December 10: Human Rights Day
Human rights are the basis on which support freedom, peace, development and justice and constitute one of the pillars of the United Nations work worldwide.
laws protecting and promoting human rights are essential but often progress depends on the people, brave men and women fighting to protect their rights and the rights of others and strive to make rights a reality in people's lives.
This year, we spent the celebration of Human Rights defenders of those rights.
is a diverse group of people. Some members of civil society organizations, others are journalists or even private citizens who decide to act after witnessing abuses that directly affect them.
to all of them, however, unites the commitment to report abuse, to protect the most vulnerable and to end impunity. These people have the courage to raise their voice against injustice.
Message from UN Secretary General
on Human Rights Day
SOME CASE STUDIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Defending Indigenous Rights: Dora Alonso (Guatemala)
Dora Alonso, 18 years old, a member of numerous indigenous Maya community from Guatemala and speaks out against the discrimination faced by all Indians, including women and girls. Children's Parliament is a member of Guatemala's national organization for children and young Maya, Xinca, Garifuna and Ladino. Parliament's work focuses on health promotion, education, gender equality, respect for the identity and the prevention of sexual exploitation and child abuse. Parliament also promotes non-discrimination of people living with HIV / AIDS. Among its functions, Dora has the responsibility of Parliament's communications industry, which provides information about the organization and implementation of prevention campaigns.
use the law to combat racial discrimination and other Gay McDougall (USA)
independent expert present the first United Nations issues minorities, Ms. Gay McDougall is an advocate of human rights with a long history of civil rights activism. As a child, Ms. McDougall, who grew up in the time in Atlanta, Georgia, there was segregation, could not benefit from many public places. It was the first black student admitted to their institution of higher education and had to face day after day discrimination and racism. Between 1994 and 2006 was the Executive Director of Global Rights, an international NGO based in the U.S. Among his many international roles, he has worked on independent expert body established under a United Nations treaty monitoring work related to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and was among the five members of Electoral Commission South Africa's Independent, which organized and successfully administered with the first non-racial elections in that country.
take hope and inspiration to HIV seropositive patients: I Maphallang Ponoane (Lesotho)
Ms. Maphallang Ponoane I have personally suffered the terrible stigma and discrimination enormous against people living with HIV and AIDS. As a widow with four children living in Lesotho, southern Africa, had the courage to decide to reveal to his family, his community and throughout the district who had HIV. In 2004, after recovering from a prolonged illness related to HIV / AIDS, Ms. Ponoane joined a support group in your district. The group now has the mandate to mobilize communities against stigma and discrimination and provide care and support to members. Ms. Ponoane works as "experts" and non-professional counselor in the public hospital Quthing in promoting a positive lifestyle among patients with HIV and tuberculosis.
