Working Groups
Issue Area Working Groups allow human rights defenders to work collectively by sharing information, working on joint projects, and pooling resources and information to robustly engage in a process to protect human rights in the United States. Working Groups meet (via video or phone calls) as often as needed to relationship-build, strategize, create work plans, and provide support for its members.
​
As the US Human Rights Network's Coordinating Center, we want to ensure that advocates have the support needed to fully engage in the UPR review process. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact our Deputy Director, Salimah Hankins, shankins@ushrnetwork.org.
Access to Legal Systems
Access to Legal Systems
Facilitator:
Naureen Shah (ACLU), naureen.shah@gmail.com
Facilitator:
Naureen Shah (ACLU), naureen.shah@gmail.com
The Working Group on Access to Legal Systems/Criminal Law/Procedures will cover topics including: poverty, citizenship status, and racial discrimination.
Children's Rights
Facilitator:
Stephanie Franklin (Franklin Law Group), sfranklin@franklinlaw.us
Description coming soon.
Health Issues
Facilitators:
Mary Gerisch (Vermont Workers Center), marygerisch@gmail.com and
Zoe Marinkovich (SUNBURST Projects), zmarink@gmail.com
The Working Group on Health Issues will cover topics including: psychiatric issues, reproductive health issues, Medicaid expansion issues, lack of healthcare for immigrants issues, and healthcare as a human right issues.
Housing
Facilitators:
Eugene Stanley (The Big Heart Project), navyveteran1986@gmail.com
Eric Tars (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty), etars@nlchp.org
The Working Group on Housing will cover topics including: human right to housing issues, criminalization of homelessness issues, public housing issues, and homelessness issues.
Immigration
Facilitator:
Eddie Canales (South Texas Human Rights Center), ecsouthtexashumanrights@gmail.com
The Working Group on Immigration will cover topics including: immigrant rights, border security, detention, and asylum.
Indigenous Peoples
Facilitator:
June Lorenzo (Women's International Study Center),
Description coming soon.
Information Access
Facilitators:
Rebecca Hankins (Texas A&M University), rhankins@tamu.edu
Paula Buchanan (Jacksonville State University), paula_buchanan@tulanealumni.net
Description coming soon.
LGBTQ
Facilitator needed. Please contact Salimah Hankins (US Human Rights Network) to become a facilitator, shankins@ushrnetwork.org
Description coming soon.
National Security
Facilitator:
Dr. Maha Hilal (Institute for Policy Studies), innocentuntilprovenmuslim@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Police Violence & Racial Discrimination
Facilitator:
Nicole Robinson (Dream Defenders), kuchkuchhotahain111@gmail.com
The Working Group on Police Violence and Racial Discrimination will cover topics including: profiling, disparate sentencing, stand your ground laws, voting rights, unequal access to legal counsel, DV issues, and disability rights.
Political Participation & State Violence
Facilitators:
Vickie Casanova (US Human Rights Network Board Member), vickie.casanova@yahoo.com
Standish Willis (The National Conference of Black Lawyers), swillis818@aol.com
Description coming soon.
Prisoners' Rights
Facilitator:
Amy Berquist (The Advocates for Human Rights), aberquist@advrights.org
The Working Group for Prisoners Rights will cover topics including: incarceration and death penalty issues for adults and children, inhumane treatment issues privatization issues, and military prison issues.
Sex Workers' Rights
Facilitator:
Penelope Saunders (Best Practices Policy Project), bestpracticespolicyproject@gmail.com
The Sex Workers' Rights Working Group prioritizes the voices of sex workers, welcomes supportive allies, and works intersectionally to recall and honor the history of previous work on sex worker rights and the UPR and build on that history for future UPRs. The focus of our input in this group is to raise issues of importance to sex workers, in particular low-income sex workers, trans and gender-queer communities, immigrants, people of color, youth, indigenous sex workers, and street sex workers.
Sexual Rights & Gender Justice
Facilitators:
Ricci Levy (Woodhull Freedom Foundation), ricci@woodhullfoundation.org
Tonya Williams (SPARK Reproductive Justice), tonyamwilliams@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Students & Education
Facilitator:
Ramon Montano (Independent Affiliation), ramonmontano@gmail.com
The Working Group on Students and Education will cover topics including: freedom of expression, the right to education from pre-school through college, and the right to cultural education and cultural expression within education.
UPR Cities
Facilitators:
Jackie Smith (University of Pittsburgh), jgsmith@pitt.edu
Vickie Casanova (USHRN Board Member), vickie.casanova@yahoo.com
Local governments have jurisdiction over a range of human rights issues, including those related to housing, education, employment, and criminal justice. Mayors, local governments, and organized communities are particularly well-situated to advance human rights and build a culture of human rights based on dignity, freedom from discrimination, and opportunity. The UPR process can help focus our organizing efforts in cities and communities and help build a broad constituency of human rights defenders working to “bring human rights home.” The UPR cities working group will work to help strengthen cooperation across communities and to better realize the possibilities for using international processes like the UPR to strengthen local work for people-centered human rights.
US Illegal Sanctions
Facilitator:
Susan Scott, syscott@sonic.net
Description coming soon.
Voting Rights
Facilitator:
Jeanne Mirer, jmirer@mmsjlaw.com
Description coming soon.
Women's Rights
Facilitators:
Facilitator needed. Please contact Salimah Hankins (US Human Rights Network) to become a facilitator, shankins@ushrnetwork.org
Description coming soon.
