Human Rights Day

Today is Human Rights Day: The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on this day in 1948.

The 2020 Theme: Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights

"This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts. We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination."

Human Rights must be at the centre of the post COVID-19 world.

The COVID-19 crisis has been fuelled by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination and other gaps in human rights protection. Only measures to close these gaps and advance human rights can ensure we fully recover and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable. 

Agenda:
1. Journal queries
2. Choose next steps
3. Watch more videos

4. Take the human rights pledge

1. Journal queries:

This week of advent my theme is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world".

What areas of human rights work are calling to me now?
What are possible next steps?


2. Choose next steps:

This has been a turbulent year -  an avalanche of cause and effect that we will talk about for the next decade. I am absolutely convinced that for many people, including myself, the pandemic has created a space for social awareness that we didn't have in our regular lives. We've had the time to wake up to racism and inequality.

The UN has these goals this year:

• End discrimination of any kind: Structural discrimination and racism have fuelled the COVID-19 crisis. Equality and non-discrimination are core requirements for a post-COVID world.
• Address inequalities: To recover from the crisis, we must also address the inequality pandemic. For that, we need to promote and protect economic, social, and cultural rights. 
• Encourage participation and solidarity: We need to ensure the voices of the most affected and vulnerable inform the recovery efforts. 
• Promote sustainable development: We need sustainable development for people and planet. Human rights, the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement are the cornerstone of a recovery that leaves no one behind.

I did not join in the rallies and marches of the summer and fall, but I know many who did. I have also been unable, for the most part, to help with banner making ... I've been making the safest decisions for my grandson's sake.

I HAVE been reading and watching videos and absorbing a new understanding of systemic racism, and I took an anti-racism workshop for climate activists on zoom.

Here is what I am committed to do next--

1- Read the book "Why are all the black children sitting together" and discuss it with friends. Also, keep informed about racial and immigrant justice issues, and stay open to giving support when needed.

2- Join zoom city council meetings, especially when they involve climate, sustainability, and human rights issues.

3- Continue to work to become a peaceful, calm, and open-minded person myself.

3. Watch some more videos:

I got this list of resources from a community newsletter:

Why Saying "Black Lives Matter" Matters

In the statement we say we stand for “black lives matter.” The statement is not an endorsement of an organization, but it is a statement of acknowledgement that we see and recognize that our black family members are being murdered and experiencing violence just because they are black. That their lives matter, because right now that is not their experience. We know that some community members may not have a lot of experience in this area. Here are some links to information to better help in each of us helping to break down systemic racism. 

Systemic Racism Explained Video (4:23)
"All Lives Matter" Explained (2:39)
African American National Museum Resources on Talking about Race
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
Showing Up for Racial Justice Week of Action Toolkit

Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon: A Hidden History Video (16:47)

4. Take the human rights pledge:

Your commitment to human rights:

I will respect your rights regardless of who you are. I will uphold your rights even when I disagree with you.

When anyone's human rights are denied, everyone's rights are undermined, so I will STAND UP.

I will raise my voice. I will take action. I will use my rights to stand up for your rights.

TAKE THE PLEDGE