The Universal Declaration of Human Rights #HumanRights #UN #1948

Posted: March 16, 2013 | Author: Gaye Crispin | Filed under: 1948, Gaye Crispin, Human Rights, Rights, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN, United Nations | Tags: 1948, expression, freedom, gay rights, gaye crispin, Human Rights, indigenous rights, opinion, rights, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN, United Nations | 3 Comments »

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never again to allow atrocities like those of that conflict t0 happen again.

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge, Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

~

In 1950, on the second anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, students at the UN International Nursery School in New York viewed a poster of the historic document. After adopting it on December 10, 1948, the UN General Assembly had called upon all Member States to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

~

UN Announces New Sustainable Development Network led by @JeffDSachs to help solve global problems #MDG #SDSN @earthinstitute

Posted: August 10, 2012 | Author: Gaye Crispin | Filed under: Columbia University, Earth Institute, Jeffrey Sachs, MDG, Millenium Development Goals, RIO+20, SDSN, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, UN, United Nations | Tags: Columbia University, Earth Institute, Jeffrey Sachs, MDG, Millenium Development Goals, RIO+20, SDSN, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, UN, United Nations | 1 Comment »

9 August 2012

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute and Special Advisor to the Secretary‐General on the Millenium Development Goals, to lead new Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today launched a new independent global network of research centres, universities and technical institutions to help find solutions for some of the world’s most pressing environmental, social and economic problems.

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network will work with stakeholders including business, civil society, UN agencies and other international organizations to identify and share the best pathways to achieve sustainable development.This initiative is part of the work undertaken in response to the mandate on post-2015 and the outcome of UN Conference on Sustainable Development , which took place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in June. (Rio+20)

The Solutions Network will be directed by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to Secretary-General Ban on the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals. It will operate in close coordination with the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

“The post-2015 objectives will help the world to focus on the vital challenges of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network will be an innovative way to draw upon worldwide expertise in the campuses, universities, scientific research centres and business technology divisions around the world,” Mr. Ban said.

The High-level Panel will advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for achieving the MDGs, and it will hold its first meeting at the end of September, in the margins of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly. It is expected to submit its findings to the Secretary-General in the first half of 2013, and those findings will inform his report to Member States.

The eight MDGs, agreed on by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.’

According to the news release, given that politics around the world too often focuses on short-term issues while governments often lack the timely information needed for long-term sustainable-development strategies, it is essential that scientists and technology experts outside of government support the development of long-term analyses, demonstration programmes and development pathways.

The SDSN is expected to provide an independent global, open and inclusive process to support and scale up problem-solving at local, national and global levels.“In the 20 years since the first Rio Earth Summit, the world has largely failed to address some of the most serious environmental and social problems pressing in on us,” Mr. Sachs said. “We can’t afford business as usual. We need to engage the academic and scientific community, and tap into worldwide technological know-how in the private sector and civil society, in order to develop and implement practical solutions.”

Substantial emphasis will be placed on collaboration across countries to analyze common problems and learn from each other’s experiences. The network will accelerate joint learning and help to overcome the compartmentalization of technical and policy work by promoting integrated “systems” approaches to addressing the complex economic, social and environmental challenges confronting governments.

UN News Centre

Celebrating ‘International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, and the unique worldview of indigenous children and the richness of their voices’ #UNICEF

Posted: August 10, 2012 | Author: Gaye Crispin | Filed under: children, empowering indigenous voices, indigenous voices, International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, UN, UNICEF | Tags: children, empowering indigenous voices, indigenous voices, International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, UN, UNICEF | 1 Comment »

9 AUGUST 2012 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

UNICEF joins the international community in celebrating the unique worldview of indigenous children and the richness and diversity that their voices bring to the human family.

The theme of the International Day this year is “Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices. ”The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples among others provide unique references for UNICEF’s enduring commitment to the indigenous child.

The convention says an indigenous child “shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.” This resonates through UNICEF’s work for indigenous children around the world.

Indigenous children, like all other children, have the right to freely express their views in all matters affecting them. For them to do so effectively the media needs to be supported to pay particular attention to their linguistic needs.

Doing so would also facilitate the building of bridges between indigenous and non-indigenous children and enrich a cross exchange and mutual understanding and respect for diverse cultures that humanity has been blessed with.

UNICEF has supported a number of initiatives to promote the interaction between indigenous children and the media:

Aiming to increase awareness on the rights of disadvantaged children, in 2010 young indigenous leaders alongside UNICEF Brazil National Ambassador Lazaro Ramos were instrumental in bringing messages on “childhood without racism” across the North and North East of the country through both the traditional and social media.

