What Can We Do?
Take Action

Respecting, promoting and protecting human rights begins with developing our own understanding and skills, taking small steps in our immediate environment.

“Where, after all, do human rights begin? In small places, close to home—so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat, humanitarian and human rights activist

We can act both as activists and role models in creating a culture of human rights by:

Nous pouvons agir en tant que défenseurs et modèles en créant une culture des droits de la personne humaine par:

Respecting and accepting differences

Developing empathy

Sharing this newfound awareness with others

Speaking out against injustice

Resolving conflict through dialogue and mutual understanding

Learn

Find human rights education resources online and share these with your teachers, or use them in a workshop you organize with your friends.

Tell your teacher you want to learn and discuss issues relating to human rights in your school.

Train a group of young people to teach the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to younger children in schools, youth organizations and to the general public.

Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Read the Convention on the Rights of the Child
www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text

Find human rights education resources online and share these with your teachers, or use them in a workshop you organize with your friends.

Tell your teacher you want to learn and discuss issues relating to human rights in your school.

Train a group of young people to teach the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to younger children in schools, youth organizations and to the general public.

Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Read the Convention on the Rights of the Child
www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/

Create

Use local festivals and events (multicultural, arts, film, music) to promote human rights and human rights education.

Write and publish a blog or newspaper article on a human rights theme or issue.

Decorate a public access, walkway, garden, school hallway with posters and other visuals depicting the human rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Designate a human rights space (bulletin board, meeting hall, public garden) in your neighborhood, school, village to illustrate or share the experience of human rights.

Use local festivals and events (multicultural, arts, film, music) to promote human rights and human rights education.

Write and publish a blog or newspaper article on a human rights theme or issue.

Decorate a public access, walkway, garden, school hallway with posters and other visuals depicting the human rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Designate a human rights space (bulletin board, meeting hall, public garden) in your neighborhood, school, village to illustrate or share the experience of human rights.

Organize

Start a human rights club in your school or community.

Start a petition to have human rights education taught in schools and send this to your ministry of education or local government authority.

If you see violations and abuses of human rights in your school, workplace or community, contact an individual (teacher or supervisor) or an organization (trade union, local NGO) for help.

Commemorate Human Rights Day (Dec. 10), International Women’s Day (Mar. 8) or another significant day with a special event.

Start a human rights club in your school or community.

Start a petition to have human rights education taught in schools and send this to your ministry of education or local government authority.

If you see violations and abuses of human rights in your school, workplace or community, contact an individual (teacher or supervisor) or an organization (trade union, local NGO) for help.