In Belfast, Participation and the Practice of Rights takes a pioneering approach!

Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) takes a pioneering approach to the practice of rights;  it puts the excluded and  marginalised in charge” Inez McCormack, Trade Unionist, Human Rights Activist and Founder of PPR

Established in 2006, PPR specialises in socio-economic rights. PPR places them at the service of the most disadvantaged groups and supports these groups to make real change on the ground. To make these changes lasting, PPR also focuses on ensuring the active and meaningful participation of excluded groups in government decision making processes which affect their lives.

This approach which involves organising, evidence gathering, strategy building, media work, grassroots monitoring, and legal and policy support.  PPR started life as a ‘pilot’ project to test if social change could result from marginalised groups taking ownership of human rights tools, and using them to campaign for change.

PPR groups’ work on issues including housing, mental health services, play, homelessness, unemployment, social security, domestic violence and asylum. Their work has resulted in better housing conditions, improved play facilities and follow up care for those in mental health crisis. In 2014 a PPR group secured the first ever motion passed at a council in the United Kingdom or Ireland committing to using their procurement budget to ring fence jobs for the long-term unemployed.

Here are links to some recently published documents through which PPR hopes to share its learnings.

These include an academic article that analyses PPR’s distinct grassroots human rights based approach. It also features a case study by the International Budget Partnership of PPR’s budget work, and a contribution to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty’s study on the Participation of people living in Poverty.

For more information please contact kate@pprproject.org