Greetings Friends, Members, and Comrades,

 

Did you know that every human has certain economic rights?  Yes!  It’s true.  Each of us has rights that are not supposed to be violated.  Where can one find these rights, you ask?  We look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948, which state that:

everyone has the right to a job with just and favorable conditions of work and a living wage, and the right to form and join trade unions (Article 23);

everyone has the right to well being of a person and their family (food, housing, clothing, medical care, and other social services (Article 25); and

everyone has the right to education (Article 26).

So, now I ask, Have your Economic Humans Rights ever been violated? Is there someone that you know that has had their economic human rights violated?   Do you want your personal story to be utilized so that we can bring awareness to these injustices, as a step towards changing the fundamental flaws with our nation that foster economic human rights violation?   If so, then we would like to hear your story.

Earlier this year, WIT compiled a host of stories of economic human rights violations and published them in a book entitled, A Mile In Our Shoes.  These stories told the personal narratives of people who were brave enough to stand up and be heard and to let the stories of their economic human rights violations be told.  (If you haven’t got your copy yet, there are still more available)  This was a great accomplishment in the fight for equality.

Now WIT has decided to follow up with a second edition of A Mile In Our Shoes, with more stories of economic human rights violations.  The anticipated release date is June 2011, to coincide with the U.S. Social Forum. 

If you think that you, or someone you know, have had your Economic Human Rights violated, and you are willing to share your story, then fill out the form attached and feel free to begin writing about your experiences, and return the form by mail or e-mail.  Please make sure that you have all of your contact information when you return the form so that we can get in touch with you to follow up with you about your story.  Please have the forms/stories returned by January 1, 2011 to be considered for this edition of A Mile In Our Shoes; any submissions after that date will still be taken, but considered for publication in a later edition.  We will have release forms to sign once everyone’s’ stories are ready to be published. 

Thank you for your time and story!  If you have any questions, give us a call.

 

Below is a form to assist you in asking yourself if your economic human rights have been violated.  Feel free to copy and paste it so that you can fill it out.  Or you can email us, and we will send you a form to fill out.

 

 

Economic Human Rights Violation Report

 

Name:_____________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________

Phone Number:______________________________________________________________

Date:________________     Age:____________        Gender:__________________________

 

Article 23 – Right to a job with just and favorable conditions of work and a living wage, and the right to form and join trade unions.

What is your income?

How many people are dependent on your income?

Have you been denied work or laid off from work in the past year?

Have you ever gotten sick or injured because of your job?

Article 25 – Right to well being of a person and their family (food, housing, clothing, medical care, and other social services).

Have you ever lived in a house that was in dangerous condition?

Have you ever been homeless?

Have you ever had your utilities shut off?

Has your family every home without meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?

Have you ever been denied medical treatment?

Have you ever had problems obtaining childcare for your children because you could not aford it?

Article 26 – Right to Education.

Have you ever had to leave school or training because you could not afford to go anymore?

Release forms will be provided to sign once your stories are ready to be published.

 

 

Please return this form and/or a copy of your story to either of the following: witadmin@witky.com or WIT, P.O. Box 1808, Louisville, KY 40201, by January 1, 2011 for consideration in the Second Edition of A Mile In Our Shoes.  Stories submitted after the date will still be taken, but considered for the following edition.