I'm human, right? Int'l campaign commemorating 70th anniversary of human rights declaration

NEW YORK – On Dec. 10, the world will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In commemoration of this event, ADF International will deliver thousands of signatures in support of The Geneva Statement, urging the United Nations and the international community to uphold the right to life, to family, and to religious freedom as was the original intent of the Universal Declaration.

“In the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights, we urge the United Nations, world leaders, and the international community to reaffirm the inherent dignity of every human being and to promote fundamental freedoms for every person without exception,” said ADF International Executive Director Paul Coleman. “We have witnessed a derailing of the human rights project through ideological agendas that do not share global consensus. In The Geneva Statement, we call on governments and institutions to return to the original intentions of the Universal Declaration.”

The Geneva Statement is available at ImHumanRight.org. Supporters may sign it online. The website also features over 15 individual stories related to the work of ADF International, each illustrating how fundamental rights are still consistently ignored and abused today.

Countless individuals suffer from the denial of their rights. In Europe, medical staff are forced to choose between their faith and their profession, parents are hindered from freely directing the education of their children, and freedom of speech is being curbed by “hate speech” laws. In Asia, many are persecuted because of their faith as anti-conversion and blasphemy laws are restricting the right to religious freedom. According to the PEW Research Center, there were incidents of harassment of Christians in more than two-thirds of all countries in 2016.

“The United Nations’ founding idea was to protect and promote the inherent dignity of all human beings. We can no longer accept that human rights are only granted to some, when every person without distinction of any kind should enjoy them. Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. Nobody should have to choose between their career and their conscience,” said Coleman.

“Promoting inherent human dignity also means embracing the right to life of every human being, from conception to natural death, as life should be protected at all stages. Additionally, we call for a renewed respect for the family, where children enjoy the loving care of their mother and father, as the fundamental group unit of society. All governments have an obligation to protect this. In the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration, the United Nations should ensure that all countries help revitalize the integrity of the human rights project.”

 

ADF International is an alliance-building human rights organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.