This Sunday 10th December marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This landmark document, agreed in 1948 in the aftermath of the Second World War, recognised that all humans, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, have universal rights. These range from the most fundamental – the right to life – to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.
At a time when conflict and increasingly authoritarian regimes are eroding these rights for millions of people around the world, it is important that we take time we remember these rights were agreed by 192 nations to give freedom, equality and justice for all. It is up to us as citizens to demand that they are defended everywhere and for everyone.
We will be organising a talk around human rights in the New Year but to mark the anniversary date we have created two Christmas trees illustrating all 30 articles of the Declaration. One of these is in the Strand Shopping Centre (9th and 10th December) and one is in the Festival of Trees at the Isle of Man airport (until early January).
We have also asked both the Manx Bard Boakesey Closs and the Manx Youth Bard Hadassah Smith to compose a poem to mark the occasion. You can read their poems on the links below.
Villanelle for Human Rights – Manx Bard. You can also listen to a recording here
The Battle of – Manx Youth Bard
Winds of the Earth – Manx Youth Bard
For more information about the UDHR and the 75th anniversary please go to https://www.ohchr.org/en/get-involved/campaign/udhr-75
#humanrights75 #Act4RightsNow
