Human Rights Day: A Manifestation of Our Shared Ethics and Responsibilities

Every year, on December 10, international communities celebrate Human Rights Day. This is the anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly that adopted and proclaimed 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Beyond history, it is also an act to call into account people, communities, and governments worldwide to hold what we are: human beings equipped with their fundamental rights and freedoms.

Human rights form the moral spine of our societies. These represent values and principles to guide us in our relationship with one another for dignity, fairness, equality, and respect. These cannot be withdrawn from us; they exist inherently within us regardless of nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or other status. Only on Human Rights Day do we remember that as basic rights, these must be protected, preserved, promoted and advanced if a world were to be free, just, and peaceful.

Human Rights Day remains relevant in our lives because it upholds the universality and indivisibility of human rights. Drafted after the horrors of World War II, the UDHR stands as a remarkable document born in the spirit of unity. At a time when humanity was deeply wounded by that war, nations gathered in unison to declare the non-negotiable position of human dignity and freedom.

The 30 articles of the UDHR describe a full range of rights-from freedom of expression and belief to the right to education, work, and adequate living standards, all the way to freedom from torture and slavery. More than seven decades later, the UDHR remains a guiding force that informs international law, inspires constitutions, and shapes national policies around the world. All these notwithstanding, the road to universal and effective respect for human rights remains long. 

Grave abuses continue across the globe. From violent conflicts and forced displacement to discrimination and systemic inequality, too many people still find their fundamental rights violated or out of reach. This Day of Human Rights is an occasion to celebrate the shared vision and pose critical questions on the gaps between principles and reality. It is a day to ask: What should we do better?

As a human, it rather becomes easy to be covered up by the magnitude of injustice in our world, making problems seem vast and complicated yet distant. However, each of us has a meaningful role in defending human rights. We can start personally by respecting and empathising with others, challenging everyday prejudice and discrimination that we see around us. We can lend our voices to campaigns and organisations working for human rights by spreading information, signing petitions, or donating. The third main step is education on matters within and outside of our societies, which gives a proper sense of how rights violations begin at the grassroots level.

Beyond the individual level, Human Rights Day encourages us to hold our leaders and institutions accountable. Governments have the primary responsibility to uphold and protect human rights. They must enact laws and policies consistent with international human rights standards. Moreover, these measures must be undertaken impartially and effectively. Civil society groups, journalists, educators, and community leaders contribute to monitoring, lobbying, and raising attention to human rights. And the voice for accountability, transparency, and justice from people keeps the fire of human rights burning. 

In particular, the young have proven to be powerful forces in determining the future of human rights. Their activism on climate justice, gender equality, and racial discrimination indicates the interconnectedness of social, political, and environmental struggles. Human Rights Day is a time to amplify and support youth voices as they bring new energy, creativity, and determination to our ongoing efforts. Technology is also reframing how we interact with human rights issues. Social media sites and digital communication tools have brought struggles from afar closer, bringing tales of injustice and inspiring accounts of resistance and resilience to global audiences. These tools help human rights defenders mobilise support but raise new challenges in the form of diffusion of misinformation and the need to protect privacy.

The true promise of advancing is about rededicating ourselves to the ideal that everyone deserves to live in dignity and respect. It has become a day for renewing our determination to bridge the gaps between ideals and realities. It's just another day of remembering the human rights movement as not dead yet, each of us participating, and that we might make progressively closer steps to an earthly place where all people are successful without fear and free to decide.