Teaching Human Rights

It's vital that we teach our children tolerance, and why it's important to promote human rights.

Those of us who grew up a few decades ago had role models pushing for a better world. Kids today don't have that. Instead of hearing John Lennon ask us to "Give Peace a Chance" kids are listening to tales about Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan.

With this lack of positive role models pushing for a more tolerant world, it's up to us to help our children understand why this is important.

Youth for Human Rights International is a group composed of kids who are trying to change this. They are making tolerance and human rights "hip" and they are helping kids around the world by promoting human rights for everyone.

This is from one member:
"It’s pretty easy to see what is fair, and what is right, and how things should be. Getting that to happen is something different, and we believe this starts with people knowing what human rights are, and knowing that they are entitled to these rights, and must grant these rights to others.

Martin Luther King Jr. said 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'

People generally understand that you shouldn't discriminate on the basis of skin color or nationality or religion, but this happens every day all over the world. Wars are fought over these differences between people.

My parents and grandparents grew up in a time when skin color kept people from getting fair treatment and actually this is still happening today. In some countries, this unfair treatment is legal, but it continues to occur even when there are laws against it.

It’s pretty obvious that the demand for protection of human rights can not only come from governments, it must come from the people. That is why we consider it very important that we all know our rights, and insist that they be granted to ourselves and others.

It is completely natural that we are disturbed and repulsed by violence and threats of terror around the world.

Now we must take it upon ourselves to help each other, to get the declaration of human rights known and taught everywhere.

I believe that in using these materials, the booklets, the PSAs, all of it, we can really make a change, and I’m asking all of you to come on board with me, help get these rights known."

You can read more and get the PSAs (public service announcements) and booklets here:
Human Rights - Washington D.C.
Human Rights Group on MySpace