share experiences, learn and identify community action. Poverty Alliance will support and stand behind community action.
• Participatory research projects that will enable community researchers to generate learning on the overlaps between human rights and intersections of inequality and undertake action.
If you would like to learn more about how to get involved in this project please contact lydia.murphy@povertyalliance.org.
You can also stay up to date with what’s going on in the project by signing up to our Rights in Action newsletter.
Resources
Scottish Human Rights Resources
The more we know about our rights, the more we’re able to use them as way of pushing for positive change in our communities, in our country, and in the world. These resources are designed to help spread that knowledge among anti-poverty campaigners and activists in Scotland. Rights overview Glossary of terms used in Human … Read more
Newsletter
Stay up to date with what’s going on in the project by signing up to the Rights in Action newsletter.
Blog
Publications
Consultation response: A Human Rights Bill for Scotland
Poverty is a breach of our fundamental human rights. The incorporation of international human rights treaties is urgently needed to provide dignity for all, complementing our aims to see Scotland free from the grip of poverty. We therefore strongly welcome the consultation on a Human Rights Bill for Scotland. You can read our consultation response … Read more
Research: ‘The life of Glasgow pigeons is more certain’
‘The life of Glasgow pigeons is more certain’ People seeking asylum are known to experience high rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This research highlights experiences of mental health and wellbeing of people who are – or who have – navigated the asylum process in the UK. Using a participatory research approach underpinned … Read more
‘Education is supposed to be free for all’ – Research briefing
In Scotland, we believe that asylum seekers are currently being denied their right to education. Here we share the experiences of asylumseekers calling for an education system that provides a ladder of hope to build a brighter future. This research was carried out as part of the Rights in Action project being conducted by the … Read more
Rights in Action Literature Review
Part of our Rights in Action project, our research team set out to explore the understanding and awareness of economic, social and cultural rights amongst marginalised communities in Scotland and to examine how organisations in Scotland have adopted human rights-based approaches.
Events
Know Your Rights Workshops
The Scottish Government has now published its consultation on a new human rights bill which would incorporate four international human rights treaties into Scots Law. Come along to our Know Your Rights Workshop to learn about Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the relationship between poverty and human rights, and how you can use human rights … Read more
Rights in Action Workshop for rural activists – 9 Feb
Click here to register! Calling activists in rural Scotland! We are hosting a Rights in Action online workshop on Thursday 9 February – from 10am to 12.30pm. The workshop will help you learn how we can use Economic, Social and Cultural rights as a tool to combat poverty. Here’s some feedback we received from our … Read more
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