Welcome to Our blog
On this page you will find an example of the application of Article 19, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” You are not being asked to agree with what is written in the blog posts, just to consider the viewpoint and defend the right to say it.
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
– Evelyn Beatrice Hall expressing the thoughts of Voltaire
Freedom & Human Rights
Defining “Equal”
The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins by saying “We are all born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Beautiful words but what exactly is meant by ‘equal’? There are a few definitions for the word ‘equal’ so to find out, I decided to research what the main architect of the document, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, may have meant. What was the context in which the word was being used?
How Do We Gain Freedom for All?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles, each addressing a specific right. This blog will focus on Article 4, which reads: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”
This is a right that most people would say, of course, you should not hold another human being in slavery or servitude! And yet, some estimates suggest over 40,000,000 people are enslaved in the world today in either labor trafficking or sex trafficking. It is a difficult statistic to actually track since perpetrators are not voluntarily reporting it.
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition defines Human Trafficking as the recruitment, transport, sale, or receipt of persons within or across national borders through force, fraud, or coercion to place the persons in slavery or slavery-like work conditions. Traffickers use violence, threats, blackmail, false promises, deception, manipulation, and debt bondage to trap vulnerable individuals in horrific situations.
Strengthening Respect for Human Rights
When the United Nations’ General Assembly first adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, they called upon all member countries “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded¹ principally in schools and other educational institutions without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.” Yet one of the questions I hear most frequently in my human rights workshops is: “Why didn’t we ever learn this before?”
What Does it Take to Live the Pledge?
Do you remember back in grade school when we started our day with the Pledge of Allegiance? With right hand over heart, we recited this pledge every day while admiring our Flag. I remember feeling very proud but not sure I truly understood what I was actually pledging OR, that someday it might take something more than words to fulfill the pledge–it might require action.
What if We Truly Achieved the Full Development of the Human Personality for Everyone?
On December 10, 1948, 56 member countries of the United Nations came together and adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This Declaration contains 30 separate articles or “Rights” that we all have simply by the fact of...
Where Does Peace Begin?
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21st. The United Nations’ General Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Is peace simply the absence of war and violence? Or, do each of us contribute to peace every day of our lives?
We Touch the World and the World Touches Us
Back in May 2020, I received a message on LinkedIn that seemed “out of the blue”. The message basically said, Hello! hope you are doing fine! It’s been a while! Crazy times we are in right now huh?!! Wow! I was talking with a colleague...
How Much Are You Willing to Give for FREEDOM?
On a walk this morning through my hometown, I passed by a Historic house that I’ve seen many times-- the George Taylor House, signer of the Declaration of Independence. This July 4th, 2020, made me wonder how much our Founding Fathers had...
Business & Human Rights
Connecting Purpose, Profit and Culture, Part III
Part III: Creating & Maintaining a Good Business Culture Isn’t Just Good for Business Businesses each have their own unique culture which contribute to the larger world culture. What kind of contribution is your business making? We...
Connecting Purpose, Profit and Culture, Part II
Bringing Businesses and Human Rights to Life Locally Eleanor Roosevelt, the primary architect and driving force behind the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, once said with great eloquence and truth: “Where, after all, do...
Connecting Purpose, Profit, and Culture, Part I
Aligning Businesses with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Why Businesses Should Care and How They Might Benefit More and more studies show that doing good contributes to a company of any size doing well. Social...
Health & Human Rights
The Right to Know the Impact of What’s in Our Food
We all have the right to food! We also have the right to know the definition of food, the purpose of food, and the impact of each of the ingredients in our food. For that, we need to be educated—likely self-educated.
The Right to Health and Well Being
There is so much packed in this particular UDHR Article that it is difficult to address all in a short blog. This blog will touch on pieces of the Right to Health. If we can agree that there are 3 parts to a human being–body, mind and spirit–then, in order to have true healthcare or healing, we would need to consider and address all the parts–the whole–in any medication, treatment or therapy prescribed.
Are You Ready to Give Up on Being Healthy?
Let’s begin with the definition of the word ‘health’. Merriam-Webster defines ‘health’ as the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; freedom from physical disease or pain; a condition in which someone or something is...
UDHR Articles
Defining “Equal”
The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins by saying “We are all born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Beautiful words but what exactly is meant by ‘equal’? There are a few definitions for the word ‘equal’ so to find out, I decided to research what the main architect of the document, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, may have meant. What was the context in which the word was being used?
Law and Order: The Rules of the Game
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right. This blog post focuses on Articles 6-11 which are all related to law and order. Law and order are necessary to keep a civilization running smoothly. This is similar to a game where each person needs to know and follow the rules or there really is no game, only chaos.
Treat People with Kindness
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right. This blog post focuses on Article 5 which reads: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
How Do We Gain Freedom for All?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles, each addressing a specific right. This blog will focus on Article 4, which reads: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”
This is a right that most people would say, of course, you should not hold another human being in slavery or servitude! And yet, some estimates suggest over 40,000,000 people are enslaved in the world today in either labor trafficking or sex trafficking. It is a difficult statistic to actually track since perpetrators are not voluntarily reporting it.
Right to Life, Liberty, and Security of Person
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right. This blog will focus on Article 3 which reads: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.”
Current events would make it seem like this right does not exist at all, especially for civilians in Ukraine. The truth is this human right belongs to everyone…
March 1st is Zero Discrimination Day
Zero Discrimination Day is a day that is observed annually on March 1st. This holiday was created by the United Nations in 2014 to promote equality throughout the world.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right. Article 2 addresses zero discrimination and reads: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Act Towards One Another in a Spirit of Brotherhood
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right that we all have. Article 1 reads: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and in rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
These are beautiful words and most people would probably agree that We should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Unfortunately, statistics show we are not doing so well in this regard.
Education is a Human Right
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming January 24 as International Day of Education. Education is essential for both lifting people out of poverty and unlocking each person’s full potential.