It is United Nations International Human Rights Day on December 10.
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It is a reflective time to review our score card since we agreed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a nation, 64 years ago.
Hot human rights topics include refugees arriving in Australia, the welfare of indigenous Australians and bullying – in particular, cyber-bullying.
In 1948, the United Nations said that the Universal Declaration should be broadly educated and adopted across all the nations of the world.
Clearly more work needs to be done to make human rights real for all. But if we want human rights to improve nationally, then we have to start in the home and in our schools.
Ignorance of human rights means they can be abused and denied.
Education is a powerful weapon against discrimination and abuse. Knowing our human rights and, very importantly, granting and defending the rights of others will see a change.
The theme of Human Rights Day 2012 is “My voice counts”.
I encourage everyone to do something for human rights to mark international Human Rights Day. Log on to www.youthforhumanrights.org, watch the videos covering each of the 30 human rights and share them with someone else to read and learn. Do what you can to spread the word.
Elana Saks,
Youth for Human Rights Australia