You Have Rights No Matter Where You Go
Article Six of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was developed to protect the rights of all individuals.
This article states that, “Everyone has the human right to be recognized everywhere as a person before the law.” In turn, this means that no matter where you are in the world, you have the legal right to be accepted and treated as a person.
The UDHR and its 30 articles hold many countries around the world accountable for ensuring that the rights of it citizens are protected.
However, the recent political rhetoric and climate globally has led many of us to question the basic rights of individuals from various race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion — and this issue has already been settled.
The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights provide broad human rights protections for all citizens. You will also find that many of the rights listed in the Constitution are equivalent to the rights contained in UDHR, especially as it relates to political, or legal, rights. One illustration of this would be Article 6 of the UDHR and the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which both focus on ensuring equal protection for all.
Over the last year, we have seen the current Administration enforce policies or bans in the form of executive orders which target the rights of LGBTQI people and Muslims.
If we all have the right to be recognized as a person before the law, our religious beliefs and sexual orientation must never come into question.
As we know, the U.S. Constitution provides us protections as it relates to civil and political rights. However, we continue to fall short in recognizing the economic, social, and cultural rights guaranteed in the UDHR.
Violations of one’s rights to be recognized as a person before the law must no longer continue. As people and citizens, our economic, social, cultural, health, and other rights that come with occupying public space must be protected and valued.
Whether you live in Washington DC, the United States, or elsewhere in the world, we must all be guaranteed — and respect — an adequate standard of living and each one of our 30 basic human rights, which allow us to live our lives in dignity.
Learn more about what you can do to help improve human rights in the DC area by joining the UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee and help make a difference in your community. Contact us today.
This post was written by LaniceChaynea, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee Member, as part of an ongoing series focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
