The Town of Mansfield’s Human Rights Commission is urging the community to mark International Human Rights Day on Saturday, December 10. The commission submitted a Proclamation to the Town Council which was adopted that marks the anniversary of the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being -- regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. (Read the full Proclamation here.)
The UDHR articulates that these rights include freedom from discrimination, degrading treatment and equality before the law. Other rights include freedom from arbitrary arrest, interference with privacy, free movement, belief and religion and the right to participate in the cultural life of the community.
“The preamble of this document articulates that recognizing the dignity and rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,” says Jane Fried, Chair of the Mansfield Human Rights Commission. “On International Human Rights Day, and every day, we should ask ourselves about our own rights as human beings and the ways we can support and strengthen the rights of others in our community. Are we aware of violations of those rights when we see or experience them? Increasing understanding about basic human rights is an important part of the work of the Human Rights Commission.”
The Proclamation reinforces that “All residents of the Town of Mansfield and northeastern Connecticut are entitled to the same human rights as those articulated in the 1948 document issued by the United Nations.” It also reinforces the role of the Human Rights Commission in Mansfield:
•The Human Rights Commission exists to educate members of the public about their human rights;
•The Human Rights Commission will explore assertions of violations of human rights by residents of the town;
•The Human Rights Commission will continue to educate Mansfield residents about their rights;
•The Human Rights Commission will hold the Town Council and town employees to the standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration and will bring concerns about failure to live up to these standards to the attention of the Council and appropriate persons.
According to the United Nations, the International Human Rights Declaration is the most translated document in the world, and is available in more than 500 languages. The theme for the lead-up to the 75th anniversary of International Human Rights Day is Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.
More details on this document is available at these web pages:
https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
Details about the Human Rights Commission can be found on the Town of Mansfield’s website at https://www.mansfieldct.gov/1982/Human-Rights-Commission