Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today
By ChiYoWo
On December 10, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. Human Rights Day is now observed every year on December 10th to commemorate this huge milestone in human rights history.
Many feel that this year’s Human Rights Day is an especially important one because of the way the world is currently heading. People are fearful. Fearful for their lives and the lives of others. All over the globe there is disrespect for the most basic of human rights. There are senseless killings surrounded by messages of hate and intolerance. People come face to face with horrific violence from extremist movements. People are scared to be themselves, and we must put a stop to it.
This year’s theme is Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today. United Nations states, “We must reaffirm our common humanity. Wherever we are, we can make a real difference. In the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media.”
Ways to stand up for rights:
- Read and share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Stand up for someone that you see is being bullied or harassed. It doesn’t matter if you see it online, at the mall, or at school.
- Donate to organizations that help those affected by human rights abuse.
- Combat myths with facts. Challenge those harmful stereotypes.
- Educate your children about human rights. Show them positive and diverse role models.
Though only a few are listed, there are many things you can do to stand up for human rights not just on Human Rights Day, but every day of the year. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “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.”
If we want the world to change, it must start within ourselves first.
Source:
United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/background.shtml
United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner – http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HumanRightsDay.aspx
