10 December 2011: Human Rights Day
A year when a single word, embodying the thwarted quest of a single impoverished young man in a remote province of Tunisia, struck a chord which swiftly rose to a crescendo.
Within days it had rolled into the capital, Tunis, with such a roar that, in just four weeks it knocked the foundations from under an entrenched and apparently invincible authoritarian regime. This precedent, and its radical revision of the art of the possible, quickly reverberated into the streets and squares of Cairo, followed one after another by towns and cities all across the region, and, ultimately, in different forms, across the world.
That word, that quest, was for “dignity.”
In Tunis and Cairo, Benghazi and Dara’a, and later on – albeit in a very different context – in Madrid, New York, London, Santiago and elsewhere, millions of people from all walks of life have mobilized to make their own demands for human dignity. They have dusted off the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and demanded “freedom from fear and freedom from want,” the Declaration’s shorthand for all the civil, political, social economic and cultural rights it contains. They have reminded governments and international institutions alike that health care, and education and housing, and access to justice, are not commodities for sale to the few, but rather rights, guaranteed to everyone, everywhere, without discrimination.
In 2011, the very idea of “power” shifted. During the course of this extraordinary year, it was wielded not just by mighty institutions in marble buildings, but increasingly by ordinary men, women, and even children, courageously standing up to demand their rights. In the Middle East and North Africa, many thousands have paid with their lives, and tens of thousands have been injured, besieged, tortured, detained, and threatened, but their newfound determination to demand their rights has meant they are no longer willing to accept injustice.
Although we must mourn the lives of many, including -- just in recent days – during the remorseless assault on various towns and cities in Syria, in renewed excessive use of force in Cairo and in efforts to subvert the elections taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we also have cause to celebrate.
The message of this unexpected global awakening was carried in the first instance not by the satellites of major media conglomerates, or conferences, or other traditional means – although these all played a role -- but by the dynamic and irrepressible surge of social media.
The results have been startling.
By the end of this first year of the global awakening, we have already seen peaceful and successful elections in Tunisia and, earlier this week, in Egypt -- where the turn-out for the first truly democratic elections there for decades has exceeded everybody’s expectations, despite the shocking upsurge in violence in Tahrir Square.
Today, as in the past, editorial and financial factors – as well as access – determine whether or not protests, and repression of protests, are televised or reported in newspapers around the world. But, wherever it happens, you can now guarantee it will be tweeted on Twitter, posted on Facebook, broadcast on Youtube, and uploaded onto the internet. Governments no longer hold the ability to monopolize the dissemination of information and censor what it says.
Instead we are seeing real lives in real struggle, broadcast in real time – and it is in many ways an exhilarating sight.
In sum, in 2011, human rights went viral.
On Human Rights Day 2011, I urge everyone, everywhere to join in the internet and social media campaign my office has launched to help more people know, demand and defend their human rights. It is a campaign that should be maintained so long as human rights abuses continue.
ENDS
Human Rights Day this year is building on the remarkable momentum for change triggered by the Arab Spring through a social media campaign to encourage more people to get involved in the global human rights movement. The UN Human Rights office's social media human rights campaign focuses on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and aims to help more people KNOW, DEMAND and DEFEND human rights.
As part of the campaign, on 10 November an online discussion began on Facebook and Twitter (#CelebrateRights) in English, French and Spanish called “30 Days and 30 Rights.” It is also being carried in Chinese on Weibo. It counts down to Human Rights Day on 10 December with a daily posting about one specific article of the Universal Declaration – 30 in total.
In addition, the High Commissioner for Human Rights is hosting an event at 9:30 EST in New York on the eve of Human Rights Day (i.e. 9 December), when she will answer human rights questions sent in via different social media platforms from all corners of the world. The event will be webcast and streamed live. Stay tuned, and send in your questions, using #AskRights
2011 has been an extraordinary year for human rights.
A year when a single word, embodying the thwarted quest of a single impoverished young man in a remote province of Tunisia, struck a chord which swiftly rose to a crescendo.
Within days it had rolled into the capital, Tunis, with such a roar that, in just four weeks it knocked the foundations from under an entrenched and apparently invincible authoritarian regime. This precedent, and its radical revision of the art of the possible, quickly reverberated into the streets and squares of Cairo, followed one after another by towns and cities all across the region, and, ultimately, in different forms, across the world.
That word, that quest, was for “dignity.”
