Our Ideas

Today is the 58th annual Human Rights Day. I had intended to write a piece on the origins of this annual day of awareness, remembrance, and action, but I found that The Chronicle has already written a fine, succinct piece. So instead, I’ll ask you to consider this:

Through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations articulated an ideal, best version of humanity. They set a standard to which the world could aspire, just three short years after the horrors and atrocities of World War II and the holocaust.

Yet today, some 60 years later, the world continues to stand witness to unfounded arrests of those who speak out against abuse and unfairness. We see genocide in nations crippled by drought and famine. We live with the horror of ‘honour killings‘ and executions of political prisoners after closed-door, unfair trials.

And most of us simply don’t know what to do. How can one person have an impact?

Today, on International Human Rights Day, you can. The past year has been celebrated around the world as the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. Now that you’re aware of that, will you take one simple action? Will you join people from around the world who have signed the Declaration?

It’s a simple act. It’s a few moments of your time. But yours will join the millions of voices calling for justice, freedom and peace.