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Greetings!
Today, December 10th, we celebrate Human Rights Day. The theme this year is human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.
Some human rights defenders are famous, but most are not. They are active in every part of the world, working alone and in groups, in local communities, in national politics and internationally.
Human rights defenders acting against discrimination, often at great personal risk to both themselves and their families, are being recognized and acclaimed on this day.
Why today, of all days of the year, are we asked to pay particular attention to human rights?
On December 10th, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration asserts what it claims are people's highest aspirations "...in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want...".
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CELEBRATION OR OBLIGATION
Poverty is frequently both a cause and a consequence of
human rights violations. And yet the linkage between extreme deprivation and abuse remains still at the margin of policy debates and development strategies. To draw attention to this crucial, but often neglected correlation, Women of Hope Project is dedicated to the fight against poverty.
Much of the unrest in Afghanistan stems from the lack of economic development and jobs. We provide Afghan women with the education, life and vocational skills which empowers them to support their families." ~ Betsy Beamon
Human rights defenders speak out against abuse and violations including discrimination, exclusion, oppression and violence. They advocate justice and seek to protect the victims of human rights violations. They demand  accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action. In so doing, they are often putting at risk their own safety, and that of their families.
Human Rights Day 2010 will highlight and promote the achievements of human rights defenders and it will again emphasize the primary responsibility Governments have to enable and protect their role. The Day is also intended to inspire a new generation of defenders (click for video) to speak up and take action to end discrimination in all of its forms whenever and wherever it is manifested. |
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"Human rights defender is a title each and every one of us can earn.
It is not a role that requires a professional qualification.
What it depends on is regard for our fellow human beings,
an understanding that we are all entitled to the full range of
human rights and a commitment to seeing that ideal become a reality."
~ Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights |
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Human rights education should not focus only on rights abuses, which can be disturbing and dismaying to people of all ages. While human rights education may include teaching about violations, it also provides a value system that condemns those actions and upholds human dignity. Human rights education also offers people the skills to take action to prevent such abuse, as well as to advocate for the realization of human rights.
As I read document after document about human rights and December 10th, they begin with the words "Celebrate" Human Rights Day. How can we celebrate Human Rights Day while the world is saturated with human rights violations? In reality, I look forward to the year that we no longer have a Human Rights Day - it would mean across the globe all human rights for all people are sacred. That is worthy of celebration.
In the meantime, the staff of Women of Hope Project celebrate each of you who adopt a culturally-sensitive approach to human rights which is essential in effecting progress, as traditions and beliefs are often more influential on people's behavior than the law. To live in a civil society, it is our obligation!
Let's challenge ourselves to think about what it all means for us, personally. "How does this all relate to the way we live our lives?" The answers to this question will tell us much about how effectively we can move closer to a true "celebration of Human Rights Day!"
As always, thank you for your continued support with your efforts to help the Human Rights cause and for enabling Women of Hope Project to continue to be able to bring human rights to our Afghan friends.
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In Hope,
Sharon D. Jacko
President, Women of Hope Project
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