In Tunis and Cairo, Benghazi and Dara’a, and later on – albeit in a very different context – in Madrid, New York, London, Santiago and elsewhere, millions of people from all walks of life have mobilized to make their own demands for human dignity. They have dusted off the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and demanded “freedom from fear and freedom from want,” the Declaration’s shorthand for all the civil, political, social economic and cultural rights it contains. They have reminded governments and international institutions alike that health care, and education and housing, and access to justice, are not commodities for sale to the few, but rather rights, guaranteed to everyone, everywhere, without discrimination.
In 2011, the very idea of “power” shifted. During the course of this extraordinary year, it was wielded not just by mighty institutions in marble buildings, but increasingly by ordinary men, women, and even children, courageously standing up to demand their rights. In the Middle East and North Africa, many thousands have paid with their lives, and tens of thousands have been injured, besieged, tortured, detained, and threatened, but their newfound determination to demand their rights has meant they are no longer willing to accept injustice.
Although we must mourn the lives of many, including -- just in recent days – during the remorseless assault on various towns and cities in Syria, in renewed excessive use of force in Cairo and in efforts to subvert the elections taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we also have cause to celebrate.
The message of this unexpected global awakening was carried in the first instance not by the satellites of major media conglomerates, or conferences, or other traditional means – although these all played a role -- but by the dynamic and irrepressible surge of social media.
The results have been startling.
By the end of this first year of the global awakening, we have already seen peaceful and successful elections in Tunisia and, earlier this week, in Egypt -- where the turn-out for the first truly democratic elections there for decades has exceeded everybody’s expectations, despite the shocking upsurge in violence in Tahrir Square.
Today, as in the past, editorial and financial factors – as well as access – determine whether or not protests, and repression of protests, are televised or reported in newspapers around the world. But, wherever it happens, you can now guarantee it will be tweeted on Twitter, posted on Facebook, broadcast on Youtube, and uploaded onto the internet. Governments no longer hold the ability to monopolize the dissemination of information and censor what it says.
Instead we are seeing real lives in real struggle, broadcast in real time – and it is in many ways an exhilarating sight.
In sum, in 2011, human rights went viral.
On Human Rights Day 2011, I urge everyone, everywhere to join in the internet and social media campaign my office has launched to help more people know, demand and defend their human rights. It is a campaign that should be maintained so long as human rights abuses continue.
ENDS
Human Rights Day this year is building on the remarkable momentum for change triggered by the Arab Spring through a social media campaign to encourage more people to get involved in the global human rights movement. The UN Human Rights office's social media human rights campaign focuses on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and aims to help more people KNOW, DEMAND and DEFEND human rights.
As part of the campaign, on 10 November an online discussion began on Facebook and Twitter (#CelebrateRights) in English, French and Spanish called “30 Days and 30 Rights.” It is also being carried in Chinese on Weibo. It counts down to Human Rights Day on 10 December with a daily posting about one specific article of the Universal Declaration – 30 in total.
In addition, the High Commissioner for Human Rights is hosting an event at 9:30 EST in New York on the eve of Human Rights Day (i.e. 9 December), when she will answer human rights questions sent in via different social media platforms from all corners of the world. The event will be webcast and streamed live. Stay tuned, and send in your questions, using #AskRights
For more information on the Human Rights Day campaign: http://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Day2011/Pages/HRD2011.aspx
Follow the live tweet of the High Commissioner’s press conference: #CelebrateRights at http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Make a wish for Human Rights Day on: http://www.CelebrateHumanRights.org
For more information on the High Commissioner’s social media conversation: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/2011/askthehchr.shtml
Check our YouTube Channel for videos related to Human Rights Day: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Human Rights Day 2011
UN calls for building on momentum of an ‘extraordinary year
Through celebratehumanrights.org everybody can make a wish based on one of the principles and share the wish with friends, family and colleagues. The Mash Up sets it out: everybody can participate - young and old – no matter where you are from or your background.The social media campaign from the UN Human Rights office is based on the fundamental principles found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – This year, Human Rights Day celebrates the work of human rights defenders and focuses on their efforts to galvanize and inspire support and inspire support for change via social media. The UN Human Rights Office has launched a global social media campaign that will encourage people to commit to taking action for change by becoming human rights defenders. Join us to celebrate human rights!
Human Rights Day 2011 - Geneva Event - "Social Media and Human Rights"
Human rights go 'viral' (Video in English, Arabic and Chinese) New York Event - Join the discussion about human rights as the United nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, takes your questions sent through social media via #AskRights.
Full article: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40682&Cr=human+rights+day&Cr1 =
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