Peace can never be achieved in the presence of prejudice,hatred and intolerance, which are the root causes of conflicts and many human rights violations. Unless we understand these ill feelings, ill treatment and change our perception towards life, we will not learn to respect and be an instrument to promote peace.
In this month, International Human Rights Day on December 10th, each person should affirm that equality and non-discrimination are fundamental and underlying principles of human rights.
On December 10th, in every part of the world, men, women and children of all faiths and tongues, of every colour and creed, will gather to embrace our common human rights. Civil Society groups work for freedom from fear, freedom from want, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for the equal rights of all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion as our guiding principle: putting people first in everything we do.
Think Centre strives to promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [10th December 1948] and United Nations Millennium Declaration[8th September 2000]
I. Values and principles
6. We consider certain fundamental values to be essential to international relations in the twenty-first century. These include:
• Freedom. Men and women have the right to live their lives and raise their children in dignity, free from hunger and from the fear of violence, oppression or injustice. Democratic and participatory governance based on the will of the people best assures these rights.
• Equality. No individual and no nation must be denied the opportunity to benefit from development. The equal rights and opportunities of women and men must be assured.
• Solidarity. Global challenges must be managed in a way that distributes the costs and burdens fairly in accordance with basic principles of equity and social justice. Those who suffer or who benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most.
• Tolerance. Human beings must respect one other, in all their diversity of belief, culture and language. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset of humanity. A culture of peace and dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted.
• Respect for nature. Prudence must be shown in the management of all living species and natural resources, in accordance with the precepts of sustainable development. Only in this way can the immeasurable riches provided to us by nature be preserved and passed on to our descendants. The current unsustainable patterns of production and consumption must be changed in the interest of our future welfare and that of our descendants.
• Shared responsibility. Responsibility for managing worldwide economic and social development, as well as threats to international peace and security, must be shared among the nations of the world and should be exercised multilaterally. As the most universal and most representative organization in the world, the United Nations must play the central role.
V. Human rights, democracy and good governance
24. We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development.
25. We resolve therefore:
• To respect fully and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• To strive for the full protection and promotion in all our countries of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights for all.
• To strengthen the capacity of all our countries to implement the principles and practices of democracy and respect for human rights, including minority rights.
• To combat all forms of violence against women and to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
• To take measures to ensure respect for and protection of the human rights of migrants, migrant workers and their families, to eliminate the increasing acts of racism and xenophobia in many societies and to promote greater harmony and tolerance in all societies.
• To work collectively for more inclusive political processes, allowing genuine participation by all citizens in all our countries.
• To ensure the freedom of the media to perform their essential role and the right of the public to have access to information.
Think Centre promotes life-long Human Rights Education. Think Centres promotes the United Nations Millennium Declaration's fundamental values and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They provide the values necessary to survive in a globalized world with dignity.
Sources and Relevant Links:
UN Charter of the United Nations
UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
UN Declaration on the Right to Development
UN Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals
UN International Human Rights Instruments
UN The International Bill of Human Rights
UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
UN Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Think Centre Singapore: Constitutional Rights
Think Centre Marking Human Rights Day
