Human Rights in Action

At the heart of all these efforts is respect for human rights, a set of globally accepted standards that are the birthright of all people by virtue of their humanity. These standards – called “the highest aspiration of the common people” –  have helped transform millions upon millions of lives. Our exhibits depict iconic human rights campaigns since the end of World War II and the brave and determined people who took a stand.

Human rights standards and principles appear in all major religious texts and the founding documents of many countries – from the Magna Carta and the French Declaration on the Rights of Man to the U.S. Constitution and the more recent constitutions of India, South Africa and other nations.

 

Human Rights in Action Gallery

    On December 10, 1948, drawing on cultural, religious and legal traditions from around the world, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – a “Bill of Rights for all humankind.”

    Would you be a bystander or upstander? “Upstanders” are people who help those targeted for violence or death – often at great personal risk. “Bystanders” are those who stand by and do nothing –by looking away, they can even appear to support the perpetrators.  

    Kids have their own proclamation of rights. The “Convention on the Rights of the Child” outlines the goals every nation should achieve for its young people.

    Every year, the NGO Freedom House evaluates the level of political rights and civil liberties in countries around the world. This map shows the degree to which people around the world are able to exercise their rights around the world.