This year marks the 75th anniversaryth Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document is the result of extensive negotiations among the countries that make up the recently created United Nations, and aims to establish a set of fundamental agreements to guarantee freedom, equality and dignity for all. did.
Considering the historical background of the time, there is no doubt that humanity was seeking such a declaration. While the effects of colonialism continued to ravage vast swaths of the globe, the world was finally coming to terms with the atrocities committed during World War II. Meanwhile, the feminist movement continued to gain momentum with a long road ahead.
This document is the most translated document in history and met the pressing needs of its time.
Fast forward to the present day, and the complex world we live in is facing a new crossroads. The cries of despair will be heard once again, but so will new and great opportunities.
Some of the challenges are well known. Growing authoritarianism grips much of the world. Lack of global leadership. The climate crisis and the catastrophic inaction of nations and corporations. Widespread inequality and attacks on human rights defenders, women and minorities, among others. But there are also new and more complex challenges, such as the impact of exploiting artificial intelligence. The development of software designed to monitor those who stand up to authority. A lack of oversight over the algorithms that fuel online hate speech with real-world consequences. Just to name a few, the serious impacts of climate change on our health and our planet.
These new challenges will undoubtedly require new approaches and global consensus. Our leaders carry out an agenda of equality and justice that takes into account the power and economic interests of big business and the needs of the people they serve, in the same spirit that brought them together in 1948. It is extremely important to return to the table with this determination. Let’s protect the right to a seat at the table, agreed upon years ago, and the rights of those whose voices have not been properly heard.
Decades of work with historically excluded and intentionally marginalized communities in the Americas, including indigenous peoples, Black communities, women, LGBTIQ+ people, and those facing the ravages of exploitation and environmental destruction. One of the most important lessons I learned was: That is, without them, change is impossible.
The world has come a long way since the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but some of the strategies used then still provide the answers we need to address the existential challenges we face today. You can get closer.
Over the past decade, in my role as Amnesty International’s Americas Director, I have led teams of researchers and activists to travel to some of the continent’s most dangerous regions, uncovering grave human rights violations including murder, arbitrary detention, and human rights abuses. I have been blessed with the opportunity to record this. Enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and land grabs, among others, draw attention to what millions of people face and help bring their stories to court, often securing justice. I am.
Over the years, we have supported thousands of people seeking justice, from the mothers and fathers of missing students in Ayotzinapa, Mexico, to indigenous and rural communities brutally repressed by security forces in Peru. We have supported We have documented cases of crimes against humanity in Venezuela and arbitrary detention and torture of people exercising their right to protest in Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, the United States, Colombia and elsewhere. We have also accompanied the victims of brutal repression in Nicaragua and Cuba, and the thousands of refugees who are taking part in the largest wave of forced migration in the continent’s history.
The situation in the Americas, the most violent and unequal region on earth, is tragic. The illegal use of force by states to silence those demanding accountability, the militarization of marginalized areas that have failed in their attempts to provide security, the censorship of journalists and human rights defenders, gender-based violence, racism, and unprecedented displacement. The crisis is made worse by incompetence. Or the failure of authorities to take action, bring those responsible to justice, and protect victims of abuse.
But the story doesn’t end there.
Here in the Americas, social movements have confronted a history of violence with incredible resilience and peaceful resistance, achieving milestones of great importance for the good of humanity. Latin America is a place today where diverse feminist movements are breaking down all possible barriers and making abortion rights a reality. Without the work of human rights defenders and victims’ relatives, there would be no justice in any case of state violence. This is where, after decades of tireless struggle, racism and its effects are finally being discussed. Home to the Amazon rainforest, the most biodiverse region on earth, historically oppressed indigenous peoples have succeeded in drawing attention to an issue they have been vocal about for decades. Did.
The world has come a long way since the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but some of the strategies used then can help address the existential challenges we face today, including a global leadership crisis. You can still get closer to the answers you need. .
Just like in 1948, our collective future depends on it.
Erica Guevara-Rosas teeth Senior Director of Research, Advocacy and Policy, Amnesty International
