Universal Declaration of Human Rights

     
     
          On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly
          of the United Nations adopted this declaration
          as the standard that all people deserve,
          and proclaimed that it should
          be publicized everywhere!
           
     
     
      Article 1       All people are born free.  All people are born equal and so have equal
      rights.  People can think for themselves and understand what's going on
      around them.  Everyone should act as brothers and sisters.

      Article 2       These rights and freedoms are meant to be enjoyed by everyone, no
      matter what class, race, gender, nationality, religion or political
      alignment; no matter what part of the world, country or family they are from.

      Article 3       Everyone has the right to live, the right to be free and the right to
      personal safety.

      Article 4       No one can be someone else's slave.

      Article 5       No one shall be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading
      treatment  or punishment.

      Article 6       The law must be the same for everyone, everywhere.

      Article 7       The law must protect everyone.

      Article 8       People have the right to protection by the courts, so that their
      rights are respected.

      Article 9       People cannot be arrested, held or sent away from their country for
       unjust reasons.

      Article 10      Everyone has the right to a fair trial.

      Article 11      (1) People who are accused of doing something wrong are to be thought
       innocent until proven guilty.  (2) No one can receive a big punishment for
       a small crime.

      Article 12      No one has the right to interfere in other people's private
      lives, families,        homes or correspondence.  No one can attack or lie about a
      person.

      Article 13      (1) People have the right of free movement within their country.
      (2)  People have the right to leave any country, even their own, and then
      return.

      Article 14      (1) People have the right to seek shelter and safety in other
      countries without being told to go home.  (2) People are denied this right when they
      have broken the law.

      Article 15      (1) Everyone has the right to belong to a nation.  (2) No person
      or people shall have their nationality taken away from them.  Everyone
      also has the right to change their nationality, if they want to.

      Article 16      (1) All men and women, no matter what race, religion, or nationality,
       have the right to get married and start a family as equal partners once
       they have reached a certain age.  (2) A man and a woman can get
       married only if they both agree, and both have equal rights in the marriage.
      (3)  The family is a natural and important part of society and should be
      protected by the law.

      Article 17      (1) Everyone has the right to own property, alone and with others.
      (2)  Anything that belongs to a person cannot be taken away from them
      unless there is a fair reason.

      Article 18      People have the right to their own beliefs and to practice their own
       religion and beliefs in private or in public, alone or with others.

      Article 19      Everyone has the right to think the way they like and to share their
      thoughts openly with others.

      Article 20      (1) All people have the right to meet together and to form groups.
      (2)  No one can be forced into a group if he or she does not want to join.

      Article 21      (1) Everyone has the right to participate in their government.
      (2)  Everyone has equal access to serve in any position in the government of
      their country.  (3) A government's authority comes from the will of the
      people.  The government must hold regular elections and everyone has the
      right to vote.
       

      Article 22      People's money, reputation, and identity are to be protected by
      their country.

      Article 23      (1) Everyone has the right to work.  People have the right to
      choose their job.  Everyone has the right to good working conditions and protection
      against unemployment.  (2)  Everyone has the right to equal pay for equal
      work  (3) People should earn enough to keep themselves and their
      families healthy, to give them enough food to eat and enough clothes to
      wear, somewhere to live, and medical attention when they are ill.
      (4)  Everyone has the right to form and join trade unions.

      Article 24      Everyone has the right to rest.  They should have a limited number of
      working hours and should be paid while they are on holiday.

      Article 25      (1) Everyone has the right to necessary food, clothing, housing,
      medical care and social services.  Everyone has the right to economic security
      during unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, or old age.
      (2)  Mothers and children have the right to special care and assistance.
      All children have the same rights, whether their parents are married or not.

      Article 26      (1) Everyone has the right to go to school and school must be free.
      Everyone should have access to technical and professional education.
      Education should emphasize understanding, tolerance and friendship
      among all nations, races and religious groups.  Education should support
      the United Nations work to maintain peace.  (2) Education should allow
      us to grow as much as possible and respect human rights and freedom.
      (3)  Parents can choose where their children will go to school.

      Article 27      (1) Everyone has the right to participate in the cultural expression of
      their community and to enjoy its art, literature, the benefits of science.
      (2)  Everyone is protected from those who might copy or steal their ideas.

      Article 28      Everyone has the right to live in a world where this document
      will be followed.

      Article 29      (1) Everyone is responsible to the community in which they live.
      (2)  Laws are established to protect everyone's human rights.  (3) People
      cannot use their freedom to violate the human rights of others.

      Article 30      Nothing that is written in this document may be used to justify
      taking away the rights and freedoms set out in this declaration.
       

    *This document does not explicitly acknowledge the human right to all sexual
    orientations, although it upholds the right for all people to be themselves.
    Article 16 defines heterosexual notions of family, not acknowledging the
    various forms of families that exist in our world.

    *Article 25 - Special assistance is not defined, but could mean economic,
    such as:  maternity leave or day care.

    In 1948, this declaration was approved.
    However, not everyone knows of or respects this
    document.  It is important that it be read and taught in
    schools everywhere, all over the world.
     

    An adaptation by Peace At Home, Inc.
     
     

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