When is International Human Rights Day?
International Human Rights Day is observed on December 10th.
What is International Human Rights Day?
Dignity is a human thing. It’s not reserved for the upper class or a special race. Freedom is for people of all kinds. Some people don’t agree, or don’t care, so we observe International Human Rights Day to change their minds. Here is a day to promote the freedom and equality that all people deserve on the basis of their rights and dignity as humans.
International Human Rights Day has been around since 1950, but this day celebrates something that existed well before then. Religious bodies and democratic institutions have long affirmed the belief that all people are born equal and endowed with inalienable rights. Whether a person is born into slavery or a palace, they are still card-carrying humans, people who deserve respect, love, and safety.
The victims of human rights violations span the globe. Children and women suffer daily under governments that do not value them. Minorities endure humiliation and fear in places where their rights are not specifically protected. Political dissidents and humanitarian workers bear the wrath of authoritarian regimes.
On International Human Rights Day, we stand with those who experience injustice and degradation, advocating for their dignity, their value, and their rights as fellow humans.
Facts about International Human Rights Day!
- Worldwide human trafficking enslaves about 27 million people today.
- Globally, almost 21 million people undergo forced labor.
- Military leaders are exploiting over 300,000 child soldiers across the globe.
- The United Nations established the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 1948, three years after the end of World War II.
- The UN declared internet access a human right in 2011.
How to celebrate International Human Rights Day:
- Start to volunteer with local organizations that make a long-term, constructive impact on people’s lives.
- Learn about the laws in your country that support human rights.
- Find a list of basic human rights, and then speak out on social media about the right that brings you alive. Ask yourself, what right do you most wish every person could experience daily?
What’s the hashtag for International Human Rights Day?
Use #HumanRightsDay on social media to stand up for human rights.