Scotland is at a crucial point in its human rights journey and today’s investment supports a new organisation with a key role to play.
The pandemic has revealed – and worsened – deep rooted discrimination and inequality, and as society rebuilds, it will do so in the context of Brexit. There have been strong commitments to put human rights at the heart of recovery, with new legislation planned to put a wider range of human rights into Scottish law.
Human rights offer a powerful tool, but there has often been a gap between what’s said in policy and what people experience in their daily lives. Making Rights Real aims to help close that gap.
Dr Jo Ferrie, Chair of the Board of Making Rights Real said:
“Making Rights Real is all about ensuring dignity and respect are at the heart of how our communities work, and how everyone living in Scotland is supported by public services. We will work with communities to achieve their rights and support them to dismantle the barriers that get in the way.
Making Rights Real will focus on everyday rights, and support people – especially those furthest from their rights – to participate, challenge power and work with duty bearers to find solutions. We’re excited to be moving from an organisation with big ideas and strong ambition to being able to work directly with communities to make their rights real.”
Corra Foundation Chief Executive Fiona Duncan said:
“It’s been a privilege to work with Making Rights Real, fellow independent funders and others from the human rights field over the past few months. Human rights principles underpin Corra’s ten-year strategy, with its themes of voice, power and change. This year, we have learned so much from human rights experts about the important of funding to help make a reality of Scotland’s commitments to put human rights at the heart of our society.
All at Corra are delighted to be able to support the work of Making Rights Real and look forward to continuing to learn as they get alongside communities to help them make themselves heard, claim their power and achieve the change that matters to them.”
ENDS
For further information please contact: Shelley Gray (Head of External Relations) at shelley@corra.scot
Notes to Editors
- Corra has invested a grant of £100,000 in Making Rights Real for 2021.
- Making Rights Real is a new grassroots human rights organisation in Scotland that will support the most marginalised communities address human rights concerns.
- Making Rights Real was born from the Housing Rights in Practice Project run by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Participation and the Practice of Rights and Edinburgh Tenants Federation, which supported residents in Leith to use a human rights based approach to lever £2.3M of investment into poor housing conditions. More information about the SHRC publication Lessons Learned from Leith is available here.
- The Baring Foundation support a scoping study in 2020 that supported the feasibility of Making Rights Real.
- Corra Foundation exists to make a difference to the lives of people and communities. It works with others to encourage positive change, opportunity, fairness and growth of aspirations which improve quality of life. Corra wants to see a society in which people create positive change and enjoy fulfilling lives.
In 2020 Corra launched a ten-year strategy. It is long term because making a different on the big challenges will take time. At its heart is the strong belief that when people find their voice, they unlock the power to make change happen. You can read the full strategy here: https://www.corra.scot/corra-strategy-2020-2030/
6. Corra Foundation has over 35 years’ experience as one of Scotland’s leading grant-makers, distributing more than £159m through nearly 16,000 grants to charities.
7. For more information on Corra foundation, please visit www.corra.scot
