Annual report 2008

Starting from August 2002 the main activity of Human Rights International (HRI) is to promote, protect and document Human Rights.

Advice

In 2008 HRI has performed furthermore consultation every first Thursday in the month on a honorary base for everyone who turned to the "advice center of human rights".This point of contact for people seeking help was opened in 2005 and is managed and supervised by HRI, in collaboration with Amnesty International, Group 203 Bolzano, and the cultural association Latinoamerica y su Gente, Bolzano.

The work includes advice and free assistance in relation to "man’s rights and human dignity” for victims and interested parties and a valuable guidance with legal services, health and socio-educational work. The advice was taken by Italian and foreigner’s citizens from different countries.

Several issues such as asylum, immigration, children, work, housing equality and equal treatment have been discussed.

Appeals

On international level different appeals and accusations have been addressed to the Islamic Republic of Iran to ask for the release of several political prisoners illegally detained and to support the activity of human rights defenders strongly under threat and limited in their work and to the People’s Republic of China against their occupation and their cruel rights repression under way in Tibet.

Action against discrimination

The collaboration with the Protection Centre against racial, ethnical, religious and national discrimination at the Immigration Observatory of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano has been carried on.

HRI has informed and assisted in different local issues, particularly regarding cases of discrimination in the mass media (newspapers, internet), public houses allocation, access to work, public contests, subsidies, rights for student loans, minorities and disable person protection.

During the year 2008 several coordination meetings took place with the operators of the centre and there have been followed cases regarding alleged discriminations reported by victims at a micro level (alleged discriminations in interpersonal relationships) and hypothesis of discrimination emerged at the institutional level (calls for the award of scholarships and contributions, competitions at various institutions, practices used by public administrations).

Defense in court

A more than 5 years in South Tyrol based non-EU citizen has turned to the "advisory for human rights", as their financial support for learning the second language (Italian / German) was denied by the administration of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. The lawyers of HRI have studied the case and determined that the existing provincial legislation wrongly excludes non-EU citizens with more than 5-year-old resident of the subsidies. Against the refusal of the application for student support an appeal was filed at the Regional Court of Bolzano. HRI applied to the international, European and national legislation concerning discrimination and pointed out the arguments supporting the victim of discrimination.

New cooperation for equality

As known the Centre of Protection of the Province of Bolzano, as an initiative of the European Social Fund, has ceased its activity in the second half of 2008. In order not to waste the experience gained in the field in the recent years and to continue in the efforts to contribute to the realization of the right to equality, to equal treatment and non-discrimination, Human Rights International (HRI) together with the Fondazione Langer  and the Porte Aperte-Offene Turen Associations and Volontarius of Bolzano, have formally undertaken in the last months of 2008 to build a temporary association of purpose and have submitted to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano a joint project for protection against discriminations under the new Operational Program of the European Social Fund 2007/2013 ( for the period from May 2009 to October 2010).

HRI will continue as before to engage in monitoring, legal assistance and scientific research, while cultural mediation, awareness and social assistance will be guaranteed by other organizations.

The project is still under approval by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and its outcome should be known shortly. In line with the priorities of European policy of non-discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, national, religion, belief, disability, age and sexual orientation is overall objective of the community project to enhance social inclusion and to “achieve a high level of employability of people with difficulties “, while the specific objective will be to develop pathways to integration and to fight forms of discrimination in the labour.

First "HRI price for human rights"

On 12 December 2008 for the first time the "HRI Prize for Human Rights 2008” was awarded. The patron had accepted Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate 2003, and the network of women's museums.

In the absence, represented by her husband, to Nasrin Sotoudeh Langroudi, activist and defender of human rights, was given a certificate and a financial recognition (5.500 Euros).

As a lawyer Mrs. Sotoudeh has exerted herself unselfishly and under high personal risk for the rights of the women and for sentenced to death persons under age. The prizewinner was hindered at the airport in Teheran at the last minute in crossing the border, while her husband and her daughter could come on behalf to the presentation to Italy. Mrs. Sotoudeh had transmitted a videomessage in which she reported about the position of the human rights in Iran. The prize money were put by sponsors for the purpose of the prize assignment, the founder of HRI has covered the costs of the organization of the arrangement by a personal financial contribution. Important: general donation money was used neither for the prize money nor for the organization of the event. The arrangement also served for the sensitization and information about the topical position of human rights in Iran.

HRI is always listed in the followings registers:

• REGISTER OF VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF BOLZANO (since February 2003) in social and health care section and in cultural activities, educational and training
• REGISTER OF LEGAL PERSONS BY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE PROVINCE OF BOLZANO (since December 29 2004);
• REGISTER OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE FIGHT TO DISCRIMINATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ART. 6 OF LEGISLATIVE DECREE 215/2003 (since June 12, 2006)
• REGISTER OF ASSOCIATIONS AND PARTICIPATION’S ORGANIZATIONS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BOLZANO (new registration from September 28, 2007) in the categories health and social services, as well as for the voluntary cooperation with the developing countries;
• REGISTER OF CERTIFIED ORGANIZATIONS "SAFE DONATIONS " (from 12 September 2008) of the province of Bolzano, as a means of documenting the activities, the transparency of the programs and its funding with the authorization for the use of a identifier trademark and a personal code.

Bolzano (Italy), 1 March 2009
lowyer. Wolfgang Wielander
Chairman of the Board of Directors