Tag: rights

The Day We Fight Back

Millions of people around the world are lending their voices to protest mass surveillance and the infringement on our rights to privacy and freedom.  Check out the following links to learn more:

thedaywefightback.org

The Day We Fight Back: What You Need to Know (PC Magazine)

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Democracy Now

source: thedaywefightback.org

 

 

Human Rights Day

source: United Nations

On this day in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

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.

Click here for the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Click here for the history of, and other information about, the UDHR. And click here for more information about Human Rights Day.

source: United Nations

International Day of the Girl Child

source: unicef

The United Nations has declared October 11 to be the International Day of the Girl Child. The day was first celebrated last year, as an opportunity to recognize the rights of girls, to raise awareness about the challenges that they face around the world, and to celebrate our daughters, sisters, friends and students. Sadly, girls around the world daily face discrimination, violence and the violation of their human rights.

The theme for 2013 is “Innovation for Education.” One of the most obvious inequities and injustices for girls is in education, as many girls around the world are deprived of their right to an education.

The fulfilment of girls’ right to education is first and foremost an obligation and moral imperative. There is also overwhelming evidence that girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, is a powerful transformative force for societies and girls themselves: it is the one consistent positive determinant of practically every desired development outcome, from reductions in mortality and fertility, to poverty reduction and equitable growth, to social norm change and democratization. (source: un.org)

We can be thankful that Canada is amongst the leaders of the world in protecting the rights of girls.Yet even here there is more work to be done, and certainly we must continue to fight for the rights of girls around the world.

source: unicef

For more on this vital issue, go to UN.org