Claire Young
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Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) and
Social Rights Advocacy Centre (SRAC)
This summer a U of T PBSC Donner Fellowship has allowed me to work with the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) and the Social Rights Advocacy Centre (SRAC). CERA works to promote human rights in housing and remove the barriers that keep disadvantaged individuals and families from accessing and retaining the housing they need. SRAC's mandate is to increase awareness and understanding of economic and social rights among marginalized communities, and the lawyers and administrators working with them.
My project involves research for a proposed Municipal Charter of Human Rights for the City of Toronto. This Charter has the potential to have significant impacts on the lives of marginalized residents of Toronto. There is currently a lack of institutional mechanisms at the local level to protect and promote fundamental human rights. The Charter will make explicit local obligations associated with international, national and provincial human rights commitments and help ensure that local decision-making is carried out within a framework of human rights values.
As part of this project, I have completed the initial research stage which involved researching municipal human rights charters implemented in Europe, the United States and Montréal in order to examine their developmental histories, the range of instruments available, and their relative successes and failures. I have also researched the kinds of decisions that are made at the municipal level which engage human rights norms, particularly economic, social and cultural rights. I have also begun documenting the absence of a human rights framework in decisions which have significant human rights implications. One of my projects for the summer is to co-author a journal article about these issues with one of my supervisors. Furthermore, I have begun the consultation phase of this project, which involves meeting with municipal government representatives, community organizations, human rights and legal organizations and the private sector to obtain feedback to define the breadth of the Charter, particularly input on what rights are included and how these rights are defined.
I have greatly benefited from my experience this summer. The Donner Fellowship has provided me with valuable experience in the areas of human rights and poverty law, and broadened my understanding of the practice of law beyond what I could have gained in the classroom alone. I have also enjoyed working with a committed, enthusiastic group of high-calibre professionals. It has been extremely rewarding to be part of such a landmark project and I hope my work will have a lasting impact on the economically and socially marginalized residents of Toronto.
