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International Human Rights Day

Students read the plain language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and consider its relevance today.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, 1948.
The Declaration proclaims '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'. International Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10 December each year.

Download the plain language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights worksheet and make enough copies for each member of the class.

1. Give the students time to read through the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
   As a class discuss the following questions:
• How does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to your own life and the lives of others in your community?
• Are there any situations in which you have feared that an individual or government might threaten your life, liberty or security?
• What was the world climate in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed?
• Has the world situation changed? How?
• Is there still a need for the world's people to be reminded of the articles of the declaration?
2. In pairs discuss the following issues:
• Do you believe that these rights apply to all people in all cultures?
• Are there any conditions under which a person or government has the authority to deny a person these rights?
• What examples can you think of in which individuals and/or groups of people were denied their basic human rights (in the past or present)?
Select one such example and with your partner,further research and prepare a report for class presentation.
3. Download the Human Rights Fact Sheet.
   As a class read and discuss the facts presented.
   For each statistic consider which of the human rights of each person involved are being violated.

To mark Human Rights Day 2003, Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue gave the Third Annual Human Rights Oration entitled Grass roots human rights: beyond symbolism at the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission. In it she suggested that we had some way to go in the area of human rights but there was opportunity in most contexts for everyone to make a difference - even if it can only be one step at a time. To assist this process she devised a Ten Point Plan for Human Rights Action.
Revisit Grass roots human rights.

New York Times Daily Lesson Plan Making a case
CyberSchoolBus
RNW Fact sheets:
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Professor Lowitja (Lois) O'Donoghue AM CBE
RNW Lessons
Grass roots human rights
United Nations International Declaration of Human Rights (1947)
Refer also to The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) fact sheets which aim to assist university students, senior high school students and their teachers to understand human rights.

United Nations CyberSchoolBus
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Information for Students
Global Education Human Rights