NCVO: Campaigners urge charities to use human rights to make greater impact

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Monday, 10, Dec 2007 12:00

As people across the world mark UN Human Rights Day (Monday 10 December 2007), campaigners will today stress the importance of adopting a human rights based approach to ensure that their campaigns are more accountable and have a greater impact. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (NCVO) Campaigning Effectiveness Programme and the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) are holding the first ever event to explore with charities, voluntary organisations and community groups how key human rights standards, such as the Human Rights Act, and frameworks, such as economic social and cultural rights, can inform their campaigning work.

The event, held at Amnesty International UK’s Human Rights Action Centre in London, will hear from Scope about how it has used human rights standards, particularly to empower its beneficiaries, in its campaign work.

Stephen Bowen, Executive Director of External Affairs at Scope, said:

“Our mission is to drive the change to make our society the first in which disabled people achieve equality. Human Rights are a powerful tool to achieve this change through our campaigning.”

Chris Stalker, Head of the Campaigning Effectiveness Programme based at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations(NCVO), said:

"There is a significant need to take the debate about human rights beyond the law courts and give it meaning and relevance to all aspects of public life; in particular strengthening the essential role of voluntary and community organisations as advocates and campaigners for social justice, giving voice to the interests and concerns of those they work with."

Katie Ghose, Director of the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), said:

“Human rights have long been a powerful campaigning tool for organisations abroad. Now it’s the time to turn the spotlight on the UK and ask how rights can add voice and power to the campaigning work of organisations closer to home.”

For more information please contact Pete Moorey in NCVO’s Media Office on 020 7520 2468 or pete.moorey@ncvo-vol.org.uk.

Notes to Editors:

The Campaigning Effectiveness Programme, based at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), supports organisations of all sizes that want to increase the impact of their campaigns. See www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ce for more details.

· The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) www.ncvo-vol.org.uk is the umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, with sister councils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. NCVO has over 5,450 members, ranging from large national bodies to community groups, volunteer centres, and development agencies working at a local level. With over 280,000 staff and over 13 million volunteers working for our members, we represent and support almost half the voluntary sector workforce.

Voluntary organisations can become more successful, by spending time improving their understanding of the trends shaping the future of the voluntary and community sector, and using this knowledge to make a stronger organisational strategy. NCVO Third Sector Foresight’s new free website, www.3s4.org.uk, provides voluntary and community organisations with access to a bank of online information about major trends affecting the external environment, strategy tools, and a range of opportunities to share good practice and discuss ideas.

As the hype surrounding a snap 2007 election recedes into history, it is replaced by the opportunity for voluntary and community organisations to influence the way the next government will work with, support, and listen to the voluntary and community sector. NCVO’s 2007 Annual Conference will discuss how the voluntary and community sector can grasp that opportunity. Keynote speakers will include Ed Miliband, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Chairman of the Policy Review and of the Conservative Research Department. For more information go to www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/events.

The UK Workforce hub has launched the most comprehensive analysis ever of the size and characteristics of the voluntary sector workforce, in two publications: the Voluntary Sector Skills Survey and the UK Voluntary Sector Workforce Almanac. They are available to download from www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/almanac and www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/skillsgapsengland, or by calling 0800 652 5737 for a hard copy.