On 74th Anniversary of UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, youth gathered petition signatures at the Lincoln Memorial then walked for human rights.

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, December 14, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a world where fundamental human rights are still being abused, a group of youth advocates took action by leading a Human Rights Day walk in support of the thirty rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 as one of its foundational documents. The walk commenced from the Lincoln Memorial and fittingly culminated at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

Youth and activists of all ages promoted the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urged the implementation of human rights education on a global scale, so these rights can be learned and enjoyed by the billions of people alive today.

Led by Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) and joined by the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights (USIDHR) and Voice for Rights International (VFRI), the group got tourists and other activists at the Lincoln Memorial to sign a petition urging the teaching of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in schools.

They followed the pledge signing with a walk to the World War II memorial. This was fitting, as World War II was the impetus for the gargantuan task of getting diplomats from many different faiths, cultures and ethnicities to agree on and then formally declare what the world standard for human rights should be. The leader of that team of diplomats was none other than Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and first delegate to the newly formed United Nations.

Azhar Haq, the President of the DC Chapter of Youth for Human Rights International and organizer of the march, commented, “The walk was designed to be peaceful and positive. We are not protesting any of the abuses of human rights currently being seen, but more basically urging that people learn and teach the Universal Declaration so there is agreement on what those rights are.

"Human Rights organizations throughout the world perform a vital role in advocating for the rights of individuals, especially those whose rights have been violated.

“A key difference between these organizations and Youth for Human Rights International is our multi-faceted program of outreach and education of the community, especially the youth, about their rights as detailed in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, thus potentially preventing violations from occurring in the first place."

The walk was part of a global series of events led by Youth for Human Rights International in honor of Human Rights Day and on the occasion of the 74th Anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the document which, if widely applied, could end human rights abuses everywhere.

With the end of World War II and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed never to allow such human rights atrocities to occur again. Thus, 74 years ago on December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was born, listing out 30 basic human rights and starting a worldwide awareness campaign.

The United Nations launched their current human rights awareness campaign #StandUp4HumanRights in December of 2016. This year in celebration of the 74th Anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Youth for Human Rights DC and other national and international Youth for Human Rights chapters have been key champions in this campaign.

This event also kicked off the 75th year of the UN Universal Declaration which will be promoted throughout 2023 around the world.

Haq concluded, “The YHRI Washington, DC chapter is doing its part to forward the message of the upcoming 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We want to bring human rights to all, starting with awareness of these basic human rights.”

About Youth for Human Rights:

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization with chapters around the world whose mission 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, respect and peace.

YHRI teaches human rights education both in the classroom and in nontraditional educational settings such as through international summits, art series, concerts and other interactive community events. Their most recent campaign has included #KnowYour30 with the deliberate purpose of increasing awareness of the 30 human rights every person has – and how they are a part of everyday life.

To learn more go to https://www.youthforhumanrights.org or watch the documentary on how Youth for Human Rights began.

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