Melbourne is known for its diverse and dynamic atmosphere and is touted as one of Australia’s trendiest cities. Named the ‘world’s most liveable city’, Melbourne recently however, came under fire for a controversial piece of legislation which attempted to ban homeless camping in the city. The United Nations condemned this law claiming that the criminalisation of homelessness went against international human rights law and was thus hugely problematic. The rights accorded to homeless people is but one of the many human rights concerns that need addressing in the city as well as in the wider national and international communities. The following article lists a few of the local, Melbourne based organisations with the protection and promotion of human rights at the core of their mission. For each of the organisations opportunities for employment or involvement in another form is outlined.

Sacred Heart Mission

The Sacred Heart Mission is an NGO active in Melbourne with the aim of assisting people access their basic human rights of food and shelter and overcome situations of homelessness. While the organisation provides these basic services, it has the further mission of supporting and working with the homeless in order to build people’s capacity to participate more fully in social life and overcome the levels of social exclusion which lead to homelessness. The organisation currently has a number of vacancies for a variety of different positions. These positions range from general managerial posts to case specific social work. Sacred Heart Mission also relies heavily on volunteers and there are always opportunities to provide assistance.

Oaktree

Oaktree’s mission is ‘young people leading a movement to end poverty’. The organisation recognises the power of youth to undertake this mission and make a significant impact in the drive to poverty eradication. The three key aims of the organisation are: to raise awareness about poverty and inequality in the region; to partner with other grassroots organisations and to initiate education and leadership campaigns and; to advocate for social change through policy development. With a strong focus on youth involvement, this organisation encourages volunteers from the ages of 16-26 to get involved in the various campaigns and thereby gain valuable activism experience. The Oaktree ‘team’ itself posts vacancies on a rolling basis and requires candidates with a youthful spirit and commitment to the organisation’s mission.

iEmpower

This organisation has a focus on refugee youth and provides tailored rehabilitation, education, training and employment services. Established in 2006, the organisation recognised the need for services that provided assistance and protection for refugee and humanitarian entrant youths in the country who were at risk. The organisation works alongside community partners and government to implement solutions to the risks faced by young people from refugee backgrounds. The organisation has a number of options for getting involved, including volunteering, mentoring and assisting with youth programmes. Career opportunities are advertised when available.

Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC)

The ASRC envisions an Australia that is welcoming and compassionate to people seeking asylum in the country. Based in Melbourne, the organisation is committed to obtaining fair and humane treatment of asylum seekers throughout the country. The ASRC works to achieve these goals through a variety of activities including through legal, advocacy and education campaigns as well as through more practical activities such as food and health support. There are multiple opportunities to get involved with this organisation from volunteering for the different programmes to becoming an active advocate. The organisation advertises current employment and intern opportunities on their website as they become available.

Federation of Community Legal Centres

Based in Melbourne, this body is a collection of 50 community legal centres throughout the Victoria region with the aim of providing free legal advice to clients facing economic and social disadvantage. In its mission to achieve advances in social justice, the Federation provides direct legal assistance, conducts systemic law reform and policy work to improve the justice system, works to strengthen the community legal sector and provides service and support as well as representation of community legal centres. The work of the Federation is collaborative and encourages the sharing of ideas through networks and working groups. The Federation itself has an organisational role to fulfil and much of the work undertaken by staff involves facilitating and coordinating the members of the federation in carrying out the various organisational goals. Permanent positions at the Federation are advertised when available. The website also posts opportunities for careers with member community legal centres in Victoria and in the whole of Australia when they arise. Graduate, volunteer and intern positions are available throughout the year and encouraged by the organisation.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA)

This family welfare organisation has a specific mandate for the protection and promotion of the human rights of Aboriginal children and young people. VACCA provides services and programmes aimed at preserving and reinforcing the Aboriginal culture and simultaneously protecting against child abuse and neglect. These services vary from direct intervention strategies and facilitating foster care, to policy research, to training and development programmes. VACCA is committed to creating and supporting culturally safe spaces where cultural identities can be freely explored and maintained. The organisation lists career postings on their website on a rolling basis but there are also many other ways to get involved.

