Social Justice, Economic Democracy and Human Rights: Building a Better Jackson for All

Mississippi possesses some of the greatest racial disparities in the United States. Despite the many gains of the Freedom Struggles of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, Blacks in the state of Mississippi have one of the lowest per-capita incomes of any population in the country, some of the greatest health disparities, and suffer some of the most egregious incarceration rates in the world.

This conference will address the underlining roots of racial inequality and inequity in Jackson and the state of Mississippi - namely the lack of self-determination and economic sovereignty. This conference will discuss how a people-centered human framework, grounded in the promotion of Economic, Social, and Cultural rights can be used to alleviate injustices through the promotion of grassroots organizing, participatory democracy, and a solidarity economy.

Goals
1. To educate the general public about the relationship between cooperative economic models, practices, and systems and human rights and the human rights framework. 
2. To educate the general public about the Human Rights Institute and its mission to create a Human Rights Charter and Commission for the City of Jackson. 
3. To document human rights abuses in Jackson and throughout the state of Mississippi to use for ICERD and ICCPR advocacy.
4. To strengthen international advocacy for economic, social and cultural rights through international bodies like International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).