The Rights Here! Project – Phase 2

A collaboration between Teesri Duniya Theatre, the Park Extension Youth Organization (PEYO), the Theatre and Development Program at Concordia University, and the Equality Committee of the Canadian Bar Association (Québec division), The Rights Here! Project is designed to link up professional artists with culturally diverse communities in order to create theatre related to universal human rights within specific geographic, cultural, and social contexts.

Street Theatre excerpts (outdoor performances)

• Mont Royal Metro, June 14 at 3pm (June 15  in case of rain) 
• Howard Park, June 14 at 7pm, Liège, between Querbes & de l’Épée
• Athena Park, June 25 at 2pm, Jean -Talon between Bloomfield and De l’Épée.
• Park Angrignon, June 25 at 6pm near
  

Full Performances

• June 28 & 29 at 7pm and June 30 at 2pm.
• William Hingston Community Centre, 419, rue St. ROCH

Rights Here! 
 A Theatre and Law for Human Rights Project devoted to long-term Advocacy
Ad-voc-acy:  (voc - vox) = voice.  Mobilizing for Desired Change

Mission:

• To provide young people with education, training, and hands on experience of theatre and law for Human Rights.
• To promote Human Rights as a living culture as opposed to a set of rules and norms.
• To emphasize recognition and understanding of the significant contributions immigrants make to Quebec and Canadian society
• To encourage volunteerism, dialogue, and social responsibility amongst young people.
• To nurture and sustain alliances between diverse cultural and community organizations, individuals and families.
• To build capacity in long-term advocacy through the Rights Here! Centre for Advocacy.

Activities: Phase I  Training:   Education, training, and hands-on experience in arts and advocacy. In December 2006, the team traveled to Bangalore India for 3 wks of intensive training in Indian Street Theatre and advocacy with Christ College and the Centre for Social Action.

Phase II  Performance:  The creation of an original piece of theatre by, for, and about residents of Park Ex.  Participants include theatre and law students working with young people from Park Ex and beyond.  The piece will address themes such as immigration, racism, girls and women’s rights, and equal access to health and social services, decent housing, etc.  The piece willl be performed in and around Park Ex and greater Montreal, culminating in large-scale performances in the final week of June 2007. Theatre will continue to play an important educational and consciousness-raising role within the Centre for Advocacy.
Phase III  Advocacy:   Establishment of the Rights Here! Centre for Advocacy in Park Ex. Staffed by volunteer law students and overseen by members of the Rights Here! Legal Advisory, the CFA will work with resident youth on a wide range of human rights advocacy techniques and strategies, such as:

• Identifying specific issues and defining these within a Human Rights framework.
• Building coalitions with other partners.
• Using theatre and other techniques to raise public awareness and support for local action on both issues and solutions.
• Meeting lawmakers and decision-makers and proposing changes to laws, policies or institutional practices that meet the needs of the community.

Partners:
Rights Here! is a partnership between Concordia University’s Specialization in Theatre and Development, Teesri Duniya Theatre, the Park Extension Youth Organization (PEYO), and a Legal Advisory Committee consisting of members of the Equality Committee of the Quebec Bar Association