In anticipation of the Declaration’s 50th Anniversary, the Hon. Walter F. McLean and Peter-André Globensky undertook a national consultation on behalf of UNA-Canada to determine whether Canadians were interested in commemorating this special occasion. The consultation found significant support at both governmental and non-governmental levels across the country for commemorating the anniversary. In the report of the consultation, 101 activities were suggested as possible ways to commemorate the Declaration’s 50th Anniversary. These ideas were not limited to our Association!! The Report was circulated widely to government offices and organizations or individuals which had participated in one way or another in the consultation process. A number of these activities and concepts have been elaborated on below, however, in order to stimulate ideas on how you might celebrate the Anniversary while raising awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration. None of the ideas are cast in stone - and many are ideas that can be promoted to others for their action, rather than for direct action by your own group. It is not necessary, or even possible, for any group "to do it all" on their own, but we can all be catalysts to activate other segment of our communities. Don’t let the length of ideas terrify you - find the ones that tickle your fancy or tweak your interest - and fit into your own priorities and resources.

1. Building on Existing Events:

While rewarding, it takes a great deal of work to establish highly visible events from scratch. On the other hand there are events that will happen in every community on an annual basis that could be targeted or focused on human rights issues. To save your limited time and effort which could then be focused towards other more specific or special commemorative activities, consider approaching events which are already established and determine whether you can either work with them or activate them on their own to integrate the Declaration theme into their event (for that year). A number of suggestions include:

• Approach and use existing events, such as a Women’s Day March, Boy Scout Jamboree, Gay Pride Day, Senior’s Week, etc. throughout the year to draw attention to human rights issues, both focused (like women’s or children’s rights) and the broader area of human rights.

• Approach local festivals (multicultural, arts, and music) and promote the idea that they focus their agenda on the Declaration of Human Rights. They need themes for their events in any case!

• Try the same approach with any or all of the cultural institutions in your community. Every theatre and musical group, gallery, or museum needs to plan a series of programmes for their 1998 season. Why not adopt a human rights theme or issue for all or part of those plans?

• The same approach could be applied to major local events such as the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Winterlude or the Tulip Festival in Ottawa/Hull, or Old Home Week in Charlottetown to publicize the Year. Again - suggest to organizers of the event that they include a human rights theme in their plans.

• Take advantage of human rights related days which occur throughout the year (such as Aboriginal Heritage Day, Labour Day, International Women’s Day, and the Day to End Racial Discrimination). Organizing or participating in events on these days is a good way of focusing on issues and covering many aspects of human rights over the year. It also gives the media a specific angle on which to work.

• Make contact with local service groups - they have weekly or monthly meetings and could use suggestions as to topics. It might be a direct opportunity to raise the UN flag with a new audience.

2. Special Events

There are thousands of different types of activities which can be held to celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration. A brain storming session could help determine what events would be best in your particular area. Here are several suggestions from the consultation which might help stimulate further ideas.

• Organize a conference or seminar on Human Rights Day (December 10) to educate individuals about human rights and to provide a focus for media attention. A conference would allow you to educate people about a number of human rights issues in greater depth than many other activities. It could even be the start of an annual process to mark one of the major days on the UN’s calendar.

• Approach a prominent member of the literary community to publicly discuss the importance of freedom of expression. - or perhaps encourage the local library to take this on as their contribution.

• Have a contest for cartoonists or artists who can submit art works on the theme of human rights - this could be a good collaborative project in conjunction with a local school of art.

• Organize and encourage the creation of community murals on public or private walls (with permission of course) centered on the Declaration theme.

• Approach universities about awarding Honorary Degrees to deserving human rights activists, thereby providing recognition of the individuals’ work and providing a human rights focus for the media.

• Organize a series of lectures on human rights issues by individuals involved in local, national, or international human rights. Possible lecturers could be scholars, human rights activists, human rights monitors, peace-keepers, aid workers, or members of the local human rights commission.

• Focus on those in the community who have particular experiences with human rights abuses. This could be an ideal opportunity to develop links with other organizations in your community with whom you can organize shared activities. One possible focus with a clear UN connection would be refugees - especially those from countries with poor human rights records. This provides concrete assistance for those in need of help and illustrates the plight of the millions of people who suffer gross violations of their human rights, perhaps increasing public support for greater efforts to promote and secure human rights.

• Approach retail outlets about setting up store-front displays on the Human Rights/Anniversary theme. Perhaps this could be used in conjunction with any contest as a way to give public recognition to winners (and other participants).

• The same idea could be used for public spaces - libraries, city halls, community centres, etc.

• Work on a "report card" (as often seen in the environment movement) to grade the national and provincial governments on human rights.

• Think of ways to honour the contributions of local human rights heroes, particularly un-sung ones. This provides a focus for media attention and might encourage people to become involved in promoting human rights.

• Establish "social justice fairs" where the public can be educated in a festival atmosphere. Most are more receptive to learning when it is fun.

• Arrange for a human rights quilt, with participating communities or groups or individuals creating one square on the quilt. Each square could relate to a specific human rights issues or to some individual or group that has "made a difference".

