Youth for Human Rights International urges human rights education to thwart human traffickers, human rights abusers

Millions of booklets distributed worldwide, groups and clubs formed to raise awareness of human rights and how to protect them for oneself and others

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, July 26, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which the UN promotes using #UDHR75. Raising awareness and educating on human rights reminds us how important it is know our rights so we can correct human rights violations and ensure future violations are prevented. It also reorients us to the responsibility we have in protecting each other's rights.

An annual Human Rights Youth Summit² was just held by YHRI at the United Nations in New York to bring youth from around the world together to discuss human rights issues and their protection.

The release of the Hollywood movie, Sound of Freedom, and the light it has shed on the horrific crime of human trafficking has certainly made an impact and has raised awareness of our basic human rights and the devastation in the lives of those whose rights have been abused. Article 4 of the UDHR states, "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms," and Article 5 states that, "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

U.S. Customs and Border Protection³ states that "there are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world and that 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.” Evidently, the need for awareness and getting the truth out about this issue is more important than ever.

Human trafficking is an issue that Youth for Human Rights International takes seriously and has been raising awareness about for years through distributing human rights materials, educating students and groups, setting up booths, doing concerts, art contests and holding peaceful human rights walks. Human trafficking has been identified as one of the key areas of human rights abuse.

Sylvia Stanard, a volunteer with YHRI, said, “The violation of Article 4, No Slavery, is very important to understand and raise awareness of because of its damaging and demoralizing effects on its victims.” This fits with the purpose of Youth for Human Rights International which is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace. Children are the future. They need to know their human rights and know that they must take responsibility to protect themselves and their peers.

Youth for Human Rights International has now grown into a global movement, including hundreds of groups, clubs and chapters around the world. YHRI has gotten out millions of booklets around the world, has free videos, and teaches in classrooms. You can watch their film What Are Human Rights?¹ where the story of human rights is laid out in an easy-to-understand way. Additionally, you can find public service announcement videos for each of the 30 human rights.

Youth for Human Rights International provides their YHRI Education Package to educators free of charge. It is designed for teachers of elementary, middle and high school students. It may be used as a full course or as a supplemental resource within another curriculum. The aim is to engage students in human rights topics and provide opportunities to put human rights principles into action and use.

Youth for Human Rights urges human rights education in schools and universities as part of the curriculum. YHRI is circulating a petition to help ensure human rights are learned and demanded by everyone. The petition can be signed at https://www.youthforhumanrights.org/take-action/petition.html. Multiple other resources are available at the YHRI website including The Story of Human Rights film and human rights public messages.

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights.

Youth for Human Rights International teaches human rights education both in the classroom and in nontraditional educational settings. We aim to reach people from diverse backgrounds, with materials which often appeal across generations.

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¹ https://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/
² https://media.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17lbj50we
³ https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/human-trafficking