“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity” – Nelson Mandela.
Today 10th December 2013 is celebrated as World Human Rights Day. The date was chosen to honor the UN – General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation on 10th December 1948.
The theme of the day is 20 Years Working for Your Rights. Every human being on the planet has the right to dignity, respect, and freedom – whatever their race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, wealth or other status.
The Declaration of Human Rights has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects – from Abkhaz to Zulu. It is the holder of the Guinness World Record for the document that has been most translated.
The Declaration contains 30 articles. Amongst these are:
- Article 1: all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights?
- Article 3: everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
- Article 4: …slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
- Article 5: no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Article 18: everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion…
- Article 19: everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression?
- Article 20: everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Here are the top 10 quotes by famous people to create awareness about human rights:
- “The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” – John F. Kennedy
- “All children should be taught to unconditionally accept, approve, admire, appreciate, forgive, trust, and ultimately, love their own person.” – Asa Don Brown
- “Women should have free access to every field of labor which they care to enter, and when their work is as valuable as that of a man it should be paid as highly.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “The greatest obstacle to human liberty is that the vast majority of people do not wish to be free.” – Michel Templet
- “All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered – it leads to a better society.” – John Legend
- “We are the children of one creator. We are different in some ways. Yet, we are equal.” – Ellen J. Barrier
- “Many of us persons of the tinted persuasion care about human rights and artistic freedom too.” – Salman Rushdie
- “One cannot fail to notice the inconsistency of those rejecting human rights: their rejection takes place in the public square created by human rights. It is difficult to reject human rights without using them.” – Filip Sapagnoli
- Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor . . . . Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. – Mother Teresa
- The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don’t agree with. – Eleanor Holmes Norton
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