Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Looking at the origins of social work, there is a long history of fighting to advance human rights at all levels of life. But even in today’s world, there are still areas in our society where we lack equity and human rights for certain groups of people. It is our duty as advanced practitioners to advocate for the persecuted and for just and fair treatment. I plan to work to challenge policies at the local, state, and federal levels that cause more harm than good. I plan to advocate for change that is needed and take the necessary steps to enact new policies, programs, and laws to advance the rights of all people.
3.1 – Demonstrate leadership in advocating for human rights, social, economic, and environmental justice
Course Evidence: In the second semester of the year, one of the courses that we took was Advanced Policy Administration (SOCW-609). In the course, we were able to learn how to create and implement a social policy campaign. My group wanted to get the SB0589 bill passed in the Tennessee General Assembly to help former felons to be able to restore their voting rights after serving their sentences. This bill helped to remove several barriers that limited this population from being able to restore their voting rights with less difficulty. To see the section of the paper that focused on the general advocacy plan for human rights, please click here.
3.2 – Design and implement social action strategies
Field Evidence: At the end of 2020, Commissioner Geter and I were able to conduct a panel discussion with several key members of the community regarding diversity and equity in Hamilton County. We had members from city government, county government, education, private businesses, religion, historical presence, as well as a representative for a local rights group. The goal of the panel discussion was to see what areas Hamilton County needed to address when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion based on each participant’s experience. I helped to moderate and lead the discussion as we dug deeper into the needs of the county. To watch the panel discussion, please clock the following link: https://fb.watch/76VM4u8kNs/, and to see a copy of the flyer used to advertise the event, please click here.