In Chile, UNICEF is using its assessment of the extent to which indigenous children are visible in the written press to train stakeholders such as journalists on how to sharpen their focus on specific issues. This is being complemented by two indigenous child-centred publications which document the voices of children from the Araucania region on issues such as identity, discrimination, languages and their dreams and aspirations.

Children and the Media: A handbook for Journalists produced by UNICEF Guyana in 2007 remains a viable tool for all stakeholders in their effort to bring awareness to the media on reporting for children.

Nirmala Govinda, a child is quoted in the handbook as saying: “Even though we may criticise the media sometimes, I am seeing the positive role it is playing, or can play, for me as a student. I am able to read, hear and see what is happening in the country, the good things and the bad things. I am able to find material in the newspapers to help me to do my assignments. I am looking for the positive.”

UNICEF continues to support indigenous children and journalists, and wishes all indigenous children, their families and communities around the world A Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.

Empowering Indigenous Voices

Rio+20 Legacy: Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon’s #ZeroHungerChallenge for a future without hunger! @zerohungerchall

Posted: July 5, 2012 | Author: Gaye Crispin | Filed under: activist, Ban Ki-moon, challenge, Environment, RIO+20, Secretary-General, United Nations, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, zero hunger | Tags: Ban Ki-moon, challenge, global food crisis, RIO+20, Secretary-General, UN, United Nations, United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, zero hunger | Leave a comment »

From the UN News Centre: Rio+20: Secretary-General challenges nations to achieve ‘zero hunger’

Follow Zero Hunger Challenge on Twitter

Visit the UN’s Zero Hunger Challenge Website

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the ‘Zero Hunger Challenge’ at Rio+20, where all countries were invited to work for a future where every individual has adequate nutrition and where all food systems are resilient.

“In a world of plenty, no one – not a single person – should go hungry,” Mr. Ban said during the launch of the initiative at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday night. “I invite all of you to join me in working for a future without hunger.”

“Zero hunger would boost economic growth, reduce poverty and safeguard the environment. It would foster peace and stability,” Mr. Ban added, calling on farmers, business people, scientists, civil society and consumers to join the challenge by honouring past promises and work together to put an end to hunger.

Rio+20 has delivered a pretty good text for farmers; now it’s up to governments and agencies to act on these words, and put into place the financial commitments and practical policies that can truly deliver. Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)
by Vanessa Meadu

The ‘Zero Hunger Challenge’ has five main objectives: to achieve 100 per cent access to adequate food all year round; to end malnutrition in pregnancy and early childhood; to make all food systems sustainable; to increase growth in the productivity and income of smallholders, particularly women; and to achieve a zero rate of food waste.

Inspiration for the initiative came from work being carried out by many countries and organizations to end hunger, including Brazil.

The ‘Zero Hunger Challenge’ is supported by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank and Bioversity International.

“Big problems call for bold goals. The Zero Hunger Challenge can help us mobilize political commitment, the first step to eradicate hunger,” said FAO’s Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, said at a high-level meeting in Rio de Janeiro today. “This is a personal challenge from the Secretary-General, but one that all of us should answer, as individuals and collectively. FAO embraces this challenge of a Zero Hunger World.

More than 40,000 people – including heads of State and government, parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, business and civil society leaders – are attending Rio+20, which ends on Friday. It seeks to shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

Photo: IRIN/Siegfried Modola – UN News Centre

Follow Zero Hunger Challenge on Twitter

Visit the UN’s Zero Hunger Challenge Website

“Give Me The Money That …” by Anti-Slaver Charles Sumner #quote #inspiration #EndHumanTrafficking #StopSlavery #taolife

Posted: June 28, 2012 | Author: Gaye Crispin | Filed under: activist, anti-slavery, Charles Sumner, Child Slave Labor, contemporary slavery, people, Quotes, slavery, slaves, Stop Human Trafficking, United Nations, World Day Against Child Labour | Tags: activist, anti-slavery, charles sumner, contemporary slavery, gaye crispin, give me the money, slavery, slaves, stop human trafficking, UN, United Nations | 15 Comments »

~
Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace.” Charles Sumner 1811-1874

Charles Sumner -Anti-Slaver

Anti-Slaver
Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner, American politician and senator from Massachusetts, was the leader of the anti-slavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction.

As leader of the Radical Republicans he sought to destroy slavery and radically transform the South, and worked to guarantee equal rights to the Freedmen ( a freedmen was a former slave who had been released from slavery).

Sumner fought hard to provide equal civil and voting rights for the freedmen and devoted his enormous energy to the destruction of “Slave Power” and all attempts and efforts of slave owners to take control of the federal government to ensure the survival and expansion of slavery. Sumner died while still in office at 63 years of age.

It was reported at the time of Sumner’s death, “Not since the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 had the nation grieved so deeply at the loss of one of its statesmen.”