Human Rights Day
Leaders of women’s suffrage statue on Capitol Hill featuring Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott.
December 10th is Human Rights Day a day to promote awareness of the Human Rights issue around the globe. In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Each year there is a new theme dedicated to the cause. This year’s theme is “Our Rights. Our Freedom. Always.”
This year is the “50thanniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966,” according to the United Nations.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt is honored on this day by offering a clear vision for a better future centered on freedoms by giving speeches during the dark times of 1941 when he giving his famous State of Union speech.
That is why this year the UN organized a symbolic event for Human Rights Day and to honor the memories of Former president Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt who were two major activates in the campaign. The event is held at the Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island where there is a flower laying ceremony.
Human Rights activist and nations protect and promote all human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of political, economic, and cultural settings. It is stated in Article one of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Although there may not be many well-known activist working with the UN right now there are many legionary people who stood up for the cause since the beginning with the UN or without.
- Malcolm X- legendary and probably the most mentionable when talking about the fight for human rights.
- Victor Hugo- 1802-1885 best known French writer Les Miserables
- Shirin Ebandi- Iranian lawyer and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran
- Rosa Parks- The women who won’t give up her seat to a white male and arrested for it. The women who started a revolution for the boycott called the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Something so little as saying no can have such a great impact on the rights of every human.
- Eleanor Roosevelt- US delegate to the UN General Assembly by Truman and was co-founder of Freedom House.
- Martin Luther King Jr.- Noble Prize winner and famous for being the leader of the African- American civil rights movements and “I have a dream” speech.