GRIPP UK

Happy Birthday GRIPP…kind of!

Artwork from the GRIPP website.

ABOUT GRIPP (and RAPAR)

GRIPP (Growing Rights Instead of Poverty Partnership) is a collaborative effort consisting of individuals, projects, and organisations from across the UK. Present members of GRIPP include Amnesty UK, ATD Fourth World UK, Human Rights Local (a project of the University of Essex Human Rights Centre), Intisaar, Just Fair, RAPAR (Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research), Thrive Teesside, and individual activists, Susanna Hunter-Darch and Dr Rhetta Moran.

With a human rights-based approach, GRIPP focuses on joint and individual initiatives to bring lived and learned experiences of poverty and human rights together in order to drive meaningful change. Since 2019, GRIPP has been evolving, and RAPAR has been actively involved in every stage of its development. GRIPP is currently engaging with the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) 7th period review of the UK’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The full report is here.

Through GRIPP, RAPAR is boldly tackling the challenges faced by displaced individuals by directly engaging with the UK government through our GRIPP submission. We are dedicated to ensuring that the voices and concerns of displaced people are heard and addressed at the highest levels of authority. Together, we strive to bring about meaningful change and foster a society that upholds the dignity and rights of all individuals.

See the GRIPP website for more.

RAPAR members hosting GRIPP workshops

Voices Unheard: RAPAR's Journey in Examining the Rights to Work for Displaced Individuals in the UK

voices-unheard-rapars-journey-in-examining-the-rights-to-work-for-displaced-individuals-in-the-uk.htmlFor the past two years, RAPAR has been an integral part of the GRIPP (Growing Rights Instead of Poverty Partnership) initiative. This partnership comprises four grassroots organizations: ATD, Intisaar, Thrive Teeside, and RAPAR. Supported by Amnesty, Essex, Just Fair, and other organizations, the project aims to conduct an evaluation of the UK government's response to the United Nations' state report.

Within the project, RAPAR's primary focus has been on examining the Right to Work as outlined in the nine different articles of the Human Rights Convention. Over a three-month period, we engaged with approximately 70 members to conduct research and gather perspectives on this specific article.

Here are a few notable quotes:

"Allowing us to work would significantly improve our quality of life."
"Access to employment should be considered a basic right, as it positively impacts our mental health and overall well-being. Relying solely on government support feels degrading."
"Even if individuals are permitted to work, the current job market often offers only minimum wage opportunities, which are insufficient to cover the rising cost of living."

Read rest of story here.

Cover of Summer edition pf Amnesty magazine.