BUILDING ON A HUMAN RIGHTS DEGREE
INTERVIEW BY LOUISE FAUTLEY
From his time as a student on the MA Understanding and Securing Human Rights course, to his 25 years of leadership in nongovernmental organisations and the private sector, UoL alumnus Patrick Canagasingham has made it his life’s mission to campaign for human rights.
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s the recently appointed Chief Operating Officer of Habitat for Humanity International, Patrick is now playing a lead role in helping create a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Patrick took time from his busy schedule to talk about the work he does with Habitat, the impact of his degree, and his lifelong passion for human rights. Can you tell me about Habitat’s mission and what role you play in helping the organisation to deliver it? Habitat for Humanity began as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976. Today, Habitat is a global housing nonprofit serving communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in 70 countries around the world. Since our founding more than 40 years ago, Habitat has helped more than 29 million people obtain a safer place to sleep at night, along with the strength, stability and independence to build a better future for themselves and their family. I have long admired the work that Habitat for Humanity does in communities around the world, and am happy to now lead Habitat operations in the U.S. and abroad. Can you share some of the most recent projects or campaigns the organisation has undertaken? Habitat recently launched a first-of-its-kind global fundraising campaign, ‘Homes, Communities, Hope + You’. The campaign allows the entire Habitat network to unite as one global organisation to support families in communities around the world for whom safe and affordable shelter has become
even more difficult to obtain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. When any disaster hits – natural disaster, disease, economic fallout – it is often those who were already struggling who find themselves struggling even more. The proceeds from this campaign will allow Habitat greater ability to address housing deficits worldwide as well as support Habitat organisations to empower homeowners during the pandemic and help communities build back stronger and more resilient than ever. We also marked the first anniversary of Habitat’s U.S. advocacy campaign, ‘Cost of Home’. This campaign aims to improve home affordability for 10 million individuals over the next five years by promoting policy and systems change at every level of government in four key areas: supply and preservation of affordable homes, access to credit, land use, and communities of opportunity. We know the struggle, stress and pain of far too many families who have to make the difficult choice of either paying for housing or paying for basic necessities. We launched this campaign to address these issues at their root and create solutions that will increase and improve affordable housing. Why is having safe and decent housing so fundamental in creating a better future for families around the world? Study upon study has shown that safe housing has tremendous health and economic benefits. Families have greater economic mobility, education
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