Our rights, our future, right now

his year’s theme reminds us that human rights are about building the future right now. All human rights are indivisible.  Whether economic, social, civic, cultural or political, when one right is undermined, all rights are undermined. We must stand up for all rights always.”-  António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. 

 

Dehumanization is a lived reality for most of the world’s vulnerable and defenceless; as a result human rights continue to be an illusion for many. Human rights then become those rights which are not inherent but which must be fought for and safeguarded. There are many examples of human rights violations across the globe. Some of these are the on-going Russia Ukraine War, the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, the genocide in Darfur in Western Sudan and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Haiti’s government recently announced that the country’s gangs have crossed a “red line” after allegedly killing almost 200 people over the weekend.   According to Haiti’s National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) accused gang leader Micanor “Mikanò” Altès and associates of carrying out the massacre on December 6 and 7, in impoverished Cité Soleil, in Haiti’s capital city Port-au-Prince. “These latest killings bring the death toll just this year in Haiti to a staggering 5,000 people,” Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.

 

Outside of the named examples, the Middle East is also known for human rights breaches. Unfortunately, even outside of war human rights are violated each and every day.  Human rights can empower individuals and communities to forge a better tomorrow. By embracing and trusting the full power of human rights as the path to the world we want, we can become more peaceful, equal and sustainable.

 

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out a broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms to which all of us are entitled. 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.  The theme for Human Rights Day is Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now. This year’s theme is a call to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights in our everyday lives.  Human Rights Day provides the perfect platform for all of us to speak up and speak out regarding human rights violations. We need to move away from this one-sided view that advocacy concerning human rights should be the purview of specific groups of people.  We all have a vested interest in protecting human rights.  We have an opportunity to change perceptions by speaking up against hate speech, correcting misinformation and countering disinformation. This is the time to mobilize action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights.

 

In the words of Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, human rights are about people. They are about you and your life: your needs and wants and fears; your hopes for the present and the future.

 

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. 

waykam@yahoo.com

@WayneCamo