Youth standing up for Human Rights:let them be the decision-makers

Though Sri Lanka is again having problems with the international community over alleged human rights violations, none could deny it is a vital right. That is why some 200 countries will today hold various ceremonies to mark International Human Rights Day (IHRD). The UN marks different issues such as International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday, but analysts say the most important days are the International Human Rights Day and the International Women’s Day on March 8.

US war-time President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving US First Lady while her husband was President from 1933 to 1945, among other things, shared a gem of wisdom on human rights. Eleanor Roosevelt has said: “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on maps of the world. Yet, they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he/she lives in; the school or college he/she attends; the factory, farm, or office where he/she works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the 
larger world.”

So important and inspiring are these gold-letter words from the former US First Lady that most analysts wonder how the same US could have produced President Donald Trump who is widely seen as a pathological liar and undependable ally. As we said recently, the Washington Post reported that since his election President Trump had publicly uttered more than 12,000 lies. It gave substance to this by quoting what he has said and what the real situation was on various issues.

The Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): A milestone document proclaiming the inalienable rights, which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Though the UN does not say this, we are indeed sad that Mr Trump is violating those rights routinely, repeatedly and without repentance.

Available in more than 500 languages, the UDHR is one of the most translated documents in the world. The 2019 theme is Youth Standing Up for Human Rights.
“After a year marked by the 30th-anniversary celebrations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which culminated on November 20 this year, we plan to capitalise on the current momentum and spotlight the leadership role of youth in collective movements as a source of inspiration for a better future,” the UN says.

The world body says that under its universal call to action “Stand Up for Human rights,” it aims to celebrate the potential of youth as constructive agents of change, amplify their voices, and engage a broad range of global audiences in the promotion and protection of rights. The campaign, led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is designed to encourage, galvanise, and showcase how youth all over the world stand up for rights and against racism, hate speech, bullying, discrimination, and climate change, to name a few.
According to the UN, youth participation is essential to achieve sustainable development for all. Participation in public life is a fundamental principle of human rights. Young people are seeking to participate in all decisions that have a direct and indirect impact on their well-being. They need to be heard to inform more effective decision-making and achieve sustainable development for all. Youth can play a crucial role in positive change. Young people have always been major drivers of political, economic and social transformation. They are at the forefront of grassroots mobilisation for positive change and bring fresh ideas and solutions for a better world.

Sri Lanka, while dealing effectively with any country trying to interfere in our internal affairs, needs to change its mission and goals on UDHR issues, and as the 2019 theme says bring our creative, enterprising, imaginative youth to the front and centre of key issues including political decision making, poverty alleviation, the battle against climate change and of course in information technology issues including the latest marvels in Artificial Intelligence, robotic technology and related matters.