74th Annual Human Rights Day 2022

As our community celebrates Human Rights Day today, we want to provide you with a brief history of the day and why it matters to our organization. 

What is Human Rights Day?

Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10. This yearly recognition is to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly which took place on December 10, 1948.

As the United Nations says, “The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.”

Why should we celebrate Human Rights Day?

The U.N.’s 1948 Declaration of Human Rights made clear that the world should collectively work together to make sure that everyone in the world was granted fundamental human rights. These rights include access to food, education, shelter and more. 

With more than 80% of people in the world living on less than $10 a day, more than 20% of the world’s population lacking adequate housing, and 80% of the world’s population, the issues of human rights must continue to be front and center of our minds. It is imperative we celebrate and recognize this day every year to analyze where we have improved and made progress, but also to acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. 

Why Human Rights Day matters to IWCC:

Human Rights Day is not just a day to identify the success we have made, nor just the document that allowed for the adoption of this day. Rather, it is a time for our community here at the Immigrant Women’s Community Center to acknowledge why our work is so important in this space.

We sometimes serve community members who come from countries that have experienced widespread human rights abuse. 

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), “there were 27.1 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2021—double the number a decade earlier. Children under the age of 18 represent more than 40 percent of the refugee population. The top-five origin countries for refugees under UNHCR’s mandate in 2021 were Syria (6.8 million), Venezuela (4.6 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.4 million), and Myanmar (1.2 million).”

This increase in refugees worldwide, along with an increase in human rights abuses, makes it clear that our work to provide a safe and nurturing community is necessary, and it solidifies the need to celebrate Human Rights Day every year to bring attention to this topic. 

+++

All donations to IWCC’s local efforts in Washington State to assist the refugee and immigrant communities are greatly appreciated.