All humans should be treated equally. Every individual deserves the right to live as they want without being oppressed, repressed, or owned. People need fair, dignified, and respectful treatment.
Every year the world observes Human Rights Day on December 10, to protect and develop people’s human rights wherever possible.
The world celebrates Human Right Day this year under the theme of “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.”
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. UDHR fosters humans with their inalienable rights regardless of differences.
The values and rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guideposts for our collective actions that everyone must include.
Human rights violations of rampant poverty, pervasive inequalities, and structural discrimination are among our time's most significant global challenges.
The world confronts pandemics, wars, increasing inequities, a morally flawed banking system, racism, and climate change.
According to Catholic social teaching on human dignity, we are created in God's image. Everyone has inalienable human dignity.
Human dignity is given freely to all humans; Genesis 1:26 says, “God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.”
The Catholic Church teaches that human dignity could only be protected and a healthy community realized if human rights and obligations were respected.
Consequently, every individual has a fundamental right to life and the things necessary for human decency. These rights are accompanied by obligations and responsibilities — to one another, the families, and the greater community.
Dignitatis Humanae, the Vatican II Declaration on Religious Liberty, teaches that religious freedom is a fundamental human right that follows the obligation of all people to seek God's truth.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, in No.173, that freedom is the ability to act or not act, to do this or that, and to take responsibility for one's actions.
Free will influences our lives. Human freedom grows in truth and kindness when oriented toward God, our beatitude.
Catholic Social Justice teaches us that, all humans formed in God's image have equal, inherent value. Because of this basic dignity, each individual has the right to live up to God's full potential.
Thus, Human Right is rooted in Human Dignity, which was given to each human by God.
To maintain human rights, the world needs to remove the inequalities and exclusion in economic, social, and cultural rights.
Respecting economic, social, and cultural rights, the right to development, and to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is key to building a new human rights-based economy that promotes firmer, fairer, and more sustainable communities.
For trust and dignity for everyone, governments and their people need a common agenda and a new social contract.
Human rights resolve complaints, eliminate inequality and exclusion, and empower individuals to make life-changing decisions.
Societies that safeguard and promote human rights for everyone are more resilient and better able to withstand pandemics and climate catastrophes.
Equality and nondiscrimination are fundamental to prevention: full human rights for all guarantee everyone has access to their preventative advantages, but if groups are excluded or discriminated against, inequality will fuel conflict and crises.
It ensures the rights of every person everywhere, regardless of nationality, domicile, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or another status.
HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and established December 10 as Human Right Day.
December 10, 2023, will mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The world will have a year-long campaign to promote and recognize it starting from December 10, 2022, focusing on its legacy, relevance, and activism.
The Declaration of Human Rights aims to create a common standard of living for all people in the world and to urge all UN member states to aspire towards that level for their people.
Despite being more declarative than legally enforceable, the rights have positively influenced how human rights are understood.
HOW TO OBSERVE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Human Right Day involves conferences, gatherings, exhibits, and debates. One can observe this day by attending one of these events.
One can show support for human rights by posting online or getting involved in online discussions.
One can reflect on our human dignity given by God and show respect to all humans.
Please kindly leave a note on how you will observe Human Right Day in the comment.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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