Atlantic Fellows drive forward human rights work

What does Human Rights Day have to do with equity? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of “equity” is?fairness or justice in how people are often treated, specifically: freedom from disparities?in how?people of different races, genders, etc. are treated. Human Rights Day marks the?anniversary of the?Universal Declaration of Human Rights?(UDHR), a document that enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being — regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Across the world, Atlantic Fellows — equity leaders from all walks of life, geographies and disciplines — are committed to working for fairer, healthier, more inclusive societies. As agents of change from within their own communities, they protect and fight for the rights of marginalized communities and individuals.

Human Rights Day?

To mark Human Rights Day, the Atlantic Institute is hosting a series of webinars led by the Atlantic Fellows for the Atlantic community accessed via the Hub:?

Ana?P. Santos, based between the Philippines and Berlin, advocates for individuals to have the right to make decisions about their bodies regardless of their gender, class, or other status.?She said:?“As a journalist, my reporting influences policies, sets the agenda and challenges damaging societal expectations about women’s roles. My stories about culturally taboo topics, such as sexual and reproductive health, bridge the gap between vulnerable women and gender-diverse individuals in Philippine society and legislators who draft policies that affect their right to work, their right to decide about their body, and their right to own their future.”

Bulela?Vava is president and founder of the Public Oral Health Forum in South Africa, a diverse and inclusive network of progressive oral health professionals focused on ensuring that oral health care services are accessible and responsive to the needs of all.?Bulela,?a public oral health dentist in the Gauteng region of South Africa, wants free primary oral health care as a right, not a privilege.?At the first WHO Global Oral Health Meeting, as one of the global non-state actors for oral health participating in the meeting, he joined others in endorsing the Bangkok Declaration?to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) for oral health by 2030.?He said: "Oral diseases affect more than three billion people globally, with a significant impact on health and?well-being. Those who suffer from the worst impact of this burden live in low to middle-income countries, where access to quality oral health care remains poor. Accessing oral health care remains a challenge and where it is available, seeking it has led to financial hardship. This cannot be allowed to continue, and as oral health inequalities continue to worsen, society needs to take a radical stance to stem the tide and protect its right to oral health."

James?Huang, an Atlantic Fellow and physician in the United States, believes too many people who are Deaf and hard of hearing need access to quality health care. “To meet the responsibility of providing equitable access, systems are often reactive to or do not even acknowledge the rights of persons with disabilities,” he said. “ As a medical professional and from personal experience, I see how the health care system in the U.S. is not equipped to provide legally mandated accommodations to ensure equitable access to medical care for persons with disabilities. My advocacy focuses on educating health care professionals on how to be proactive in ensuring access to effective communication for those in the Deaf community, by examining and addressing ways ableism?permeates?from the individual to system practices.”??

The Atlantic Fellows community’s core ideas are equity, diversity, leadership, fellowship, multisectorality, collaboration and solutions-oriented approaches. They tackle issues around race, social determinants of health and social and economic equity. Fellows Allison Corkery and Fola Adeleke are compiling a book?on human rights and inequalities to explore the key trends driving inequality and the diverse tactics that activists are using to respond.?Allison said: "The ability of human rights to address global challenges deepening inequality has been rightly questioned. But criticisms often stem from rigid interpretations of its framework and narrow views on the activism?it inspires. Together, a group of Atlantic Fellows is compiling the book to broaden this conversation."

How Atlantic Fellows work to protect and advance human rights

Atlantic Fellows programs and the Atlantic Institute support a diverse group of around 1,000 Fellows through learning and connection opportunities that foster leadership, and promote learning and collaborative action to tackle inequities and protect human rights. Fellows are focused on creating innovative solutions for social change.

Advocacy and policy change: Atlantic Fellows work to influence policies, laws and systems that impact human rights. They advocate for marginalized communities, addressing health, social, economic and racial inequities.

Legal support and access to justice: Atlantic Fellows focus on fighting discrimination, supporting refugees and displaced people, or promoting access to justice for vulnerable populations.

Capacity building and education:?Fellows focus on providing education and capacity-building projects aimed at empowering communities to understand their rights and advocate for themselves. This can involve promoting health and safety awareness campaigns for girls and women, helping those freed from human trafficking to find work and rebuild their lives, organizing workshops, developing resources and building local advocacy networks.

Global and local justice:?Fellows tackle global human rights issues, such as the fight against poverty, climate justice, decolonization and reparations, and freedom of expression, as well as local and national human rights struggles, such as protecting and advancing Indigenous rights.

Intersectional approaches:?Many Fellows take an intersectional approach, addressing how human rights issues are shaped by factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation and disability.

The webinars are open to the Atlantic Fellows community and groups and individuals linked with the Fellows leading each of the webinars, with whom they can share the Zoom link.