“No country is free of discrimination. We see it everywhere, in many forms: old and new, covert and blatant, public and private. It may appear as institutionalized racism, as ethnic strife, as episodes of intolerance and rejection, or as an official national version of history that denies the identity of others.Discrimination targets individuals and groups that are vulnerable to attack: the disabled, women and girls, the poor, migrants, minorities, and all those who are perceived as different.
These vulnerable people are frequently excluded from participating in the economic, political, cultural and social lives of their communities. The bigotry that stigmatizes and excludes them can be exploited by extremists. In some countries, we are witnessing the rise of a new politics of xenophobia.
But these victims of discrimination are not alone. The United Nations is standing with them, committed to defending the rights of all, and particularly the most vulnerable. That is our identity and our mission.
The international human rights community continues to counter bias and hatred. Public awareness has led to global treaties offering legal protection from discrimination and unequal treatment.
But abstract commitments are not enough. We must continue to confront inequality and intolerance wherever they are found.
On Human Rights Day, I invite people everywhere, at all levels, to join the United Nations and human rights defenders around the world in the fight against discrimination.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations
I only learned this morning that 10 December is internationally marked as Human Rights Day, and have been trying to quickly catch up with the calls to action and familiarize myself with what the UN considers to be universal human rights. Initially I had a few tweets of comments, but as I delved deeper I had a lot more to say on the issue, even in the once widely respected United States. Worldwide human rights violations occur routinely as individuals and governments ignore the discriminatory and repressive actions of individuals and institutions within their nations. It is my hope that professional organizations such as Amnesty International, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, and in the United States the ACLU and HRC, cover the broader human rights such as suffrage, education, gender equality, food, water, and shelter. I would like to offer perspective on my own environment, in the areas of marriage rights, employment, health care, and developments in rights regarding the internet.
