Human Rights Day 2010

On December 10, 2010 is United Nations' the 61st anniversary of Human Rights Day. 

The date was chosen to commemorate the adoption, by the UN General Assembly in 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the first global enunciation of the inalienable rights of mankind.  This year's observance highlights human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.

Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International, was instrumental in creating the momentum that the human rights movement saw in the later part of the 20th century. He died on February 25th, 2005, at the age of 83. Citizens should use his life as an example of the gains of human rights so that we can reclaim the roots of the movement.

Along with Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, Peter Benenson was among the greatest people of the 20th century, but he stands out from the rest because while the others changed their countries and inspired hope throughout the world, Peter actually changed the world.

Liu Xiabao

 

 As the world celebrates International Human Rights Day on Dec 10, United Nations   High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has asked China to release the jailed Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Liu Xiaobo.

Navi Pillay said that Liu Xiaobo, who is sentenced for 11 year prison for a political revolt against China, is an example of a human rights defender who is paying a heavy price for his activism.

Liu Xiabao participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest in Beijing and is one of China's most prominent activists fighting for greater political freedom and human rights.

Navi Pillay added that she will hold talks with Chinese officials for the release of Liu Xiaobo.

This year, Tibetans and their supporters worldwide are joining Chinese democracy advocates and human rights groups to celebrate the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese intellectual and activist Liu Xiaobo on Human Rights Day. Liu Xiaobo is currently serving an 11-year sentence on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” for his part in writing and promoting ‘Charter 08,’ which calls for legal reforms, democracy, and protection of human rights in China.