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 make rights real by working alongside communities to name and claim their rights.
We work to practically support collective action around rights.
We use a human rights based approach, building a movement of allies and supporters to achieve meaningful change.
We are part of a global movement for change, collaborating with people from around the world to share learning and practice.
News & Blog
More Than Just Words: The Small Voices Carrying Scotland’s Hidden Gypsy Traveller History
“This was not simply an art exhibition. It was a family archive, a historical record, a public education event and an act of resistance.” Read all about the “Nackens Now and Then” exhibition in this terrific article by Violet Cannon in Travellers Times. Many congratulations to the organisers – this exhibition should be featured in museums and public…
Local Hero Roseanna McPhee attends Scottish Parliament opening
Roseanna McPhee (pictured above), human rights defender and Tinker Experiment campaigner, attended the opening of the Scottish Parliament on 27th June 2026, as the guest of Mark Ruskell MSP. MSPs invited local heroes to attend the ceremony, with King Charles III and Queen Camilla in attendance. Roseanna, Shamus McPhee and other Tinker Experiment victims continue their…
MAKING RIGHTS REAL SUCCESS IN EDINBURGH’S REGENERATIVE FUTURES FUND AWARD
Photo: Members of the Cables Wynd House Residents Group and Making Rights Real Photo credit: Lewis Houghton @lewspics Making Rights Real and Cables Wynd House Residents Group one of 11 successful projects in £15 million long term funding commitment Following an open city-wide application process, eleven organisations and collaborative partnerships have been selected to receive sustained support. Each award…
MRR Signs Joint Civil Society Letter to the First Minister on Human Rights Priorities
On 19th May 2026, Human Rights Consortium Scotland, alongside 42 organisations from across Scottish civil society including Making Rights Real, wrote to the new First Minister setting out urgent priorities for human rights in Scotland. A portion of the full text of the letter has been reproduced below and the full text of the letter…
Congress of Nations and States Conference 2026: Lived Experiences from the Peripheries
Making Rights Real staff Hannah Kitchen Kirby and Lorraine Barrie and human rights defender Roseanna McPhee attended the Congress of Nations and States Conference in Dundee on 18th and 19th May. The conference’s theme was “Mass Atrocities, Environmental Degradation, and Communities’ Rights”, and was attended by around 60 academic experts on minority and indigenous rights, and those…
University of Glasgow Report Finds Systemic Discrimination and Barriers to Accessing Justice for Scottish Gypsy Travellers
Making Rights Real calls for immediate action by Scottish duty bearers and NHRIs On 28th April Professor Nicole Busby, Cameron Wong McDermott and Şefki T. Bayram of the University of Glasgow, working in collaboration with Making Rights Real, published their report examining barriers to justice for Scottish Gypsy/Traveller communities, available here. It examines the extent to which Scottish Gypsy/Travellers’ living conditions…
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.
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