Quote of the Day
“Recognizing the human rights of others is the true — and harder — test of commitment.” — Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon made this statement on February 3, 2016, while receiving an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge. He was speaking about a simple but difficult responsibility: respecting the rights of people whose circumstances, beliefs or identities differ from our own.
Think about how easily we recognize injustice when it affects someone we love.
A relative is treated unfairly at work. We are angry.
A friend is threatened for expressing an opinion. We demand justice.
Someone from our community is discriminated against. We speak up.
But what happens when the person being mistreated is someone we dislike?
What if they belong to a different political party?
What if their religion is different from ours?
What if they hold opinions we strongly disagree with?
Do we still believe they deserve fair treatment?
It is easy to defend rights when doing so costs us nothing.
It becomes more difficult when defending those rights means standing beside someone whose views we reject.
But human rights cannot depend on whether we like someone.
We can disagree with a person’s beliefs without accepting their mistreatment.
We can criticize their actions without denying their dignity.
And we can demand accountability without supporting humiliation, discrimination or violence.
Perhaps this is one of the most difficult lessons we must learn as communities.
If we only defend the rights of people we agree with, are we defending human rights at all, or simply protecting our own interests?
Source: United Nations — Ban Ki-moon’s Address at the University of Cambridge, February 3, 2016.
Did You Know?
You don’t need to work for a human rights organization to be a human rights defender.
Imagine a teacher who discovers that a child is being denied an education because of a disability.
Instead of looking away, the teacher raises the matter with the school authorities and helps the family seek a fair solution.
Or consider a community member who organizes a peaceful campaign against the contamination of a village’s drinking water.
Neither person works for an international organization.
Neither has a special title.
Yet both may be doing the work of a human rights defender.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), human rights defenders are people who act, individually or with others, to promote or protect human rights peacefully.
No professional qualification is required.
A student, teacher, journalist, lawyer, community volunteer or ordinary resident can be a human rights defender through their actions.
On December 9, 1998, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
Article 1 recognizes everyone’s right to work, individually or collectively, toward protecting and realizing human rights.
Article 12 addresses participation in peaceful activities against human rights violations and the responsibility of states to protect people from threats and retaliation connected to their legitimate activities.
The Declaration is not itself a legally binding treaty, but it brings together important international standards for protecting people who defend human rights.
Think about what this means for our communities.
Someone who helps survivors of abuse find support, challenges discrimination or peacefully advocates for safer schools may already be contributing to the protection of human rights.
Of course, good intentions are not enough. Human rights work must respect the dignity, safety and rights of others.
You do not need an impressive title to stand up for someone’s dignity. Sometimes, you simply need to recognize an injustice and decide not to ignore it.
Sources: OHCHR — About Human Rights Defenders · OHCHR — Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
For Discussion
Have you ever witnessed someone being treated unfairly and wondered whether you should speak up?
What makes people afraid to defend others, even when they know something is wrong?
And how can our communities make it safer for ordinary people to stand against injustice?
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