Human Rights Day 2016
December 10, 2016, marks the sixty-eighth (68th) anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the (UDHR) in 1948.
As aptly stated on the ’s website, Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to ‘….celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere…”
Some argue that the last four years have been remarkable in the area of human rights activism and there is a lot to celebrate – while there is a great deal that still needs to be done. There is no better moment to recommit ourselves to the work of those who came before us. It’s our turn to work to preserve human rights for our children and for all future generations.
This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.
These human rights — the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past four years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the ninety-nine (“99%”) percent made their voices heard through the global protesting economic, political and social inequality.
To help celebrate International Human Rights’ Day, it is important for each of us to join the global conversation and join the human rights movement. Join the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Association of the of America, in celebrating the many accomplishments of the last four years and the work we still have ahead of us.
Source(s): United Nations.
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
One in three women experience violence in their life time. Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights.
According to a 2013 WHO global study, 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence. However, some national studies show that up to seventy (70) per cent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime from an intimate partner].
To raise awareness and trigger action to end this global scourge, the UN observes International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The date marks the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic.
Every year, November 25th and the ensuing 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence which follow (ending on 10 December, Human Rights Day) are commemorated around the world, providing individuals and groups a chance to mobilize and call attention to the urgent need to end violence against women and girls.
Ending violence against women is one of UN Women’s key priority areas, with programs addressing the pandemic implemented globally. UN Women also coordinates the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign and supports widespread social mobilization through its Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, UN Women manages the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women which commemorates its 18th anniversary in 2014. #orangeurworld
As part of this year’s theme “Orange the World in 16 Days”, we invite you to wear orange – the official colour of the UNiTE campaign. On Orange Day, now observed on the 25th of every month, worldwide activities by UN country offices and civil society organizations strive to highlight efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls.
This year, the UNITE Campaign is extending Orange Day throughout the 16 Days of Activism.
Participate by submitting a photo with a message “I wear orange because…”. For further information you can visit : http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women#sthash.crS5yGKH.dpuf.
Source: 2013 WHO global study; http://www.unwomen.org
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Human Rights Day 2012
As aptly stated on the United Nation’s website, Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere. December 10, 2012, marks the sixty-fourth (64th) anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Some argue that the last two years have been remarkable in the area of human rights activism and there is a lot to celebrate – while there is a great deal that still needs to be done. There is no better moment to recommit ourselves to the work of those who came before us. It’s our turn to work to preserve human rights for our children and for all future generations.
This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.
These human rights — the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the ninety-nine (“99%”) percent made their voices heard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and social inequality.
To help celebrate International Human Rights’ Day, it is important for each of us to join the global conversation and join the human rights movement.
Join the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Association of the United States of America, in celebrating the many accomplishments this year and the work we still have ahead of us.
Source(s): United Nations.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
International Women’s Day
Each year, March 8th is recognized as International Women’s Day (IWD). With that said, who are the women that inspire you the most?
Tomorrow, on International Women’s Day – we celebrate women’s political, economic, and social contributions to the world. There are women all around us who inspire us to be the best we can be – from the mothers and daughters who work tirelessly to make sure their families and communities are safe and healthy, to trailblazing leaders like Shirley Chisholm[i], Barbara Jordan[ii], Fanny Lee Hammer[iii], Mary Francis Berry[iv], and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – women play a key role in our lives, communities and our world.
Join me in celebrating the resilient, intelligent women in your life who are making headway toward a better world. Please remember to spread the word about International Women’s Day. Tell your friends who inspire you and bring awareness to the challenges that still lay ahead for women every day.
Tomorrow, International Women’s Day events will be held in many parts of the world, for instance: United Kingdom (422 events); United States of America (248 events); Canada (185 events); Belize (135 events) and Australia (135 events). For further information on International Women’s Day, you can visit www.internationalwomensday.com.
Sources: www.internationalwomensday.com. Wikipedia.
[i] Shirley Chisholm became the first black congresswoman and for seven terms represented New York State in the United States House of Representative. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm ran for the Democratic nomination for president. Throughout her political career Chisholm fought for education opportunities and social justice. Shirley Chisholm left congress in 1983 to teach and lecture. Shirley Chisholm died in 2005.
[ii] Barbara Jordan was an American politician and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous other honors. On her death, Barbara Jordan became the first African-American woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery.
[iii] Fanny Lou Hamer was an American voting rights activist and civil rights leader. She was instrumental in organizing Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and later became the Vice-Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, attending the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in that capacity. Her plain-spoken manner and fervent belief in the Biblical righteousness of her cause gained her a reputation as an electrifying speaker and constant activist of civil rights.
[iv] Mary Francis Berry is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania and the former chairwoman of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. In 1984, Berry co-founded the Free South Africa Movement, dedicated to the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. She was one of three prominent Americans arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington the day before Thanksgiving; the timing was deliberate to ensure maximum news exposure.[1]She is also the former board chair of Pacifica Radio. She is a past president of the Organization of American Historians, the primary professional organization for historians of the United States.
At the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), Professor Berry teaches American legal history. Before coming to Penn, Berry was provost of the College of Behavioral and Social Science at University of Maryland, College Park, and chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She received Ph.D. and J.D. degrees from the University of Michigan.
Human Trafficking Awareness Day
In its recent press release the National Council on Churches reminds us that Wednesday, January 11th, 2012, is Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. Faith based organizations are calling upon Americans to become more aware of the millions who are victimized by trafficking – and more involved in finding ways to stop it.
“The U. S. Government recently reported that eight hundred thousand (800,000) people are trafficked across international borders each year; eighty (80) percent of them are female and almost half are minors. These figures do not include the millions who are trafficked into labor and sexual slavery within national borders.”
“The International Labor Organization (ILO) – the United Nations agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment and social protection issues – estimates there are twelve point three (12.3) million people in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, and sexual servitude at any given time; other estimates range from four (4) million to twenty-seven (27) million. (United States Department of State, “Trafficking in Person Report”, June 2007. The U.S. State Department estimates traffickers make thirty-two (32) billion annually in their illicit trade.”
The Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, program director of National Council of Churches Women’s Ministries, said the issue of trafficking is increasingly urgent. “As Christians, we believe that all human beings are made in the image of God, that every person is of intrinsic worth before God and that every individual has a right to the fullest possible opportunities for the development of life abundant and eternal,” Tiemeyer said, citing the NCC’s human rights policy statement.
“Human trafficking denigrates the values of human life, exposes victim to serious health risks, endangers the mental well-being of victims and impedes the ability of victims to reach their full God-give potential,” Tiemeyer said.
Source(s): National Council of Churches
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Celebrate International Human Rights Day
It has been a year like no other for human rights. Human rights activism has never been more topical or more vital. And through the transforming power of social media, ordinary people have become human rights activists. Saturday, December 10, 2011, marks the sixty-third (63) anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Some argue that this has been a remarkable year for human rights activism and there is a lot to celebrate – while there is a great deal that still needs to be done. There is no better moment to recommit ourselves to the work of those who came before us. It’s our turn to work to preserve human rights for our children and for all future generations.
This year’s human rights’ theme is “Celebrate Human Rights” to honor the people around the world who found their voices this year using the internet and instant messaging to tell, inspire, and mobilize supporters to seek their basic human rights. To help celebrate International Human Rights’ Day, it is important for each of us to join the global conversation and join the human rights movement.
Join the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Association of the United States of America, in celebrating the many accomplishments this year and the work we still have ahead of us.
Source(s): United Nations.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Nichelle Mitchem Shares information on the Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum 2011: Moving the Agenda Forward
Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum 2011: Moving the Agenda Forward
October 10, 2011 – October 13, 2011
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Organization: Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Global Forum for Health Research (SVRI)
Theme: Violence Against Women
Country: South Africa
In 2009, the Sexual Violence Research Initiative held their first international conference on evidence based approaches for sexual violence, with emphasis on developing countries. People from around the world came together to debate, discuss and share new ideas and innovations for research on sexual violence. An important output of the SVRI Forum 2009 was the identification of some key research priorities. Building on the research priorities identified at that event, the SVRI would like to invite researchers, policy makers, funders, survivors, gender activists, service providers and others to network, share ideas and exciting strategies, and to feed into important international campaigns currently underway to prevent and respond to sexual violence globally.
There has never been a better time to work and impact on sexual violence. Globally, a number of important international campaigns are actively shining a spotlight on sexual violence as a gross human rights violation, a weapon of war and a profound public health issue. The UN Secretary General has launched a campaign UNiTE to End Violence Against Women. By 2015, UNiTE aims to achieve the adoption and implementation of multi-sectoral national actions plans to address violence against women in all countries in the world. There is a clear need to build an evidence base on what is effective and what the research agenda should be to inform such programs and to prevent sexual violence.
Important Dates
Late Registration 1 September – 1 October 2011
Abstract Submission Opens 1 September 2010
For questions or inquiries, email svri@mrc.ac.za or visit agency’s website at http://www.svri.org.
Source(s): Sexual Violence Research Initiative website.
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art
Nichelle Mitchem Discusses the Importance of National World AIDS Day
In the United States, every 9.5 minutes a person is infected with HIV. The United Nations’ (UN) World AIDS Day is an occasion to honor those who have died of AIDS and those who live with HIV or AIDS and to increase awareness of these conditions. It is held on December 1 each year. This year, the event will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2009.
On October 27, 1988, the UN General Assembly officially recognized that the World Health Organization declared December 1, 1988, to be World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day has also been observed on this date each year since then.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC), the cumulative estimated number of AIDS diagnoses through 2008 in the United States and dependent areas was 1,106,391. Of these, 1,073,128 were diagnosed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 33,262 were diagnosed in the dependent areas. In the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 851,974 cumulative AIDS diagnoses were among adult and adolescent males, 211,804 were among adult and adolescent females, and 9,349 were among children under age 13 years. For information on HIV/AIDS, please visit the following websites:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/
The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource
http://www.thebody.com/
The National Women’s Health Information Center
http://www.womenshealth.gov/
Know HIV/AIDS
http://www.knowhivaids.org/
The National Minority AIDS Council
http://www.nmac.org/home/
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
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