WHY WE STARTED
We recognized the crucial need for individuals to know their rights after witnessing an unjustifiable interaction in a restaurant between a young Black man and a police officer. The young man was with a group of people that evening who left without paying. Despite the fact that he stayed and paid for his own meal, the police were called and he was questioned as if he had broken the law. This officer proceeded to exploit his “power” and verbally abused this young person in order to instill a sense of fear. The officer’s goal was to force the young man to tell him information about his friends, when in actuality he had no legal obligation to do so.
We would like to reassert the fact that this young person had paid for his meal. He abided by the law the entire time, and yet the actions of the officer suggested otherwise. This young person could have easily given in to peer pressure and followed along, but he did not. He made the right choice. However, regardless of the young man’s actions, the officer’s overuse of power was unnecessary. According to a 2018 interim report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Black people are disproportionately represented in cases involving police force, searches, and unjustified charges. The bias of this police officer was evident in the way that he spoke to this teenager. It was as if he was rebellious or volatile, even though he was merely asking why he was being questioned.
That inexcusable event is what led to the creation of the Rights Project. Was there any obligation for him to provide information to the police in the first place? Legally the answer is no. He followed the law, meaning that there were no reasonable grounds for the confrontation that he received. The Rights Project ensures that individuals know their legal rights and entitlements well enough to prevent figures of authority from abusing the power that they hold. The Rights Project will also focus on how rights have been repeatedly neglected, ignored, and made inaccessible to marginalized individuals. The hope is that through this education individuals will be able to use their rights to challenge oppressive institutions and initiate the change that is long overdue in our society.
OUR VISION
At The Rights Project, our goal is to work alongside marginalized communities to share and spread information on legal education. Our workshops will discuss a range of legal areas and issues, such as criminal law, human rights law, family, law, housing law, and employment law, and more. Understanding what our rights are in different situations, and exercising those rights confidently is empowering. Our initiative is to reduce barriers between marginalized communities and knowledge of their rights and freedoms. Our communities are continually denied our rights, and as a result, told we are not deserving of justice. We aim to create spaces, which are accessible for all people, where we can foster environments of learning, and to help educate each other.
Working alongside marginalized communities to share and spread information on legal education is our first step; however, we also understand legal education is not the solution to many social injustices these communities face. Legal education will not stop the police or the Canadian justice system from discriminating against marginalized people. We are all told we are equal in the eyes of the law, but that is simply not true. These systems were not created for us, they were created against us. Our vision for The Rights Project is to encourage our communities to advocate socially and politically for themselves, and to create solidarity across communities; we need to take a stand against these systems together. Through political and social advocacy, we hope to create space for our communities, to ensure our concerns and issues regarding the legal system are recognized. Knowing our rights will only take us so far, we also need to ensure our rights are respected.
OUR CORE VALUES
Collaboration
We value community through collaborative practices. Collaboration has an important role in the Rights Project by working to support, listen, and learn from one another. We aim to make this a collective effort, any and all suggestions brought to our attention will be taken seriously.
Integrity
We are committed to running the Rights Project in accordance with our values. We will always be transparent and place the needs of the community first.
Empowerment
We want to work together to empower our communities by giving access to resources and tools needed to advocate for oneself and others. We stand for empowerment through knowledge and community building.
Growth
We can all work together to encourage both personal and collective growth by actively learning values that aid in the growth of our communities and correcting our biases.
Accessibility
We are aware people face different barriers when accessing resources and programs. We will continue to minimize the barriers to our workshops and resources to the best of our ability to ensure all members of our communities feel welcomed.
Respect
We are committed to placing respect at the forefront of all our interactions. The collective drive towards creating a respectful environment will always be prioritized. We will create an environment of respect by fostering kindness for those around us and ourselves.