Youth for Human Rights Carrying out the Purpose of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Former public information officer for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations praises Youth for Human Rights materials.

An acknowledgement received this week by Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) was particularly significant, considering its source.

“The YHRI offers excellent audiovisual and printed information to help all of us promote the human rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

 

This said a lot, coming from the former public information officer for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations when Eleanor Roosevelt was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

"Good luck and thanks to all of you!”  

The commendation went on to say, “Each of you can look around your neighbourhoods, your school and surroundings to find opportunities to make sure every person is aware of his or her rights and freedoms as set forth in the Declaration ‘without any distinction... such as race, colour, sex, religion, birth or other status’. This is a big job for each and every member of Youth for Human Rights International. Good luck and thanks to all of you!”

The importance of human rights education is particularly clear in light of today’s headlines, describing human rights violations as “systematic, widespread and gross” in Eritrea, “flagrant” in Egypt, and “grave” in Nigeria.

As chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Ms. Roosevelt played a pivotal role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the most embracive statement of the rights shared by all men women and children, and in seeing to its adoption by the UN General Assembly.

 

In its preamble, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emphasizes the importance of education in bringing about human rights and ending abuse. It urges that “every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance...” 

Youth for Human Rights and United for Human Rights are supported by the Church of Scientology.