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Ontario is the Canadian province with the longest history of human rights engagement in the country. Progress in human rights legislation is a reflection of the commitment towards the intrinsic value of recognising basic human rights and protecting against violations of said rights. These values emerged in the post-World War 2 climate where it was becoming increasingly expected that the state should play a role in preventing discrimination and providing social rights in order to maintain an environment of equality. This was a marked shift from the civil liberties discourse which dominated Canadian society before the Second World War. This conception of rights saw individuals as having fundamental freedoms – such as speech, association, religion, due process etc. – but considerations of how these freedoms may affect others were not of central concern.

In 1944, Ontario passed the first piece of Canadian human rights legislation, banning the display of discriminatory signs in public. In 1962, the province established a Human Rights Commission which was responsible for the administration and enforcement of the legislation outlined in the ‘Human Rights Code’.

Given Ontario’s long history of engagement in human rights issues, Toronto – as the capital of the province and the largest city in the country – is home to many active human rights organisations. In what follows, this article will outline a number of these organisations as well as identifying the possibilities for involvement in said organisations whether it is in a volunteer, intern or full employment capacity.

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is an international, independent organisation that seeks to monitor and protect human rights worldwide. The organisation is committed to producing accurate investigative reports on the human rights conditions in countries around the world and enacts a combination of media and advocacy campaigns to target and bring attention to those areas where human rights violations are rife. The organisation provides an interactive search option on their website where one can filter ‘employment level’, ‘location’ and ‘department’ in order to find a position within the organisation that is a suitable fit for any given individual. The organisation hosts an annual Human Rights Film Festival in Toronto with the mission of bringing film makers and audiences together to engage around the issues of human rights and the violations that exist currently in our world.

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

This social organisation has a mission to bring diversity and inclusion into the workplace and into the greater social community. It works alongside the corporate world, conducting research and providing advice on inclusivity strategies and policy. The organisation also conducts educational programmes in schools which challenge staff and learners to re-think ‘diversity’ and envision new ways of overcoming prejudice and discrimination. The organisation advertises career opportunities on their website on a rolling basis as well as offering a ‘learning/work programme’ for university and college students who can demonstrate how issues of diversity and inclusion are relevant to their studies.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)

The CCLA is a non-governmental organisation which aims to “fight for the civil liberties, human rights and democratic freedoms of all people across Canada”. By performing primarily legal and educational functions, the CCLA seeks to uphold the civil rights enshrined in the Canadian constitution. Focus areas include issues of equality, fundamental civil freedoms, national security and policing and public safety. The organisation offers opportunities for legal volunteers and fellows as well as a host of other general and educational volunteer opportunities. In terms of careers, staff and articling positions are offered on a rolling basis.

Harmony Movement

Another organisation committed to addressing concerns around diversity and equity, the Harmony Movement primarily engages with society through the use of educational programmes. Encouraging conversations around these issues, the organisation seeks to target youth, educators and those working in the social services sector in order to develop leaders committed to social change. The Harmony Movement encourages involvement from individuals committed to human rights issues and ‘social change makers’ and offers employment opportunities on a rolling basis.

The Law Foundation of Ontario

The Law Foundation of Ontario has a mandate to improve access to justice for the people of Ontario. A priority objective in this regard is enabling greater access to justice for disadvantaged groups in Canadian society. The Foundation therefore provides support through grants, fellowships and other financial assistance to parties undertaking class action lawsuits that lie within the public interest. A variety of fellowships are offered by the Foundation with the aim of developing professionals who are committed to issues around access to justice.

PEN Canada

This organisation’s primary focus is on promoting the freedom of opinion and expression as a basic human right. With this mission at the heart of its work, PEN does work around the promotion of literature, fighting censorship and advocating for the freedom of persecuted and imprisoned writers. PEN offers membership opportunities for the writing community to join and support its cause. The organisation also relies on the support of volunteers and offers internship opportunities for a variety of projects related to its aims. These are offered on a rolling basis.

RefugeAid

As a humanitarian aid provider, RefugeAid has a focus on concerns related to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Primarily functioning as a fundraising initiative which distributes aid to communities affected by human rights violations, the organisation also works towards raising awareness around these issues. The organisation’s current project focus is aimed towards assisting Syrian refugees fleeing war and it works closely with international bodies such as MSF Canada and UNHCR Canada to achieve these goals. The organisation is associated with York University and runs its operations from the campus in Toronto.

The above is a selection of human rights focused organisations – with international and local objectives – operating from Toronto, Canada. All of the above organisations seek to continue the long tradition of promoting human rights in Ontario and beyond.

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