Why Scottish Human Rights Commission is on a Highlands and Islands tour and how to join

Members of the Scottish Human Rights Commission and team members are travelling again to the Highlands and Islands in February and March 2025 to deliver a series of community empowerment events.

This follows the publication of our report on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands in November last year.

The purpose of these new engagements is to share our findings and enable human rights defenders working locally to use human rights to advocate for change in their communities. The Commission will also be offering to meet with public authorities to provide support and capacity building on how to take a human rights based approach.

If you are interested in attending, please book in advance via the Eventbrite website, as spaces for each event are limited.

Events will take place in the following areas:

February 2025

• Lerwick: 10 February
• Kirkwall: 13 February
• Thurso: 17 February
• Wick: 18 February
• Tongue: 19 February
• Lairg: 19 February
• Kinlochbervie: 20 February
• Lochinvar: 20 February
• Ullapool: 21 February
• Stornoway: 24 February
• Tarbet (Harris): 26 February
• Uist/Benbecula: 27 February
• Barra: 28 February

March 2025

• Portree: 10 March
• Fort William: 11 March
• Oban: 12 March
• Inverness: 17 March
• Dingwall: 19 March
• Elgin: 20 March
• Dunoon: 25 March
• Colitraive: 26 March

Professor Angela O’Hagan is Chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission. She said: “The Commission has a general duty to take action to promote human rights for everyone in Scotland.

"We are very concerned about the poor state of economic, social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands. Too many people are hungry, homeless, without access to healthcare, and the basics for everyday life.

“With our report, which was published in November, we piloted a new way of monitoring, one that brings the Commission closer to communities and is informed by their voices and experiences.

“We look forward now to engaging further with communities to empower them to use human rights to advocate for change in their local communities in the Highlands and Islands.”

“The Commission will also be expanding the monitoring model to other areas of Scotland over the next three years, as part of our Strategic Plan, starting with the South of Scotland in 2025.”

You can read the full report on the dedicated website page.