Underlying all human rights work in the United States is a commitment
to challenge the belief that the United States is inherently superior
to other countries of the world, and that neither the US government nor
the US rights movements have anything to gain from the domestic
application of human rights. Network members believe that the US
government should no longer be allowed to shield itself from
accountability to human rights norms and that the US civil, women's,
worker, immigrant, LGBTQ, prisoner and other rights movements that
stand to benefit, perhaps now more than ever, from an end to US
impunity in this regard.
Despite this mounting energy for a U.S. human rights
movement, the ultimate aim of such efforts-- full U.S. compliance with
universal human rights standards--will require the development of a
broad-based, democratic movement that is dedicated to the long-term
goal of transforming U.S. political culture. We see the strategic
urgency of anchoring the Network's movement building within those
groups that have been historically oppressed. This would include (but
not limited to) the following: African American organizations, with a
special emphasis on the student/youth sector; Latin@; LGBTQ;
indigenous; progressive womens organizations; disabilities rights
groups and immigrant and migrant rights organizations.
