Human rights are for everybody; everyone of us who are human beings. What is a human being? A quick search on the internet provides this definition: “a man, woman, or child of the species Homo Sapiens, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance.” So, if you are reading this – it includes you. Congratulations, you have rights!
The UN have described the Universal Declaration of Human Rights like this: “It guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without distinction based on nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.” Therefore, you are entitled to your rights no matter where you are in the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document containing 30 articles stating what these basic rights are.
Read your rights:
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
The 2024 theme set out by the UN is ‘Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.’ This theme sets out to promote the power of human rights to create a world that everyone is happy to live, with equal opportunities that are peaceful and sustainable. The focus is on how our rights can lead to solutions to form good and protective standards and how they are relevant in our everyday lives.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, “Human rights are the foundation for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.”
Unfortunately, people all over the world have their rights violated by people in authority. For example, in some countries , there are no laws to protect the rights of women and children or people practising religions other than those approved by the state. People also have their rights violated for speaking out against things like climate change and, in some cases, may even be tortured or unfairly incarcerated for participating in human rights activism.
There is hope, however, as many people have created campaigns to promote our rights and take down those who have broken the international promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
One campaign, Write for Rights (https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/write-for-rights/), is a great way to join forces with the rest of the world and fight for those that are losing their hold on their rights due to people in power.
Another campaign, End Honour Killings (https://endhonourkillings.org), aim to empower victims, educate, and eliminate religious and culturally based violence toward women and girls in the UK. Here is a TEDx talk by the founder of this campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwGaUehnvdY
So, every one of us has rights. Some people have their rights taken away unjustly. We each can make a difference when we realise the importance of Human Rights and make an effort to decrease our ignorance of the suffering in the world. It is a lie that you can’t make an impact, you might just need to ask for some help.
If you want to find out more, here are some additional resources:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
https://www.ohchr.org/en/about-us/human-rights-day
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024
By Leah D.
