Human Rights Day 2025
Human Rights Day is an international day held annually on December 10, which commemorates the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. As we celebrate the 77th anniversary of the UDHR, we recognize that the UDHR transformed how nations view the importance of liberty, dignity, and justice.
As we look toward Human Rights Day (HRD) in 2025, we are forced to reflect on how the world has changed. Today, the world is experiencing dramatic political upheaval, increasing social conflict, growing distrust of information sources, and an ever-increasing level of fear and uncertainty among people everywhere. Many feel they are not being heard or acknowledged, resulting in a loss of connection to one another.
In response to these negative changes, the United Nations has chosen the theme "Our Every Day Essential" to shape HRD 2025. The UN states that “in turbulent times, human rights remain a winning idea for humanity.”
The UN emphasizes several points about the importance of HRD and how human rights shape our lives at both individual and societal levels.
In summary, the UN stresses that human rights influence the way we express ourselves; that human rights provide a foundation for the right to quality education; that human rights guarantee everyone’s right to equal treatment; that human rights ensure individuals are free from discrimination; and that human rights allow all of us to live with dignity.
Sadly, many people take these rights for granted. They often forget how critical they are in our daily lives. Therefore, the goal of the United Nations, and all those involved with the UN, is to bring about awareness and understanding of the fundamental human rights that shape our world.
Human Rights: Positive, Essential, and Attainable
Human rights do more than give us protection; they create and sustain an environment of safety, happiness, and dignity in our everyday lives. Human rights are in the food we consume; in the air we exhale; in the words we write, the opportunities we have, and the ways in which we are protected from harm. There are no human right abstractions or concepts—the things we create through the actions we take influence every aspect of our daily lives.
Human rights represent the foundational principles that everyone is entitled to, regardless of race, gender, belief, ethnicity, etc. As people around the world are faced with challenges and adversity, human rights will remain as constants that provide common ground for everyone. Humans are entitled to safe havens, freedom to express their truths, and freedom to participate in community decision-making.
Human rights can be achieved through our actions as individuals, as a community, and through our collaboration with others. If people treat each other with dignity; speak out against anything that is unfair; listen to people who have experienced some level of marginalization—these acts will create a culture of fairness and respect for all. When we come together with other community members, with others who are standing up for their rights and with others who work toward creating a more just society, human rights will continue to grow stronger and to create a world of justice and equality for everyone. By recognizing and exercising our human rights on a daily basis, we are paving the way for a world where we can live safely and with compassion toward others.
The Importance of Human Rights for the Years Ahead 2025
Human Rights continue to develop even through the challenges of technological developments, the instability of nations, and the unforeseen changes people will be facing. Additionally, false information about politics and division among them, social and economic disconnections, and digital privacy concerns show how people are affected by these global issues. Although they may appear insignificant, they are not. These are things you have every day as human rights, and it is our responsibility to educate ourselves concerning human rights and what they mean.
One reminder on Human Rights Day every year is that human rights influence your ability to talk, go to school, work, etc. Human Rights create the most basic foundation of what it takes for more peaceful, cooperative countries.
So many people still do not value their human rights. They forget that every time they make a choice, they are either promoting or harming their human rights. So many people do not understand what human rights mean, and it is so important to create global awareness of human rights. Each individual has the responsibility to protect/promote human rights through making equal decisions, respecting our differences, speaking up for injustice, etc.The future of humankind depends on it.