Human Rights Day

December is host to many holiday celebrations. One of the lesser-known is Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, which coincides with the 1948 passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

After the genocide and trauma of World War II, the U.N. sought to lay out a minimum set of rights for every person on the planet, regardless of "race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." The first article of the declaration reads:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Included among the other 29 articles are freedom from slavery, the right to an education, equality before the law, the right to asylum, and the rejection of torture. This document holds a world record for most translations, with versions available in more than 500 languages.

The theme of this year's Human Rights Day is "All Human, All Equal," which the U.N. is using to call for a new social contract with equality at its core. Though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made more than 70 years ago, many forms of discrimination still exist, especially against some of the most vulnerable people: women, Indigenous people, those of African descent, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, migrants and others.

To learn some ways you can take action and show support for equality on Human Rights Day, check out these U.N. resources.

Veridian is committed to being a credit union where everyone belongs. This article series spotlights different groups to encourage mutual understanding and to help create communities where everyone feels welcome.