A is for

Activism

Activism (noun): taking action to bring about

political or social change

Activism means standing up and fighting for 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 for

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 for

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 for your rights as a human.

(By Caitlin Smith and Claire Goldberg)

D is for

Dignity

Dignity (noun): being worthy of respect

We all have the right to our dignity.

(By Alana Feldman)

E is for

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 for

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 for

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 for

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 for equality,

their independence was granted.

(Travis Fujita & Omar Sanchez)

H is for

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 for

Injustice

Injustice (noun): A bad/wrong act in the world,

which violates someone’s rights, or the well-

being of another human

It is unjust, or unfair that not all human beings are given equal rights.

(By Linda Gordon)

J is for

Justice

Justice (noun): the concept or act of being fair

Everyone deserves human rights.

Protect equality with justice.

(By Max Gumbel)

K is for

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 for

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 for

Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK Jr. was an American civil rights activist

who advocated equality for citizens of all

ethnicities and backgrounds. He led a non-

violent movement to end racial segregation and

discrimination based on skin color.

Photo from Wikipedia.com

N is for

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-enforced racial segregation. He

made many personal sacrifices to stick up for

what he believed in, and at one point he was

even imprisoned for doing so.

Photo from africawithin.com

O is for

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 fortunate children the education

that they deserve. She has created movies and

TV shows to bring attention to the importance

of fighting for human rights around the world.

Photo from image.com

P is for

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 for

Question

Question your actions before 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.

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R is for

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 for

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 for

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 for justice

and equality.

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U is for

Universal

Universal describes something that reaches

every person around the world. All Human

Rights are universal, which means that every

person everywhere has them.

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V is for

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 for

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. Before positive change can

occur, there must be a strong desire or will for the change first.

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X is for

Xenophobia

Xenophobia is the strong fear of people who are

foreign 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.

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Y is for

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.

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Z is for

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 for reflection to think, “What is the

Zeitgeist of my community?”

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