The aims of the school are to: Promote the advancement, development and implementation of human rights as a fundamental building block of human development and social justice Provide an opportunity for those concerned about human rights to connect to the discussions, experiences and practices of others Complement existing human rights activity in a range of spheres - academic, legal, NGO and community-based – and encourage dialogue and exchange across these different domains Encourage human rights discourse within a framework of democratic development, equality, especially women’s equality, and social renewal Identify strategic instruments, mechanisms and procedures to empower rights holders and underpin the protection and enhancement of human dignity as the fundamental foundation of a sustainable society Vision : Amid continuing institutional subservience to the goals of globalised capital and a profound collapse of confidence and societal certainty, many people are emphasising the need to re-assert a vision of the Good Society that places human rights and equality as essential ingredients for human development and sustainable economic growth. This requires the re-establishment of a set of social objectives reflecting compassion, mutuality and abhorrence of unfairness and ill-treatment. Many of our existing problems come from a weakening of democracy, making it more difficult for people to participate in society through the exercise of their political rights. In these circumstances, there is a clear need to augment the work of existing civil liberties sources in a context where basic rights have been either set aside or de-prioritised - e.g. economic, social and cultural rights are not being advanced, more people are being excluded from the protections afforded citizens, women’s political and economic participation is declining and there has been a considerable diminution of long-standing equality and human rights infrastructure. Because it is an expression of human dignity, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains the fundamental foundation for the building of a fair and equitable society globally and locally. Human rights discourse has a role to play in articulating and supporting the achievement of that vision but must move beyond an individual-focus interpretation towards progressive political actions capable of relating to the needs of marginalised people by attracting popular participation.
Achieving this means developing a new human rights narrative, moving discussion into different arenas, broadening the scope of rights beyond a reliance on legal codification and relating human rights arguments to grassroots activism, political priorities and mainstream policy issues.