CCJO René Cassin
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CCJO René Cassin – more commonly known as '
René Cassin
'' – is a charitable
human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
that works to promote and protect universal human rights, drawing on
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
experiences and values. The organisation does this by campaigning for change in defined human rights areas through a combination of advocacy, policy analysis, public campaigning and education and building the capacity of activists and lawyers to promote and protect human rights. The organisation works in human rights areas that bear some relation to Jewish experience, such as
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
,
asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...
, and
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
. The organisation holds special consultative status with the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
as a constituent organisation of the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisation (CCJO). The CCJO's first President was
René Cassin René Samuel Cassin (5 October 1887 – 20 February 1976) was a French jurist known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Bayonne, Cassin served as a soldier in the First Wo ...
, a principal drafter of the
UN Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, i ...
, who was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
in 1968 in recognition of his work for human rights as a jurist, academic and statesman. The CCJO has been an active supporter of efforts to increase the effectiveness of the UN's human rights treaties and institutional mechanisms in the intervening decades. From the 1940s to the 1970s it was involved in the creation of the United Nations human rights instruments, which form the basis of the UN's human rights activities today. CCJO René Cassin negotiated the first-ever reference to group / collective rights in a United Nations Instrument (the Basic Principles on Rights to Victims). The principles were adopted by the UN General Assembly in November 2005. The group has also campaigned on refugee rights, genocide prevention,
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
,
racial equality Racial equality is a situation in which people of all races and ethnicities are treated in an egalitarian/equal manner. Racial equality occurs when institutions give individuals legal, moral, and political rights. In present-day Western society, ...
and international restitution issues. René Cassin also offers human rights education programmes and training sessions. The group is primarily focused in the UK, but has supporters throughout
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, particularly in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Danny Silverstone is the organisation's current (2022) Chair, and Mia Hasenson-Gross its Executive Director. The organisation was originally chaired by
Alexander Goldberg Alexander Barnett Goldberg (born 1974) is the Dean of Religious Life and Belief, Coordinating and the Jewish Chaplain to the University of Surrey, England, a rabbi, barrister, and human rights activist. Biography His family originates from Ire ...
who remains as the main delegate to the
UN Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
and Daniel Kingsley.


Aims

René Cassin's Vision is of a world where: * everyone fully enjoys all their human rights as enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...
* members of the Jewish community are actively engaged in promoting and protecting these rights, both within the community and in concert with stakeholders outside of the community. René Cassin's Mission is to promote and protect the universal rights of all people, drawing on Jewish experiences and values, by: * remaking a compelling case for human rights values * campaigning for change in defined human rights areas through a combination of advocacy, policy analysis, public campaigning and education * leading and growing a group of committed Jewish human rights advocates


History

In 2000, Clemens Nathan and other figures with experience of human rights work in the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations (CCJO) took a group of young professionals to the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights (which has since been reformed into the
Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
) in Geneva where they were exposed to the existing spectrum of Jewish voices focused on the importance of universal human rights. They were inspired to set up CCJO René Cassin (RC), aiming to provide Jewish voices on international human rights at the international and national levels. Nathan continued to support and inspire their developing work, seeking to draw new professional talent into the work done by the CCJO through the United Nations and in other human rights fora. Since establishing its base in the United Kingdom at this time, RC has grown and professionalised. In 2003, RC began to engage with the Jewish community in the UK to promote awareness of human rights and encourage activism, by hosting a series of high-level public events, including panel debates and conferences. Speakers at these events included Dame Ruth Deech, Dr Indarjit Singh and
Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is a British human rights campaigner, originally from Australia, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey ...
. In 2005, RC launched an education programme for secondary schools in the UK on
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
,
immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
and rights of the child. In 2005 alone, this programme reached over 3000 Jewish secondary school children. The organisation continued to prioritise education, developing education packs for teachers, and working with five major Jewish secondary schools to educate on the escalating situation in
Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...
,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
. RC continued to take delegations to the United Nations Human Rights Council with the support of the CCJO. In 2005 as part of a campaign for restitution for victims of genocide, RC representatives negotiated the first-ever reference to group rights in a United Nations Instrument (the Basic Principles on Rights to Victims). In 2007, RC launched the Jewish Human Rights Network in the UK to bring Jewish people together to speak out for human rights, with the support of the
Chief Rabbi Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...
of the United Kingdom, the
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
of the United Kingdom and representatives from across the UK Jewish and human rights community. In its early years, RC was chaired by two young lawyers,
Alexander Goldberg Alexander Barnett Goldberg (born 1974) is the Dean of Religious Life and Belief, Coordinating and the Jewish Chaplain to the University of Surrey, England, a rabbi, barrister, and human rights activist. Biography His family originates from Ire ...
and Daniel Kingsley. The group employed its first full-time Director, Clive Gabay in 2005, who was succeeded by Sarah Kaiser in 2006. Kaiser continued to prioritise educational work, developing multiple resources and educational programmes focused on Judaism and human rights, and holding events. In October 2010, Kaiser was succeeded by Simone Abel, an attorney with previous experience at Human Rights Watch, New York, and two leading international law firms. In late 2011, Shauna Leven, also a lawyer, joined RC as Programme Manager in 2011 and was appointed Director in 2013. Leven left René Cassin in December 2014 and was replaced as Director in June 2015 by Mia Hasenson-Gross. Since Abel's appointment, the organisation has focused increasingly on advocacy work in addition to its educational offerings. The organisation began working on issues pertaining to discrimination against
Gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
, Travellers and
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
in UK and Europe in 2010, and
modern slavery Contemporary slavery, also sometimes known as modern slavery or neo-slavery, refers to institutional slavery that continues to occur in present-day society. Estimates of the number of enslaved people today range from around 38 million to 46 mil ...
and support of domestic UK human rights protections in 2011, developing policy papers, advocacy strategies and educational resources. The organisation has increasingly worked in collaboration with other organisations to achieve its advocacy goals in the most efficient and effective way possible. In recent years (2019-2022), RC has expanded with additional workstreams on hate speech, women's rights, and social justice.


