INTRODUCTION
The University of California, Santa Barbara Human Rights Board serves as a forum centered on facilitating and amplifying the interaction of students groups – both within UCSB and our greater community. The Board recognizes their mission of inclusivity by creating a forum that encourages, advocates, and promotes respectful and honest communication regarding the education and awareness of basic human rights principles. This includes, but is not limited to issues of age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, nationality, religion, race, size, sex, and sexuality. The main charge of the board is to promote open education and awareness through events, forums and educational campaigns.
The driving force behind this initiative is twofold: That ignorance is the primary root of human rights abuses, and when collaborating together we are capable of making a much stronger impact.
HUMAN RIGHTS WEEK
Each year since 2009 HRB has hosted Human Rights Week. Check out the program for this year’s events:
Book Drive
During Human Rights Week HRB sponsored a book drive for the UCSB Pages For Individuals In Prison (PIP) project. They collected books on the lawn across from the Student Resource Building and set up donation bins in the AS Main Office.
Support for the LGBTG+ Community
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice Fair
The week included an environmental justice fair in Storke Plaza that provide information from a variety of campus and local organizations.
Environmental Justice Statement
HRB released this statement during Human Rights Week, “Environmental hazards caused by increasingly drastic climate patterns include more intense and frequent wildfires, destructive erosion, and aberrant flooding and water patterns. In the wake of a catastrophe, people are often faced with the choice to either move away or rebuild from scratch. Those with adequate resources are able to rebuild and adapt, but the disenfranchised are usually displaced. Forced migration and houselessness are common byproducts of natural disaster, and increasingly relevant given changing climate trends. Additionally, houselessness can take on various different forms including but not limited to: sleeping in cars, couch surfing, sleeping on the streets, etc.”
“气候模式日趋恶劣造成的环境危害包括逐渐猛烈和频繁的火灾，破坏性流失以及异常的洪水和水流模式。在灾难过后，人们常常面临选择离开或重建的窘境。只有拥有足够资源的人才能够重建和适应，但是被剥夺权利的人通常会流离失所。强迫迁徙和无家可归是自然灾害导致的常见副产物，而且越来越与环境变化有关。此外，无家可归也有很多方式，包括但不限于：睡在汽车里，沙发旅行，睡在马路上等”
Reproductive Justice
HRB included a menstrual products and basic needs drive to donate to local homeless people through the Santa Barbara United Way.
EVENTS
Fall Quarter
Human Rights Boards partnered with EOP’s American Indian Cultural Resource Center (AICRC) to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day in October
Transgender Awareness Week
Human Rights Board gave a shout out to the trans community on their Facebook site: “Happy Transgender Awareness Week! We want to validate and uplift the voices of our trans brothers, sisters, and non-binary folk— we love you and stand in solidarity with you. Trans rights are human and reproductive rights, and we work to maintain and protect the rights of trans folk within our community and beyond. Trans people have stood at the forefront of social movements fighting for justice and equality for decades, and this week has been a wonderful opportunity to recognize all the work trans people have done to create the progress and change this country has had.”
Undie Run
HRB helped students de-stress by hosting the annual Undie Run in Storke Plaza. Participants were asked to bring gently used clothing to donate.
Winter Quarter
Santa Barbara Women’s March
Activists & members from AS Human Rights Board & subcommittees, Students Against Sexual Assault, and Students for Reproductive Justice, attended this year’s Santa Barbara Women’s March in support of body autonomy, social justice, & prison reform!
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
To sum it all up HRB produced their own year in review for Facebook. Here it is page by page!
