A right delayed is a right denied.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Shared by TC2 -Thinking Teacher:

“December 10th commemorates the day when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Translated into almost 500 languages, the UDHR details the fundamental rights of citizens around the world. Each year, we are reminded of our collective responsibility to stand up and defend these rights not only for ourselves, but also on behalf of those who may not be in a position to do so.”

2020 Theme:

Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights

“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.

• 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. We need a new social contract for a new era.
• Encourage participation and solidarity: We are all in this together. From individuals to governments, from civil society and grass-roots communities to the private sector, everyone has a role in building a post-COVID world that is better for present and future generations. 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.” (United Nations, 2020)

What are human rights?  How are we connected to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ?

Watch the videos below and think about our responsibilities to ourselves, our families and our communities.

Have you heard of UNDRIP? Watch the video below to learn about Indigenous rights.

For Teachers:

• United Nations Human Rights day campaign materials and resources 
• From TC2: Thinking Teacher

“The resources featured this month will inspire younger students to think critically as active citizens while they examine the concept of fairness as it relates to a situation in a fictional community.”

 Free resources:

Thoughtful Books: Each One Special by Frieda Wishinsky and H. Werner Zimmerman  [PDF] Grade range: Primary View more resources in the Thoughtful Books collection

From Amnesty International:

“Downloadable activities to accompany the award-winning book ‘We Are All Born Free’ – thirty beautiful illustrations that interpret our human rights for ages 5+.

Illustrators include Axel Scheffler (of Gruffalo fame), Korky Paul and John Burningham. The activities available to download below introduce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) through creative writing and story-telling.”

We Are All Born Free can be ordered from the Amnesty shop.

‘Amnesty’s delightful book We Are All Born Free explains the importance of human rights through truly beautiful illustrations. It is clear, simple and uplifting and makes it very easy to raise difficult subjects, even with young children. It is a wonderful educational tool and I strongly believe that every school should own a copy.’
Actress and author Emma Thompson

Downloads

We Are All Born Free – Activity

We Are All Born Free – Powerpoint