Imagine a world where no one is more important than the others. A world where skin color is just that – a color. A world where women don’t have to spend half their lives convincing men that they are equally valuable. Imagine a world where people don’t have to miss out on life just because they are in wheelchairs. A world where there is no excuse for violence. A world in which every child has the right to education.
Doesn't take a lot of imagination, does it? Imagine a world where no one is less important than the other. Such a world would imply respect for all human rights, and the world we live in today is not like that.
But, let's go back to the question − what exactly are human rights, and why should we even think about them if we are not the ones who are endangered? A bunch of smart people from the whole world got together 73 years ago and created the most important documents on human rights in the modern history - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages – so everyone is able to understand their rights. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10 1948 as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.
The declaration consists of 30 articles affirming the rights to life, liberty and security, right for everyone to be equal before the law, the right to freedom of movement, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and many, many others.
So – why aren’t we living in the world described at the beginning of our story? Well, probably because a lot of people still think they are more important than others. That they have more rights than others, and that equal rights for others somehow means fewer rights for them. Does that mean we should let things stay that way?
Interested in finding out more? Email us on acl@sosmalta.org for a link to watch a webinar on Human Rights given in 2022.
