By: Tanya Kramer
Human Rights Day was adopted by 56 members of the United Nations on December 10th, 1948.
This year’s theme is “The 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.
To read the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), go to this link: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
To enjoy an engaging illustrated version by Yacine Ait Kaci (YAK), go to this link: https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/#1
This document proclaims “the inalianble rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.”
Eleanor Roosevelt led the commission to implement the UDHR. Eleanor was quoted saying “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world […] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”
Some of the rights protected in the document include (but not limited to):
- Freedom from discrimination
- Right to equality between men and women
- Right to life
- Freedom from torture
- Freedom from slavery
- Right to liberty and security of person
- Right to be treated with humanity in detention
- Freedom of movement
For additional information regarding Human Rights Day, go to this link provided by the United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/know-your-rights
For resources about Human Rights Day, go to this link provided by the United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/resources
May each one of us be deeply reminded on this day that not everyone’s Human Rights are respected, to acknowledge our own individual privilege, and to speak up for everyone’s Human Rights!!!
