Campaign Overview
The VLGA supports and facilitates local governments and communities to work together for progressive outcomes and good governance. With this as our mission, it was not surprising that the VLGA would be involved in assisting local governments embrace the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
At their core, human rights are core values we all share and by which we wish to live. The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities collates and expresses our civil and political rights in a clear, common-sense way that can be understood by all citizens. On 1 January 2008 every public servant in Victoria was legally required to proactively comply with the Victorian Charter, legally prohibited from acting in ways that are incompatible with our rights protected by the Charter, and prohibited from failing to give proper consideration to relevant human rights when making decisions.
Local governments have a responsibility to comply with the Charter as we go about developing and fulfilling policies, providing services and making laws.
Strategic Plan
The VLGA's work in Human Rights is informed by item A1 of the Strategic Plan, to support local governments to provide leadership in their communities
VLGA Approach
The VLGA and our partners, the Australian Centre for Human Rights Education (ACHRE) at RMIT, sought funding through the Department of Justice to run the Human Rights Matters Locally
project. With five local government partners, the Cities of
Boroondara, Latrobe, Hume, Port Phillip & Wodonga, a set of
practical and supportive tools has been developed to assist Victorian
local governments in meeting our obligations under the Charter and to
implement a human rights framework for local communities.
Current Activity
Federally funded workshops to promote human rights approach to service delivery and policy development in locally based organisations
The Australian Centre for Human Rights Education at RMIT, the VLGA and VCOSS are hosting a series of participatory workshops in the second half of 2011 across Victoria to facilitate people's understanding of human rights and to develop a human rights approach to service delivery and policy development in locally based organisations.
The workshops are funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department as part of a project identifying the importance of human rights education. The workshops use case studies to highlight human rights and demonstrate how to support human rights for people in local communities. The workshops are designed for both the community and local government sectors – for management, service delivery workers, board members, councillors, advocates and members of vulnerable groups. People are encouraged to promote this workshop to their mayor and councillors, managers and community groups within their municipality.
For more information about the workshops across Victoria in late 2011 contact the VLGA Human Rights Policy & Project Officer, Gary Jungwirth on 03 9349 7986 or via email.
The Human Rights Matters Locally project has concluded. Please find the milestones and report via these links:
The next phase of this project was
From Compliance to Culture, a human rights toolkit
(C2C toolkit) for local governments to implement the Victorian Charter
of Human Rights. This was the culmination of the Human Rights Matters
Locally project, which explored the challenges facing local governments,
as well as the opportunities and strategies available, in implementing
the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. For further
information see
Human Rights Toolkit.
Other advocacy work of the VLGA
The VLGA has made a number of funding and policy submissions to both State and Federal governments about the need to resource local government and community responses to human rights. We are hopeful that these submissions will lead to further human rights projects in the immediate future. If local governments and community organisations would like to pursue opportunities locally, the VLGA would be keen to hear from you (see contact details below).
Half-day symposium and launch of Human rights implementation in local government: successes, challenges and strategies for moving forward, Wednesday 7 July 2010
Four years after the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities came into full operation, many local governments are embracing human rights good practice through a variety of different approaches. The symposium in July 2010 provided an opportunity to hear about and share some of the strategies, successes, opportunities and challenges in the development of a culture of human rights through the work of local government.
Contact
Human Rights Policy & Project Officer
Gary Jungwirth
T: +61 3 9349 7986
E: Send Email