TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Mayor John Dailey is leading the charge to make human rights a priority in the Capital City, launching a new program to address issues facing our community.
The "All Human Rights are Local Program" will officially launch Thursday for Human Rights Day.
Dailey says this is a bipartisan effort to solve social unrest and equality on the national and local levels, taking center stage as 2020 comes to a close.
"This is a bipartisan issue," said Dailey. "This is an issue of human rights that everyone can wrap their arms around."
We can expect to see the work of this program starting next year in partnership with FSU's Center for the advancement of Human rights, in addition to community
input on improvements they would like to see.
Mark Schlakman, the senior director of FSU's Advancement of Human Rights, says they are looking to the past to accomplish this.
"Regardless of where you are, who you are, what you look like, and what you believe in," Schlakman said. "You should be afforded the same human rights as everyone on this planet."
A few issues they are tackling are racial equity, health care and homelessness.
"Racial injustice, equality, equity, healthcare, education, food deserts, these are issues we deal with right here in our backyard every day," Dailey said.
This comes after the city recently scored 100 percent on their Municipal Equality Index evaluation by the Human Rights Campaign.
The new project will use the framework of the ratified national treaty International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dailey said this will continue their efforts for a fair community and holding local leadership accountable.
"The more people we can get involved in the conversation of human rights and how it impacts our citizens here in Tallahassee and come up creative policy ideas and really bring people together is important to me, it's important to Tallahassee," Dailey said.
Now the city is asking for the community to engage in identifying where improvements can be made.
Dailey says this will allow people to learn what their rights are and better advocate for themselves.
"Really bring people together, it's important to me, its important to Tallahassee," said Dailey.
Community outreach and the first few meetings will start in early 2021. They hope councils like the LGBTQ+ will get involved as well.