Issues and campaigns

*Genocide and Crimes against Humanity Since 2019, RC's work in this area has focussed on the Chinese government's repression of Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan (Xinjiang Province). RC has worked with the UK office of the
World Uyghur Congress The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is an international organization of exiled Uyghur groups that claims to "represent the collective interest of the Uyghur people" both inside and outside of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's ...
, calling on UK government to recognise China's action as genocide, highlighting link between western companies and forced Uyghur labour, and working to label Beijing 2022
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
as 'the Genocide Games' *Asylum and Detention RC is concerned that the United Kingdom's policy and practice of detention infringes the human rights of many asylum seekers. The organisation frames the detention of asylum seekers as a human rights issue and campaigns against
indefinite detention Indefinite detention is the incarceration of an arrested person by a national government or law enforcement agency for an indefinite amount of time without a trial; the practice violates many national and international laws, including human rights ...
, the detention of vulnerable people and the Detained Fast Track system as violations of human rights standards and the inherent dignity of the individual. *Discrimination against Gypsies, Roma, and Travellers Since 2011 RC has been campaigning against discrimination facing these 'chronically excluded' communities. *Hate Speech RC's 'Cut It Out' campaign aims to counter discriminatory language in public discourse, mainly in the mainstream media; and its 'Reach Out' campaign provides solidarity with groups facing hate speech and hate crime, as well as practical help garnered from long experience of tackling
anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
. *Slavery and Human Trafficking RC seeks to end modern slavery through education and advocacy. In 2011 it published a
Haggadah The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each J ...
Companion highlighting the ongoing issue of modern-day slavery and engaging supporters in positive activities to: raise awareness, change consumer behaviour and join their advocacy work. RC also advised various corporations as to what steps they could take in order to ensure that they avoid indirectly contributing to modern-day slavery or increasing the likelihood of the exploitation of human beings during the
2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. *Working to protect and promote the Human Rights Act RC supports and advocates for the retention of the Act. In 2012 it hosted a panel discussion with guest speakers Professor Francesca Klug OBE and Sir
Vernon Bogdanor Vernon Bernard Bogdanor (; born 16 July 1943) is a British political scientist and historian, research professor at the Institute for Contemporary British History at King's College London and professor of politics at the New College of the Hu ...
CBE about the importance of retaining the Act and also prepared a submission to the Commission on the Bill of Rights Consultation. *Women's Rights RC launched this new workstream in 2020 in response to endemic inequality and misogyny. *Social Justice In 2021, RC began work on a Right to Food, inspired by Article 25 of th
Universal Declaration of Human Rights


Education

RC has been committed to providing transformative human rights education since 2003, and initially developed a wide range of resources aimed at secondary school children. In 2008, on the Global Day for Darfur, the group hosted its first full-day conference entitled ‘What’s so
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
about Human Rights?’ and the event has become an annual fixture. The organisation runs the René Cassin Fellowship Programme, (RCFP) which brings together Jewish professionals to explore a range of human rights issues through a uniquely Jewish lens. It provides fellows with the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to enhance their activism in the areas of social justice, international human rights or related fields. The year-long RCFP holds monthly seminars with a core faculty member on a curriculum specially developed for the fellowship. The fellows also participate in periodic visits by leading human rights lawyers, academics, activists, and communal leaders. In 2019, RC established a 'Human Rights Ambassador Programme' – a 'lite' version of the Fellowship Programme, aimed at providing sixth formers and undergraduates with a crash course in human rights issues and campaigning expertise.


See also

*
International Institute of Human Rights The International Institute of Human Rights (French: ''Institut international des droits de l'homme,'' IIDH) is an association under French local law based in Strasbourg, France. It includes approximately 300 members (individual and collective) wor ...



References


External links


CCJO René Cassin Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:CCJO Rene Cassin Human rights organisations based in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 2000 Jewish charities based in the United Kingdom