A is Activism Activism (noun): taking action to bring about political or social change Activism means standing up and fighting what you believe in even if it seems impossible. Everyone is born with rights. When you feel like these rights are taken away from you, you need to be active and change what is wrong. It might seem hard to stand up to others, but where would we be without the first people who tried to make a change? (By Ava Pomerantz and Tatiana Bedi)
B is Birthright Birthright (noun): a right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth. Human rights are a birthright of every person. Because we are human beings, we all deserve the same rights from the moment we are born.
C is Choice Choice (noun): the power to make a decision when you have different options to choose from You have the right of choice and you can choose to be who you are. You, as a human being, have the right of freedom, justice, and peace in the world. You can choose to step up and fight your rights as a human. (By Caitlin Smith and Claire Goldberg)
D is Dignity Dignity (noun): being worthy of respect We all have the right to our dignity. (By Alana Feldman)
E is Equality Equality (noun): the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities. Everyone is born equal. Because of equality, we should all have the right to an education. (By Mika Misra & Francesca Crowley)
F is Freedom Freedom (noun): the ability to move where you want, and when you want, without someone of authority controlling you. Freedom is the right to express your own thoughts and opinions, even if the government and others do not agree with you. (By Julia Gordon and Jason Oyakawa)
G is Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi, better known as simply "Gandhi" was a major civil/human rights leader. Gandhi was born in India on October 2, 1869 and is best known non-violent and peaceful protests to obtain human rights. In Gandhi's time, India was ruled by Britain. Indians were treated very badly, and the people of India wanted independence. Gandhi led Indians by protesting without violence. He would have others join him in marches, refuse to work, sit in streets, and boycott. These protests would mean very little if only a few people joined, but when a whole nation (India) followed Gandhi's idea of non-violence equality, their independence was granted. (Travis Fujita & Omar Sanchez)
H is Humanity Humanity (noun): The human race; human beings collectively Humanity is what makes someone human. It is something like a feeling or trait that someone can share with most other people. (By Elsie Andreyev)
I is Injustice Injustice (noun): A bad/wrong act in the world, which violates someone s rights, or the wellbeing of another human It is unjust, or unfair that not all human beings are given equal rights. (By Linda Gordon)
J is Justice Justice (noun): the concept or act of being fair Everyone deserves human rights. Protect equality with justice. (By Max Gumbel)
K is Kindness Kindness (noun): The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate If you are kind to somebody, then they will be kind back to you! If every person in the world treated each other with kindness, everybody would be happy. Spread kindness! (By Chloe Cohen)
L is Learning Learning (noun): to learn is to gain knowledge through experiences, studying, and practice. What else does learning mean to you? (By Rachel Kiekhofer)
M is Martin Luther King Jr. MLK Jr. was an American civil rights activist who advocated equality citizens of all ethnicities and backgrounds. He led a nonviolent movement to end racial segregation and discrimination based on skin color. Photo from Wikipedia.com
N is Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela was the President of South Africa from 1994-1999. He was an anti-apartheid activist, which meant that he fought to end government-enced racial segregation. He made many personal sacrifices to stick up what he believed in, and at one point he was even imprisoned doing so. Photo from africawithin.com
O is Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is a very influential African- American TV host who promotes the importance of human rights. She started a school to bring a group of less tunate children the education that they deserve. She has created movies and TV shows to bring attention to the importance of fighting human rights around the world. Photo from image.com
P is Peace Peace is a state of harmony where everyone gets along and violence is nonexistent. World Peace cannot be achieved until every person s basic Human Rights are recognized. Peace is freedom from hunger, poverty, and disease. Everyone deserves to live his or her life with peace. Pictures from 321coloringpages.com,Wikipedia.com
Q is Question Question your actions bee you act. By taking time to reflect on what you are doing, you will be able to recognize when your actions might not be in support of the basic principles of Human Rights. Thinking about the consequences of our actions first can keep us from doing something that might hurt others. ClipArt
R is Respect Respect is a feeling people show towards others and towards themselves. It means recognizing that someone s life has value and that they deserve the same things as everyone else. When you respect someone, you are showing them that you think they are important. Farm4.static.flickr.com
S is Social Justice Social Justice is an ideal that must be pursued. It would exist in a society based on equality, where human rights are valued, and where the dignity of every human being is recognized and protected. Thebirn.com
T is Together When many people work with each other as one group, they are working together to achieve a goal. Some goals are too difficult to be achieved alone. Protecting the rights of others is too great a task to be completed by just one person, so it is important that people around the world come together to strive justice and equality. 2.bp.blogspot.com
U is Universal Universal describes something that reaches every person around the world. All Human Rights are universal, which means that every person everywhere has them. 1.bp.blogspot.com
V is Values Values are ideas that you believe are important. Values guide your decisions and actions. Some values include love, equality, and education. sathyasaibaba.foles.wordpress.com
W is Will When someone chooses to act purposefully and with determination in pursuing peace or justice, they are seen as having the will to do what is right. Bee positive change can occur, there must be a strong desire or will the change first. Clipartmountain.com
X is Xenophobia Xenophobia is the strong fear of people who are eign or different. Someone who has Xenophobia would be afraid of people from other countries. This is a bad thing. It is important to accept people all around the world by understanding that differences make the world a more interesting and beautiful place. Free.clipartof.com
Y is Yes Yes is a simple word, but it is a positive word of possibility, agreement, and consent. Yes is the opposite of no. When thinking about our future goals, such as peace and justice, we should never say no. It is important to remind ourselves that yes, these things are possible if we work hard enough. free.clipart.com
Z is Zeitgeist Zeitgeist is the defining mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. It is known as the spirit of the time. Looking at the ABCs of Human Rights and reflecting on your own community, what do you love? What do you want to change? It can be a time reflection to think, What is the Zeitgeist of my community? www.sxc.hu/pic