WELCOME TO OUR LISTSERV ANNOUNCEMENT!

April 2007

Dear Friends & Allies,

Welcome to the NESRI listserv.  We appreciate you taking the time to learn about developments in our work, and your vital commitment to economic and social rights.  This commitment is needed now more than ever!

Yesterday a New York Times editorial reported that “It’s not official, but it’s virtually indisputable. Poverty in America is much more widespread than has been previously acknowledged.” The editorial concluded by stating that lawmakers must:

“realize that improvements in antipoverty programs – such as expanding the earned income tax credit for the working poor and providing better early education – are some of the best investments the nation can make.” >>>

This sage advice is not news to the many communities struggling to claim and realize their economic and social rights.  They know that ensuring basic human rights is not only a good investment, but also an ethical imperative that, as a nation, we cannot afford to ignore.  NESRI has been honored to work with and support a small but growing nucleus of community leaders who, by solidly committing themselves to making human rights in the U.S. a primary focus, count among the most forward-thinking activists of our times.  In this announcement, we particularly congratulate two of our partners – Community Asset Development Redefining Education (CADRE) in Los Angeles and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in Florida – for their recent stunning victories!  We are grateful for the support you have provided that has enabled us to be a part of this important work.  

VICTORY IN LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS
In February the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) adopted a new positive behavior support discipline policy that aims to reduce the need for suspensions and prevent misbehavior.  We congratulate our partner organization, CADRE, for the tremendous organizing and coalition building they did to support the passage of this groundbreaking policy.  We also congratulate the LAUSD for their willingness to embrace a more progressive platform and look forward to supporting the implementation of this policy. >>>

NEW REPORT FROM NESRI ON SCHOOL CULTURE AND DISCIPLINE
This new LAUSD policy signals a shift away from the punitive approaches to discipline that NESRI documents in its new human rights report, Deprived of Dignity: Degrading Treatment and Abusive Discipline in New York City and Los Angeles Public Schools.  The report documents the mistreatment of students in their classrooms, and disciplinary policies and practices that push students out of school and criminalize their behavior.  The report calls on the NYC and LA school districts to end excessive suspensions and the use of police in school discipline, and to provide quality mediation and counseling for students. >>>

LANDMARK AGREEMENT PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF FARMWORKERS
On April 9, NESRI’s partner organization, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), signed a landmark agreement with McDonalds’ which addresses the human rights of tomato pickers in McDonald’s food supply chain. >>> The agreement significantly increases wages, includes a commitment to work towards a code of conduct, and implements worker-led monitoring of abusive conditions.  We thank all of you in the human rights community who have lent your support to this immensely important victory.  The campaign is now calling upon Burger King to follow suit.  NESRI will continue to support the CIW and work towards building commitment from socially responsible investors to demand respect for human rights in the food retail industry.  See NESRI’s new issue brief, Stakeholder Participation: A Human Rights Imperative for Ethical Investors. >>>

TSUNAMI-NETWORK MEMBERS TO RETURN TO NEW ORLEANS IN SOLIDARITY VISIT
As part of the ongoing transnational learning exchange between activists in the Gulf Coast and post-Tsunami activists, representatives from three Tsunami-affected areas in Asia will be undertaking a solidarity visit to New Orleans in July of 2007.  U.S. and Asian activists will update each other on their evolving strategies and develop plans for strengthening their mutual support around community-driven rebuilding.  See Asian Coalition on Housing Rights training video Tsunami-Relief. (adapted by NESRI for US audiences). >>>

NESRI PRESENTS AT ABA SUMMIT
NESRI presented at the ABA Summit on Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice on April 16 and 17 in Washington, D.C. on the importance of establishing a human right to health care in the U.S. Noting that Governor Blagojevich of Illinois had just announced in a press release that “access to affordable healthcare and high-quality education should not be a privilege for the very wealthy – these are basic human rights,” >>>, Cathy Albisa, NESRI’s Executive Director, asserts, “the time has come to finally establish a fundamental right to health care in the U.S.” >>>

AFF AND SWEAT-FREE COMMUNITIES HOST NEW YORK CITY CONFERENCE
NESRI is a co-founder of the Alliance for Fair Food (AFF).  The AFF is a network of human rights, religious, student, labor, and grassroots organizations who work in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW).  The AFF and Sweat Free Communities will be hosting a conference that bridges the human rights issues affecting workers in sweatshops and in the fields.  The conference will be held on April 27-29, 2007 at Columbia Law School.  We encourage all our friends and supporters to attend.  Please check www.allianceforfairfood.org for details. 

NESRI WELCOMES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS!
NESRI is privileged to announce that Patrick Mason and Bruce Rabb >>> have joined our board.  We look forward to their leadership and vision to guide us in supporting human rights work and movement building in the U.S.

NESRI CONGRATULATIONS
NESRI congratulates Vicky Cintra of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA) on her appointment to the United States Commission on Civil Rights as a member of the Mississippi State Advisory Committee (SAC).  MIRA is one of the partners in NESRI’s Human Rights of Hurricane Katrina Survivors special project and transnational exchange. 

NEW PUBLICATIONS BY NESRI STAFF AND BOARD

• "Education, by Rights" in the Yes! Magazine Spring 2007 Issue >>>
• "Reframing School Discipline through Human Rights Standards" published in the Winter 2007 Children's Rights journal of the ABA >>>
• "In the Interests of Justice: Human Rights and the Right to Counsel in Civil Cases" Issued by the Northeastern School of Law Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy, Co-Directed by NESRI Board chair, Martha Davis >>>

NESRI would also like to offer a special thank you to:

• The parent and youth organizations that made the Deprived of Dignity report possible.
• Vincent Grady for his tireless work in our workers’ with injuries project.
• Lissette Delgado for her invaluable editing and translation skills.
• Neeru Shrestha for her research and insight and wonderful presence during her time with NESRI.
• Tom Fritsche, Katy Mastman, Sarah Levitt, David Fortune, Tasmin Waley and Amanda Shanor for their excellent work on ethical investors and human rights.
• The Mertz-Gilmore Foundation and Jay Beckner for their generosity in hosting NESRI’s education briefing.
• Sonya Rhee for her technical and video support.
• Kevin Gosa for his assistance with distribution of NESRI’s Deprived of Dignity report. 
• Devon Kearney for his ongoing support and keen insight.
• The Asian Coalition of Housing Rights and UPLINK for their efforts to support Gulf Coast activists working to secure the human rights of hurricane survivors.
• The Welfare Rights Organization of Gentilly for hosting the Tsunami-Katrina exchange delegation meeting.  
• The Ford Foundation, the Mertz-Gilmore Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, and the US Human Rights Fund for their steadfast support for human rights in the U.S.

Thank you for all your support! 

Please continue to be involved in NESRI’s work and consider donating today to strengthen human rights protections for communities across the U.S. >>>

NESRI Staff:
Cathy Albisa, Executive Director
Sharda Sekaran, Associate Director
Liz Sullivan, Right to Education Program Director
Laura Gosa, Program Associate

NESRI Board of Directors :
Mimi Abramovitz, Hunter College School of Social Work and The Graduate Center, CUNY
Martha Davis, Northeastern School of Law
Rhonda Copelon, CUNY School of Law
Lisa Crooms, Howard University School of Law
Paul Farmer, Professor of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Patrick Mason, Florida State University, Department of Economics
Bruce Rabb, Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel LLP

The National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI) promotes a human rights vision for the United States that ensures dignity and access to the basic resources needed for human development and civic participation.