Human Rights Off Radar Despite Efforts
The call is being made to "end torture now" as Human Rights Week events continue around the anniversary day of the United Nations' declaration of universal human rights. Human rights is one of the top issues on the international agenda, beside global poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis yet remains far off the radar at the grassroots level.
Global AIDS Day, observed Dec. 1, saw millions of people around the world take the issue to their communities, college campuses and churches. Mobilization against the pandemic was a large-scale effort that spread awareness and instigated action across nations. Human Rights Day, however, is not as popular. Steps are at a halt and voices are silent as the day, Dec. 11, approaches.
The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and every year since then, the international community has been called to observe Human Rights Day. U.N. conferences and discussions have been held throughout the week in New York and Geneva to lead up to the landmark day. But all has been silent elsewhere.
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"I think the concerns about HIV/AIDS and global poverty issues are so palpable and so in front of us that it's a lot easier to engage people around those issues," said Sarah P. Lisherness, associate director of the Presbyterian Peacemaking program. "It's a lot harder story to tell about human rights abuses."
Human rights organizations and faith-based groups have continually been on the battlefront against human rights violations and religious persecutions around the world. U.S.-based Freedom House is currently holding its second international conference on North Korea Human Rights – Seoul Summit – in South Korea with participation from all levels. Even so, a one day or one week international effort to spread the word and promote activism against human rights abuses has not picked up speed.
"While we all agree that everybody should be guaranteed human rights, it's a much more complex story on how that looks when acted out," said Lisherness as she referred to the various human rights violations.
Nevertheless, Lisherness affirmed the long-standing commitment of mainline denominations to the declaration that was brought forth by the United Nations.
"We have a long haul commitment to the word of the U.N.," she said.
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has made available resources and suggestions for prayer services for churches to utilize on the Sunday closest to Human Rights Day.
"We try to help people engage in three levels: an educational process, a kind of faith response - prayer and worship - and then action," she explained.
Although this year's Human Rights Day has not taken on much of a megaphone, Lisherness says the PCUSA will most likely commemorate it and "put it on the radar scene as a major initiative" more largely on the 60th anniversary in 2008.