• Develop a mechanism through which to nominate individuals in your area who have advanced the cause of human rights in Canada and abroad. Have a group of judges select the winners and honour them appropriately.

3. Local Government and Community Groups

Obviously much more work can be done to commemorate the 50th if other groups are also involved. The more we can activate others to increase awareness and educate people about the Declaration and human rights in general the better. Here are a few general ideas of potential partners who could be motivated to become active participants in actions to mark the Anniversary.

• Encourage municipalities to become involved in raising awareness of human rights. As they often issue proclamations, approach them about declaring special human rights related days and planning a day of speakers and activities. Encourage them to engage in cooperative human rights programmes through their affiliated organizations like the Canadian Federation of Municipalities. Communities could be encouraged to develop approaches to commemorate various aspects of the Declaration, perhaps using significant local and national dates (Women, Aboriginal, labour). These are issues that go far beyond December 10 and there are all kinds of appropriate dates during the year that can be used as "hooks" - if one doesn’t suit or fit into an agenda, another may!

• Look for ways to work within a coalition of organizations with the common objective of raising awareness of the Declaration, with specific events and/or responsibilities allocated, and with the events publicized as much as possible. A list of suggested activities could be created by and distributed to this coalition.

• Make the link to other current UN Decades and foster connections to others involved in those issues. Two obvious options would be the International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty and the International Decade for the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It would also be appropriate to look beyond the anniversary to the continuing challenges by making links to the theme for 1999 - International Year of Older Persons.

• The Universal Declaration was the launching pad for a remarkable evolution in the drafting and adoption of significant legal instruments - the Declarations and Conventions that more and more are the norms against which nations are held accountable in terms of how they address and protect the human rights of all individuals. Look for opportunities to engage the legal profession in your community in discussions of this extraordinary development.

4. Education

Educating about and promoting an understanding of human rights is perhaps the best way to secure those rights. Therefore educating people, particularly youth, about human rights is an extremely important goal of the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration. The following are a few suggestions on activities to help educate people, particularly young people, about human rights.

• Actively engage groups which organize Model United Nations and encourage them to add a human rights dimension to their work, perhaps setting aside a day for Human Rights Commission activities.

• Reach young children through creative school and extra-curricular activities. Perhaps a poster contest, with kids creating posters on each article, to be processed and judged by their peers. Or an essay competition. Or a debate. It might well be possible to find a local business to sponsor prizes for such competitions (and garner appropriate publicity for their support).

• Encourage service clubs to undertake Human Rights education activities focused on youth. Or perhaps seniors.

• Encourage the organization of teacher-training programmes (both preparatory/Teachers’ College and in-service/Professional Development days) to help prepare teachers to present human rights education material in classes.

• Reproduce the Declaration in numerous formats (book marks, brochures, cereal boxes, milk cartons) and distribute them in order to raise awareness and understanding of the Declaration (another opportunity to enlist some corporate support).

5. Media

The media is a vital channel through which to reach the general public with messages of the commemoration. As such, it is vital that there is close cooperation between the media and your group, and that the media (in as many forms as possible, and in as large numbers as possible) is present to publicize your events. The media can support your work in many ways.

• Ask available media to do a story or stories on local human rights issues to commemorate the anniversary.

• Neighbourhood or community papers often focus on local personalities - encourage them/help them to identify individuals who have made a difference on human rights issues. This is a neighbourhood issue as much as it is a national headlines concern.

• the same would apply with local radio and cable TV stations.

How To Make It Happen

Once you have identified some realistic areas for action the trick is to make it happen! There are the usual concerns about human and financial resources. On the other hand this is an issue that has - or should have - broad community interest and many potential collaborative possibilities. Let us suggest a few things you may wish to think about as you lay plans for the year(s).

• Every Provincial Government indicated support for some kind of anniversary activity. Indeed the Premiers included a commitment to include the anniversary in provincial planning in the text that was issued at the conclusion of the annual Premier’s Conference in 1996. Hold them to that promise! There should be at least some resources that can be made available to support NGO activities.

• Consider ways to involve local business in the year. Even small companies can be sponsors for community events, if they receive appropriate recognition.

• Consider how to exploit the fact we are in the middle of the Decade for Human Rights Education (with UNESCO as the lead UN Agency).

• Think about how the role of Canadian John Peters Humphrey, who wrote the initial draft of the Declaration and headed the UN’s Human Rights division for several years, can be used to increase interest and awareness of the Declaration. How can his great, but little known, achievements be brought to public attention? It is probable that there will be a commemorative stamp issued by Canada Post - would the local Post Office sponsor some related event (or be a venue in which to mount a display of relevant local art work)?

• Address the issue about the connection between active citizenship and human rights. Challenge people to develop the meaning of an active citizenship as the flip side of guaranteed rights (rights carry corresponding responsibilities).

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These ideas are just to whet the appetite and kick-start your own imagination. As you develop your own local initiatives remember to share the information among the broader community. UNA-Canada is planning to develop and publicize an evolving calendar of events - as a way to foster interest and collaborations and to help build a ground-swell of support for the lofty ideals that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out as standards for all people who share this globe.

Send information on your events or suggestions to:

United Nations Association in Canada

fax: (613) 563-2455
e-mail: info@unac.org

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