New Freedom Bus Tour

Transfered from old site

 
> New Freedom Bus Tour
 
> Economic Human Rights For All
 
> November 10-December 10, 2002
 
>
 
> The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
 
> represents individuals and families that are
 
fighting every day for theirown survival, yet are also
 
committed to building a broad movement based on the
 
leadership and unity of the poor. Together we are
 
fighting for the right to food, clothing, housing, and
 
medical care; for a job at a living wage; and the
 
right to equal access to education.
 
>
 
> On November 10, 2002 the Poor People’s Economic
 
Human Rights Campaign will launch a month-long bus
 
tour to document economic human rights violations and
 
to unite organizations of poor people from across the
 
country into one strong voice against poverty. The
 
bus tour will give us an opportunity to strengthen
 
the relationships between poor peoples’ groups across
 
the country, to share our strategies, struggles and
 
stories. Along the way, we will visit 25 poor
 
communities and learn what poverty looks like in each
 
area and to highlight their struggles for the basic
 
human rights. We know that one of the first steps
 
towards ending poverty is to show Americans that it
 
does indeed exist and to put a face on it. So, we
 
are going to bring the stories of everyone we meet to
 
the United Nations on Human Rights Day, December 10,
 
2002. On that day, we will call on the United States
 
to put an end to these economic human rights
 
violations.
 

 
> Already close to 65 million Americans are living in
 
> poverty and we know the situation is only worsening.
 
While the poor themselves must lead this movement,
 
it will also take involvement from all parts of
 
society to end poverty. As students, we have an
 
integral role to play in the emerging poor people’s
 
movement. Students have always played an important
 
role in struggles for social change, from the civil
 
rights movement in the United States to building
 
democracy in China, and students all over the U.S. are
 
already an important part of the new Movement to End
 
Poverty.
 
>
 
We also see that the ideals and aspirations embodied
 
in this poor people’s movement are the same ones we
 
hold for our nation. We know that a shelter is no
 
place to raise a child. We know that it is wrong for
 
people to die on the streets. We know that it is
 
wrong for a person to work hard all week and still not
 
have enough money to put food on the table. And most
 
importantly, we know that our country can be better in
 
this. In the United States there is no reason for
 
these conditions to exist. We all deserve our
 
economic human rights.
 
>
 
As students we must decide to stand up and declare
 
that we are morally opposed to poverty and will no
 
longer accept such injustice. We must side with the
 
interests of the poor and begin to work together to
 
create the nation we all deserve. We’re only going to
 
end poverty through a broad-based movement. It’s time
 
for us, as students, to stop working for poor people
 
and begin to work with poor people. The Poor People’s
 
Economic Human Rights Campaign is growing, and you can
 
be a part of it.
 
>
 
> What Can Students Do?
 
> The bus is coming your way and we want you to be
 
> involved!!
 

 
> -Advertise the bus on your campus so that students
 
can participate in a stop and/or follow the bus online
 

 
> -Ask community service, religious, or activist
 
groups to help you put on a fundraiser for the bus.
 

 
> -Try and get professors and classes involved to
 
assist in research around documentation.
 

 
> -Plan a caravan to the nearest bus stop and/or join
 
us in New York City for the tribunal at the United
 
Nations
 

 
> -Get an article published in your local or campus
 
newspaper about the bus tour.
 

 
> -Sponsor a showing of Outriders, a movie about the
 
First New Freedom Bus Tour, on your campus.
 
>
 
> Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
 
> Kensington Welfare Rights Union
 
> PO box 50678
 
>