On 10th December, this year, the International community will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on 10th December, 1948, in Paris.

The Universal Declaration focuses increased attention directly on human relations on a wide range of social issues such as the family, religion, employment, the state, and society as a whole. All members of the family of man are consequently encompassed within the Declaration irrespective of their original or present status and without distinction of race, sex, creed, language, birth, fortune, social condition or opinion. The Universal Declaration applies to all states or territories regardless of the political, juridical, economic, or international status of the country or whether or not it is a member of the United Nations.

The Declaration embraces all the rights and freedoms essential for the dignity and development of the human personality. It voices the deep rooted ending aspirations of all men to the right to life and to physical and juridical freedom; to spiritual and political freedom such as freedom of conscience, opinion and information; the right to work, to own property, to education, to leisure, to benefits of culture, and to engage in intellectual and artistic creation.

This is regardless of whether the society people live in is more advanced and provides basic rights or underdeveloped and deprives them of proper food, liberty and education. The Declaration therefore sets forth an ideal of achievements and marks out the guidelines for a vast programme of positive action.

But a glance at the realities of life today is enough to show that they fall far short of the ideal. No country, not even the most advanced, can pride itself on fulfilling all the Articles of the Declaration. Repeated violations of the right to life, killings and massacres with impunity, the exploitation of women, mass hunger and starvation, lack of proper education, disregard for freedom of conscience, opinion and expression, wide spread racial discrimination and segregation, arbitrary governments and many others are far too frequent to be denied.

But despite the many difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not allow our faith in the Universal Declaration, as an instrument of power and action to flag. It has served as a banner for all persons who have suffered mistreatment or persecution in any form.

Now that we possess an instrument capable of lifting or easing the burden of oppression, and injustice in the world, we must learn to use it. The Universal Declaration involves the responsibility of all of us and the responsibility of each one of us.

INSIDE:

Life in the Sudanese Refugee Camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Conditions in the War Torn Areas of Yei in Sudan

Plight of the Disabled in War Torn Areas of Sudan

Prisoners of war in the War Torn Areas of Yei

Repeated Attacks Make Adjumani Refugee Camp Insecure

The Role of Civil Society in Conflict Resolution

The Sudan Conflict: The Causes and the Attempts at Resolution

Famine Ravages South Sudan

A Standard of Achievement For all People to Aspire For Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The International Bill of Human Rights

SHRA ORGANISES A PERSONNEL TRAINING SEMINAR

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