TRUTH COMMISSION ON POVERTY IN AMERICA LOOKS AT LACK OF ACCESS TO HOUSING, HEALTHCARE AND EMPLOYMENT IN AMERICA

St. Paul, MN, September 4, 2008 – Today, the Poor People’s Economic Human Right Campaign (PPEHRC), a leading advocacy organization for the poor and disenfranchised, accused both major political parties of failing to address poverty in America. Using the stage of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, PPEHRC held a National Truth Commission that heard testimony from people living in Minnesota and across the country about lack of access to adequate housing, healthcare, education and employment experienced in their lives. The Commission, which was comprised of human rights and social justice activists from around the country, determined that the testimonies heard described a crisis in American that constituted a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That document, which the U.S. signed 40 years ago, codifies everyone’s “right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment… or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

“Its time for policy makers at all levels of government to recognize America’s dirty little secret…poverty,” said Ajamu Baraka, Executive Director of the US Human Rights Network, who participated as a Truth Commissioner. “Both of the candidates for the Presidency harp on the deprivations of the American middle class but who is there to speak up for the poor, unemployed, uninsured and homeless?” he added. “That is what we intend to do at the RNC and will continue to do until the voices of the dispossessed and disenfranchised are heard as loudly as those of the rich and privileged.”

Baraka added that under the U.N. Declaration, the U.S. is obligated to remedy these human rights violations and urged a national campaign to elevate the visibility of international human rights laws.

Among those who testified on September 1^st were homeless youth, truck drivers who have gone bankrupt because of the high cost of gas, veterans who don't receive benefits they are entitled to when the return home, and people who can’t afford health care.

The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign is committed to uniting the poor across color lines as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish poverty. Through advancing economic human rights as named in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, such as the rights to food, housing, health, education, communication and a living wage job, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign is committed to uniting the poor as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish poverty everywhere and forever.