Who we are
Making Rights Real is a small grassroots human rights organisation in Scotland with a big vision - to support marginalised communities to use the power of human rights to mobilise for economic and social change.
Inspired by the work of Participation and the Practice of Rights in Belfast and following a successful housing rights pilot, Making Rights Real was founded in 2020 and is growing a network of people and communities using human rights in practice in Scotland.
This website is still under development. For now, you can find out more about who we are and how Making Rights Real was founded. Sign up to our mailing list below to be kept up to date as we grow and develop the organisation.
We work to practically support collective action around rights.
We are part of a global movement for change, collaborating with people from around the world to share learning and practice.
News & Blog
New Board Members: Join Us!
Making Rights Real is a human rights organisation in Scotland that works with communities and grassroots activists to deliver human rights for everyone. We launched in 2020 and are currently developing human rights initiatives with community groups. We are keen…
Reflections on a student placement with Making Rights Real
Hannah Kitchen Kirby completed a student placement with Making Rights Real in 2022, while studying for her Masters in Adult Education, Community Development and Youth Work. She tells us about her experiences here. My student placement with Making Rights Real…
A People’s Response to a Human Rights Bill in Scotland
On 14 September, MRR and the Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS) co-hosted a virtual gathering for people we are working alongside to express their views on the new Human Rights Bill. The conversation focused on rights and duties, access to…
Why Community Development?
Making Rights Real features as a good practice example in a new guide produced by the Community Development Alliance Scotland (CDAS). Why Community Development? Our Collective Impact explains what community development is and focuses on case studies from around the…
Travellers’ Rights: Our Rights Matters
Travellers in Perth and Kinross are experiencing significant human rights issues and today launched a groundbreaking report Our Human Rights Matter: A Human Rights Monitoring Report by residents of Double Dykes, Perth that sets out their concerns. People at Double…
Review of SEVEN, Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline 9th September 2023
by Ann Thallon Seven: A Human Rights Documentary Drama: Scottish Public Première, brought to Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall Studio, by ‘Making Rights Real’, 9.9.23. Described as ‘a riveting piece of documentary theatre, SEVEN tells the true stories of seven women who…
Our Inspiration and Learning
Housing Rights in Practice
Housing Rights in Practice was a partnership between PPR, the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and Edinburgh Tenants Federation (ETF) and aimed to support a group of residents living in poor housing conditions in Leith, Edinburgh advocate for their right to an adequate standard of housing.
PPR Belfast
Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) puts the power of human rights at the service of those who need it most. PPR supports marginalised people to assert their rights in practical ways and make real social and economic change in their communities.
Making Rights Real Scoping Study
In 2020, the Baring Foundation funded scoping work to establish Making Rights Real. Led by Clare MacGillivray, the scoping work was supported by a Scottish Advisory Group including Participation and the Practice of Rights, community activists, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Scottish Community Development Centre, University of Glasgow, Amnesty International, the Human Rights Consortium Scotland and the ALLIANCE.