Why are local and regional governments essential for promoting, fulfilling, and respecting human rights?
Because we are the administrations closest to the citizens and therefore those who can have the most influence in important matters, as we know our residents’ situations and needs best, and are the first recipients of their demands. Municipalities are thus those that can most impact residents’ lives by promoting initiatives that reach them more effectively.
Why are human rights relevant values and a useful framework to guide local action?
Human rights lay the foundation for freedom, justice, and peace in the world, according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Respecting, protecting, and enforcing them makes us a more egalitarian society, and thus a freer, healthier one. It is the responsibility of local governments to achieve this, and for that, we must inform and raise awareness among our community about their rights and their enforcement, as well as allow them to participate in decisions that affect them. Policies based on a human rights approach should primarily focus on population groups subject to greater marginalization, exclusion, and discrimination. This approach may require an analysis of gender norms, various forms of discrimination, and power imbalances to ensure that interventions reach these population segments.
This approach is not only about outcomes, but also about the process — placing the person at the center as an active participant in their own development, rather than a passive spectator or recipient of services.
Informing, raising awareness, educating, and empowering these agents is fundamental, as their participation is essential not only to ensure the achievement of proposed objectives, but also to sustain and demand them.
We are a municipality of nearly 33,000 inhabitants whose population has doubled in the last 15 years due to the arrival of numerous residents from other countries, continents, and/or cities. Today, we have residents from over 33 different nationalities. We are a very young municipality, with an average age of 38.5 years, and where others see problems, we see richness — the richness brought by interculturality. We have been working in this field for many years, as well as in the areas of equality, health promotion, participation, and rights. Joining this campaign means continuing to grow in equality of opportunity and rights.
1) Establishment of a "Municipal Basic Income and Recovery Aid": LINK
2) Municipal Food Bank, Healthy Food Baskets, Municipal School Canteens: LINK, LINK, LINK
*Municipal School Canteens: subsidized or even free for low-income families: LINK
3) Migrant Support Service: composed of an intercultural mediator, legal advisor, social work staff, and volunteers: reception, accompaniment, Spanish language courses, workshops on effort and integration, intercultural gatherings, right to health...