Human Rights Day - Dignity and Justice for ALL of us!

Today is the World Human Rights Day. In the light of the marking of the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year ( http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html), it will be appropriate to reflect on these rights, their meaning and their practice around the world. It is of great importance that we acknowledge today, the progress and efforts made both internationally and domestically by most countries to conform and make these 30 articles into common practices. Nevertheless, despite the great improvements accomplished throughout the last 60 years in bringing human rights to the the front table of international and domestic debates, as well as, improving the lives of millions of people around the world, human rights abuses continue to be a major problem in many parts of the world. Often times these fundamental rights, which are meant to give an equal chance to everyone to enjoy a life during which one can develop their full potential and be happy, are denied to the individuals and are nothing more but articles on paper. Therefore, it is the duty of all humankind to defend and fight for these rights and to assure their enjoyment by all people, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status... (Article 2) ! If we fail to do that, we lose what defines us - our 'humanity'; if we choose to close our eyes for the injustices

SELECTED ARTICLES Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal. Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration... Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security. Article 4: No-one shall be held in slavery or servitude. Article 5: No-one shall be subjected to torture. Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article 9: No-one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest. Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought. Article 20: Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Article 25: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family... Article 26: Everyone has the right to education. Article 28: Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. Article 29: Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. Do you enjoy all these rights? Think about it, if you do, you are more blessed than millions of people around the world, who have been denied the right to enjoy some (few or all) of these rights!

and inequalities that remain such a striking characteristic of our planet, then we lose our right to call ourselves human beings and we become enslaved into a vicious circle that will eventually lead to our own self-destruction. The rights of each person matter and we must not be tolerant to any form injustice, discrimination or abuse! We should not put a price to human rights and weigh the pros and cons of defending them! There shouldn't be excuses to the extend to which human rights should be pursued and realized! There shouldn't be tolerance towards some kinds of human rights abuses, or some scale of human rights abuses, because each person's life is precious and holy and it is given to him/her by God and remains for God to take it away. No man should be allowed to use force against innocent people to gain power! I repeat NO MAN!...because WE ARE ALL EQUAL!
Governments should be held responsible for not adhering to this declaration and should be held accountable for their actions, even though these actions might be within their sovereign territory!
Ignorance is not bliss as some conventional wisdom wants us to believe. Ignorance and Indifference are instruments for total annihilation! They invite only more abuse, only more torture, only more disrespect of the rights of everyone to live a free and good life.
Beware then! and BE AWARE! Don't sit back and skip the news or stories that tell the of the afflicted, tortured, the raped, the abused, the murdered, the enslaved, the unjustly imprisoned...!
STAND UP against all these! and defend the defenseless! : " Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the right of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Prov.31:8-9

Happy Human Rights Day Everyone!!!

Let us unite and believe together! Let us join hands and efforts and ensure that really everyone will be able to enjoy these fundamental human rights!

p.s. I intend to write more concrete stories reflecting on the various human rights. please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, stories, links, photos etc. thank you!

the photos used are from http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/exhibit.shtml . This is a cartoon exhibition organized by the UN to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights! These cartoons are truly thought-provoking!