by Mary Manning, Heidelberg IWC
There are many kinds of literacy – basic reading and writing, digital literacy, health literacy, cultural literacy, etc. – but one of the most fundamental is human rights literacy. Understanding our basic human rights is vital for social cohesion – emphasizing our common humanity above our individual differences. Human rights reflect essential human needs, establishing the standards without which people cannot live in dignity. They emphasize equality, respect, freedom and justice. They are universal and inalienable.
But how can we defend our human rights and those of others if we don’t work to improve our human rights literacy? Here are some ways you can learn more about human rights and keep up to date about important developments, as human rights continue to be attacked in various parts of the world.
1. 
Spend some time reading and thinking about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – or better yet, listen to the FAWCO members read it as part of the actions to commemorate the *16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence and World Human Rights Day. Eleanor Roosevelt was named Chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1946, with only one other female member, Hansa Mehta of India. The commission was tasked with developing a global roadmap for human rights. Its achievement was establishing the universality of human rights – i.e., that they apply to all human beings, regardless of gender, race, religion, nationality or culture. Since it was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been the blueprint for more than 80 international treaties, declarations, conventions, bills, and constitutional provisions, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
2. Scroll like a Human Rights Defender! Use your social media platforms to follow important accounts (like the UN Commision on Human Rights and Amnesty International) and activists such as Nadia Murad, an Iraqi Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador who advocates for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. In 2014, she was kidnapped and held by ISIS; she later founded Nadia’s Initiative to help other victims rebuild their lives. You can curate your social media to reflect the issues that matter most to you and receive the latest information about things like the women-led protests in Iran or the struggle of young women in Afghanistan to continue their education.
3. Read like a Human Rights Defender! Human Rights Watch put together a list of recommended books that explores various issues and stories from around the world. In addition, the FAWCO Human Rights Team plans to host a Global Issues Book Discussion on In The Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This story tells of the Mirabal sisters who were murdered by order of the Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo, on November 25, 1961. In honor of the sisters, human rights activists lobbied to mark November 25 as an International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Why not join us for an evening of thoughtful discussion and begin building your community of human rights defenders? Date to be announced soon!
4. Check out the list of resources that the FAWCO Human Rights Team put together to guide your journey in human rights literacy. It includes general information on human rights, as well as information on specific issues such as human trafficking, gender-based violence and race.
5. Become a Human Rights Defender! Why not join the FAWCO Human Rights Team? No experience necessary! We are a group of women who advocate for human rights by engaging in awareness and action campaigns and we love having new members who bring enthusiasm to the work of human rights. Send an email to our team to be included on the closed mailing list.
* 16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence is November 25 to December 10
World Human Rights Day is December 10
Photo of Eleanor Roosevelt: FDR Presidential Library & Museum, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons