The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a set of 30 basic rights that every person has. It’s our ultimate tool to help societies grow in freedom.
It’s the foundation for peace, development and prosperity. Safeguarding human rights is everyone’s responsibility.
Human rights are the fundamental freedoms and dignity that all people are born with. These cannot be taken away from a person, and must be respected at all times. They are indivisible and interrelated, so denial of one right often leads to the violation of others.
People normally look to their government to guarantee their human rights. However, governments can sometimes renege on their duty to protect citizens from human rights abuses. This is often done through transactional diplomacy, where human rights values are sacrificed for short-term trade or security gains. Inconsistencies like this undermine the moral basis of international human rights treaties and encourage abusive governments to continue their repression.
Individuals can help by supporting groups that are promoting human rights in their community and beyond. Those groups can be local, national or international. Choose those that have good leadership, accountability systems and a commitment to listening to the communities they serve. It’s also important to vote – for example, in elections for local politicians and school board members. This is especially crucial for those who may not have the opportunity to do so, such as people living in rural areas, the elderly, or those without a secure identity.