we're after all do universal human rights begin after World War two it was clear that the horrors of the war should never be allowed to occur again founded in 1945 the United Nations sought to prevent future atrocities by affirming in its foundational charter faith in fundamental human rights the dignity and worth of the human person and a commitment to promote better standards of life in larger freedom in the years that followed member states of the United Nations strived to develop the human rights provisions of the Charter and capture them in a single document it took
three years to agree on a common vision on the 10th of December 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations still it is the first step in a great evolutionary process it is the first occasion on which the organized community of nations has made a declaration of human rights and fundamental freedoms and it has the authority of the body of opinion of the United Nations as a whole and millions of faithful men and women and children all
over the world will turn for help and guidance and inspiration to this document while history alone can determine the historic significance of an event it is safe to say that the declaration before may be destined to occupy an honourable place in the procession of positive landmark in human history the Declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles with article 1 powerfully proclaiming that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights no discrimination right to life liberty and security no slavery no torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment equal protection
of the law no arbitrary arrests detention or exile fair and public hearing no arbitrary interference with privacy right to freedom of movement right to seek and enjoy asylum right to a nationality right to marry and to found a family right to property freedom of thought conscience and religion freedom of opinion and expression freedom of peaceful assembly and Association right to take part in government right to work right to rest and leisure right to food clothing housing medical care and social services right to education right to participate in cultural life these human rights are not country
specific they are not a reward for good behavior or particular to a certain era or social group they are the rights of people of every color from every race and ethnic group whether or not they have disabilities citizens or migrants no matter their sex their class their caste their Creed their age or sexual orientation the declaration has generated action for human rights protection in many ways it has inspired hundreds of human rights instruments that together constitute international human rights law and a number of international bodies and mechanisms for human rights protection the principles of the
Declaration have supported the decolonization struggle and have been enshrined in the Constitution's of the newly established countries which have joined the United Nations the declaration has inspired national and regional human rights protection systems including legislation and institutions and it continues to guide the work of human rights defenders and advocates worldwide today the declaration is available in more than 500 languages and dialects and it has obtained the Guinness world record for the most translated document in the world the 10th of December the day on which the Declaration was adopted is celebrated each year as human rights
day the declaration emphasizes the relevance of human rights in our daily lives [Music] we're after all the universal human rights begin in small places close to home so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world yet they are the world of the individual person the neighborhood he lives in the school or college he attends the factory farm or office where he works such other places were every man woman and child seeks equal justice equal opportunity equal dignity without discrimination unless these rights have meaning there they have little meaning
anywhere without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world [Music]
