Human Rights in Houston

The Human Rights in Houston Project website seeks to inform University of Houston Clear Lake students and the general public about human rights organizations in the Houston area that fight for social, economic, and political change.
The idea for the Human Rights in Houston Project came from the site visit assignment, designed by Dr. Christine Kovic, in the Human Rights and Social Justice class at the University of Houston Clear Lake. For the assignment, students must visit a local human rights organization and write a paper detailing how the organization fights for economic or political rights. The site visit assignment helps students to see human rights in action. Students in a variety of majors including Cross-Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Criminology, Sociology, Humanities and others take the Human Rights and Social Justice class, which is listed as ANTH 4432, CRCL 5035, SOCI 4432, and SOCI 5035, as a part of their studies. The Human Rights in Houston Project was researched by Bridget Fernandes, a Cross-Cultural Studies Master’s student, in collaboration with Dr. Christine Kovic, Professor of Anthropology.

On December 10th, 1948, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which gives every person, regardless of age, sex, religion or nationality, economic and political rights. The United Nations fights for human rights internationally and has a detailed website which features links to daily briefings, press releases, document and maps, databases, peace and security, economic and social development, humanitarian affairs, International Law and human rights. The human rights link provides the history of the human rights’ document, a calendar of events, human rights campaign materials, a youth corner, and a know your rights link.

In addition to the United Nations, Human Rights Watch is fighting for first and second generation rights by promoting advocacy, laying moral and legal groundwork aimed at peaceful change, conducting strategic and objective investigations,  and focusing attention where human rights are violated in order to raise international awareness.
Another organization which works to stop human rights abuses is Amnesty International. Amnesty International conducts research, promotes change through the non-violent movement, and hopes to mobilize the public against human rights abuses internationally.

Economic rights, also called second generation rights, ensure every citizen equal living conditions and the right to work in order to provide basic necessities.  Political rights, also known as first generation rights, guarantee every citizen freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial.  Because political and economic rights are often violated both locally and internationally, human rights’ organizations intervene in order to make the invisible visible by providing a space for public discussion, publication, and economic assistance.
The Human Rights in Houston Project website does not include every organization in the Houston area that works on human rights issues but provides an extensive list. The large number of groups and variety of projects they are involved in shows the importance of human rights work in the Houston area. The Human Rights in Houston Project website provides a space for students and the general public to empower themselves about economic and political rights, learn about local human rights’ organizations whose work may or may not extend internationally, and discover where and how to make the invisible visible.

Houston and Diversity

Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, encompasses 600 miles, and has an estimated population of 2.2 million. According to the 2000 US Census, Houston had no ethnic majority which is the projection for the United States in 50 years. In the greater Houston area, there are people from approximately 86 countries who speak over 150 languages. Because of Houston’s diversity, there are many international supermarkets and restaurants, language schools, and cultural events such as: theater, international festivals, concerts, and museum exhibits. Several Houston families would like to welcome you to Houston through this videowhich is on the Visit Houston website.

According to the Visit Houston website, there are 73 art galleries, 18 museums, 8000 restaurants representing 35 countries, 150 hotels, 41 parks with 56,405 acres and over 100 miles of bike and hiking trails, 88 consulates, and a 17-block theater district. Stephen Klineberg, in “Public Perceptions in Remarkable Times: The Houston Area Survey 1982-2005 details the history of Houston through explanation and statistics about education, the economy, diversity, transportation, crime, and religion. Klineberg calls Houston a multiethnic melting pot. Houston’s diversity provides many opportunities for cross-cultural and interfaith dialogue which will provide a model for the United States in the future.