December is Universal Human Rights Month and there’s a lot to learn about global human rights, starting with the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was written in 1948 and calls for “fundamental human rights to be universally protected”. It’s been translated into more than 500 languages and sets a standard by which all people should be treated.
Human Rights pop up in the news on the regular – so take a few minutes to explore these Human Rights issue pages from PBS NewsHour, NPR, and Democracy Now! It’s likely that your favorite news source also has a Human Rights topic page – just type the source and “human rights” or #humanrights into your browser and bask in the glory of a wide range of web-based resources.
Human rights issues often have a common denominator – money. When people don’t have enough of it, or are desperate to earn it, bad situations can arise. Some people argue that governments could provide a Universal Basic Income, commonly referred to as UBI, to ensure that all people can meet their basic needs. Others say the expense is too high. Check out the module – Should governments provide universal basic income? – to help you decide how you feel on thinkalong.org.
Educator Resource: Free education in the primary grades is one of the universal human rights sought by the UN. Globally, when access to education intersects with girls, there is not equity. Girls Speak Out is a lesson plan about universal access to primary education, a human right, and gender equity.