Human Rights Day is celebrated every year on the 10th of December worldwide. This holiday has been celebrated since 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of Human Rights Act. 10th of December, 2017 marks 70 years passing on this declaration which declared that all humans should obtain the same rights regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion or social status. The declaration is the most translated document in the world, available in 500 different languages.
Representatives coming from different legal and cultural background from all over the world gathered from all over the world to create the draft for the declaration, which put together a set of universal rules for all people and nations to follow. Giving equal rights and worth to every person. And because of this declaration, millions of lives have been lifted and a foundation has been set for a more peaceful world. Although we have yet to reach that, the fact that this declaration stood against the test of time speaks volume on the importance of this declaration and why it should be celebrated every year.
This declaration gives power to all of us through its principles that remain relevant today as they did back when they were first written in 1948. The promise of maintaining people’s rights help push us forward to fight for these rights and uphold them because they protect us all and promote kinship for all of humanity.
The hashtag #StandUp4HumanRights was created in order to remind people that this declaration empowers all of us, and that it’s still relative to this very day, that our humanity is rooted in these rules, that equality, freedom and justice are what keeps us living in peace right now, and finally that we need to stand up for our rights and for the rights of others.
So let’s take the time to celebrate this very special day by being kind to others and showing them the respect that they deserve because at the end of the day, what brings us all together and ties us together is the fact that we are all human beings deserving of equal amount of respect and rights.
By Anas Abdulhak
