Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, color, 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.
2021 Theme: EQUALITY – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights
This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to ‘Equality’ and Article 1 of the UDHR – “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
The principles of equality and non-discrimination are at the heart of human rights. Equality is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and with the UN approach set out in the document Shared Framework on Leaving No One Behind: Equality and Non-Discrimination at the Heart of Sustainable Development. This includes addressing and finding solutions for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies, including women and girls, indigenous peoples, people of African descent, LGBTI people, migrants and people with disabilities, among others.
Equality, inclusion and non-discrimination, in other words – a human rights-based approach to development – is the best way to reduce inequalities and resume our path towards realizing the 2030 Agenda.
Learn more: un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
The right to a fair trial is at the heart of Article 10, one more section of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that aims to prevent a repetition of the atrocities of Hitler’s Germany, where compliant judges and courts served the aims of the Nazi regime, rather than the cause of justice in the interest of the people. Some guarantees of a fair trial, including the right to presumption of innocence, can also be found in Articles 6, 7, 8 and 11 of the Declaration.
The right to a fair trial has been accepted beyond dispute by every country (even if they do not always honour it). Fair trials not only protect suspects and defendants, they make societies safer and stronger by solidifying confidence in justice and the rule of law.
But what is a fair trial?
Boston Review and Standing Together—one of the largest grassroots people’s movements in Israel working to bring together Jews and Arabs—welcome Sally Abed, Noam Chomsky, Alon-lee Green, Congressman Jim McGovern and Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab-American Institute, for a panel discussion on the prospects for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine. This event will be moderated by Omar Dahi.
Panelists:
- Noam Chomsky is an educator and linguist. He joined the University of Arizona in fall 2017, after several decades at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Jim McGovern is a member of the U.S. House, representing Massachusetts’ second Congressional District.
- Omar Dahi is an associate professor of economics at Hampshire College and research associate at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Alon-lee Green is one of the founding members of Standing Together, an elected member of the national leadership, and is currently acting as the national co-director, alongside Rula Daood.
- Sally Abed is a member of the elected national leadership and currently acting as the resource development and relations coordinator at Standing Together.
- Dr. James Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community.
Sponsors: PERI Institute (U Mass. Amherst), Boston Review and Standing Together.
