WePledge 1% January Cause of the Month: Human Rights

WePledge 1% January Cause of the Month: Human Rights

1% makes a world of difference. This month, WePledge 1% encourages you to advocate for human rights.

To help you live your pledge, we provide monthly inspiration and tips for doing good in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We’re kicking off 2021 by taking the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in our movement for social good.

The UN defines human rights as the “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.” The protection of diverse identities and backgrounds are at the core of the SDGs because sustainable development cannot be driven without preserving human dignity.

In January, WePledge 1% is highlighting ways to advocate for human rights

Last month, the UN highlighted the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of how human rights continuously require our attention and diligence. A global crisis affecting all populations is seemingly a universal human plight, yet still demonstrates how structural inequalities, rooted in discrimination, cause certain demographics to be disproportionately affected.

Did you know?

• Women who are poor and marginalized face a higher risk than men of COVID-19 transmission and fatalities, loss of livelihood, and increased violence (UNwomen.org).
• 89% percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are in extreme poverty, up from 55% prior to COVID-19 (WFP.org).
• In the U.S., 17% of LGBTQ adults do not have any kind of health insurance coverage, compared to 12% of non-LGBTQ adults. Furthermore, 23% of LGBTQ adults of color, 22% of transgender adults, and 32% of transgender adults of color have no form of health coverage (Human Rights Campagin Foundation).
• People of color in the U.S. and U.K are twice as likely to be infected COVID-19 than white people, and Asian people are one and a half times more likely (Forbes).

This is just a snapshot of how the pandemic is exacerbating human rights violations around the globe. If you want to learn more, we recommend visiting Polaris, Human Rights Watch, United Nations, or Amnesty International.

How can you help?

The power of WePledge 1% is that 1% makes a world of difference. Together, we can lift our voices as a community and advocate for human rights by supporting the organizations below, either with your time or resources, or a blend of both.

Ways to Volunteer Virtually:

Amnesty Decoders (Global)

• Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.
• Volunteer using your computer or phone to sift through pictures, information and documents and help expose human rights violations.

Missing Maps (Global)

• Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project helping human rights activists and first responders supporting people who otherwise would not be reached in crisis.
• Volunteer by mapping areas where humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.

UN Online volunteering (Global)

• The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide, addressing sustainable development challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device.
• Volunteer by providing vital support to the UN’s response to COVID-19 with a variety of projects, including translation, research, writing, editing, and more.

Additional Organizations to Support:

• Equality Now (Global): Achieving legal and systemic change that addresses violence and discrimination against the human rights of women and girls around the world.
• Save the Children (Global): The world leader in protecting the human rights of children affected by the physical and emotional wounds of war. Save the Children has been a lifeline for families fleeing violence in Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar and dozens of other crises around the world.
• Free and Equal UN (Global): The UN’s Global campaign against homophobia and transphobia and protecting the human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.
• The Center for Justice and Accountability (U.S.): Deters torture, war crimes, and crimes threatening human rights, as well as other severe abuses around the world through innovative litigation, policy, and transitional justice strategies.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund (U.S.): Building political power to ensure the wellbeing and protection of Black communities.

We also recommend exploring organizations and opportunities local to your community. You can start with sites like VolunteerMatch or United Way, or research an organization to donate to on Charity Navigator.

Take the Pledge Today

Are you ready to join the movement?  Visit wepledge.org to sign up and learn more. Twilio open-sourced our WePledge 1% program to empower individuals and company employees to build positive change globally by committing 1% of their personal time or resources to do good.

We can’t wait to see the impact you build.