Workers' Rights
Facilitators:
Mary Gerisch (Vermont Workers Center), marygerisch@gmail.com
Kate D'Adamo (Sex Workers Outreach Project), kmdadamo@gmail.com
The Working Group on Workers Rights will cover topics including: excluded workers, sex workers, the right to organize, and work with dignity issues.
Access to Legal Systems
Access to Legal Systems
Facilitator:
Naureen Shah (ACLU), naureen.shah@gmail.com
Facilitator:
Naureen Shah (ACLU), naureen.shah@gmail.com
The Working Group on Access to Legal Systems/Criminal Law/Procedures will cover topics including: poverty, citizenship status, and racial discrimination.
Children's Rights
Facilitator:
Stephanie Franklin (Franklin Law Group), sfranklin@franklinlaw.us
Description coming soon.
Decolonization
Facilitator:
Domonic Latty, dclatty@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Health Issues
Facilitators:
Mary Gerisch (Vermont Workers Center), marygerisch@gmail.com and
Zoe Marinkovich (SUNBURST Projects), zmarink@gmail.com
The Working Group on Health Issues will cover topics including: psychiatric issues, reproductive health issues, Medicaid expansion issues, lack of healthcare for immigrants issues, and healthcare as a human right issues.
Housing
Facilitators:
Eugene Stanley (The Big Heart Project), navyveteran1986@gmail.com
Eric Tars (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty), etars@nlchp.org
The Working Group on Housing will cover topics including: human right to housing issues, criminalization of homelessness issues, public housing issues, and homelessness issues.
Immigration
Facilitator:
Eddie Canales (South Texas Human Rights Center), ecsouthtexashumanrights@gmail.com
The Working Group on Immigration will cover topics including: immigrant rights, border security, detention, and asylum.
Indigenous Peoples
Facilitator:
June Lorenzo (Women's International Study Center),
Description coming soon.
Information Access
Facilitators:
Rebecca Hankins (Texas A&M University), rhankins@tamu.edu
Paula Buchanan (Jacksonville State University), paula_buchanan@tulanealumni.net
Description coming soon.
LGBTQ
Facilitator:
M Valladolid, mvalladolid2001@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
National Security
Facilitator:
Dr. Maha Hilal (Institute for Policy Studies), innocentuntilprovenmuslim@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Police Violence & Racial Discrimination
Facilitator:
Nicole Robinson (Dream Defenders), kuchkuchhotahain111@gmail.com
The Working Group on Police Violence and Racial Discrimination will cover topics including: profiling, disparate sentencing, stand your ground laws, voting rights, unequal access to legal counsel, DV issues, and disability rights.
Political Participation & State Violence
Facilitators:
Vickie Casanova (US Human Rights Network Board Member), vickie.casanova@yahoo.com
Standish Willis (The National Conference of Black Lawyers), swillis818@aol.com
Description coming soon.
Prisoners' Rights
Facilitator:
Amy Berquist (The Advocates for Human Rights), aberquist@advrights.org
The Working Group for Prisoners Rights will cover topics including: incarceration and death penalty issues for adults and children, inhumane treatment issues privatization issues, and military prison issues.
Seniors, Elderly, and Disabled
Facilitator:
Janet Parker, medicalwhistleblower@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Sex Workers' Rights
Facilitator:
Penelope Saunders (Best Practices Policy Project), bestpracticespolicyproject@gmail.com
The Sex Workers' Rights Working Group prioritizes the voices of sex workers, welcomes supportive allies, and works intersectionally to recall and honor the history of previous work on sex worker rights and the UPR and build on that history for future UPRs. The focus of our input in this group is to raise issues of importance to sex workers, in particular low-income sex workers, trans and gender-queer communities, immigrants, people of color, youth, indigenous sex workers, and street sex workers.
Sexual Rights & Gender Justice
Facilitators:
Ricci Levy (Woodhull Freedom Foundation), ricci@woodhullfoundation.org
Tonya Williams (SPARK Reproductive Justice), tonyamwilliams@gmail.com
Description coming soon.
Students & Education
Facilitators:
Ramon Montano (Independent Affiliation),
Citlalli Mendoza
The Working Group on Students and Education will cover topics including: freedom of expression, the right to education from pre-school through college, and the right to cultural education and cultural expression within education.
UPR Cities
Facilitators:
Jackie Smith (University of Pittsburgh), jgsmith@pitt.edu
Vickie Casanova (USHRN Board Member), vickie.casanova@yahoo.com
Local governments have jurisdiction over a range of human rights issues, including those related to housing, education, employment, and criminal justice. Mayors, local governments, and organized communities are particularly well-situated to advance human rights and build a culture of human rights based on dignity, freedom from discrimination, and opportunity. The UPR process can help focus our organizing efforts in cities and communities and help build a broad constituency of human rights defenders working to “bring human rights home.” The UPR cities working group will work to help strengthen cooperation across communities and to better realize the possibilities for using international processes like the UPR to strengthen local work for people-centered human rights.
US Illegal Sanctions
Facilitator:
Susan Scott, syscott@sonic.net
Description coming soon.
Voting Rights
Facilitator:
Jeanne Mirer, jmirer@mmsjlaw.com
Description coming soon.
Women's Rights
Facilitators:
Facilitator needed. Please contact Salimah Hankins (US Human Rights Network) to become a facilitator, shankins@ushrnetwork.org
Description coming soon.
Workers' Rights
Facilitators:
Mary Gerisch (Vermont Workers Center), marygerisch@gmail.com
Kate D'Adamo (Sex Workers Outreach Project), kmdadamo@gmail.com
The Working Group on Workers Rights will cover topics including: excluded workers, sex workers, the right to organize, and work with dignity issues.
