Freedom is everything

TODAY, Human Rights Day, marks the day in 1948 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That was a different time entirely to the world in which we now live, but the meaning of the document remains as potent as ever.

At that stage, citizens of the world might have thought the worst atrocity that could happen was the Holocaust. Today, we have seen other genocides. We’ve seen other wars wipe out hundreds of thousands of people. We’ve seen mothers and children running across borders to try to escape conflict that could easily otherwise result in their deaths.

It’s not that the world was better in 1948. But the sad truth is that this humanitarian document had little impact on many nations and many people. Destruction continued, regardless.

It remains up to all of us to put pressure on our leadership to end human rights abuses. This is prevalent even in South Africa, and in other Western-style democracies which pride themselves on having extended a range of personal and civic freedoms.

Two major human rights abuses – domestic violence and poverty – remain major issues in our country. As 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children ends today, it is clear that we need better mechanisms to achieve the aims of the campaign. Instead, 16 Days 2015 was likely to have been as ineffective in our country as it has been in the past in shifting a dangerous gender status quo. But there’s hope.

This year’s Human Rights Day is devoted to the launch of a year-long campaign for the 50th anniversary of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and revolves around freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear – the principles which underpin the International Bill of Human Rights.

Perhaps this will offer a valuable opportunity to put our muscle into working together with other countries to try to create a better one for ourselves.