Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

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PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

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

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against all types of discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to any form of discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

( Read 11 through 30 )

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This work is excerpted from an official document of the United Nations. The policy of this organisation is to keep most of its documents in the public domain in order to disseminate "as widely as possible the ideas (contained) in the United Nations Publications".

Pursuant to UN Administrative Instruction ST/AI/189/Add.9/Rev.2 available in English only, these documents are in the public domain worldwide:

1. Official records (proceedings of conferences, verbatim and summary records, ...)
2. United Nations documents issued with a UN symbol
3. Public information material designed primarily to inform the public about United Nations activities (not including public information material that is offered for sale).
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Use these links; pass them on. Please.

Links: Do something

¤Seeds of Peace

¤Volunteers of America

¤EarthDay Network

¤Break The Cycle of Domestic Violence

¤Amnesty International

¤American Red Cross

¤Habitat for Humanity

¤Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention

¤ASPCA

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-787-3224

¤endabuse.org

Feel free to add your own links and numbers in the comments.

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For those not familiar with the source of the subject lines for my Holiday PSA posts, they are lines from one of the few songs that will always bring me to tears.


Miss Sarajevo, from the film of the same name
Click the orange "play" to listen.

The part Pavarotti sang is one of the most gorgeous sounds in the universe, ever.

Miss Sarajevo
Passengers - U2 and Brian Eno

Is there a time for keeping your distance
A time to turn your eyes away
Is there a time for keeping your head down
For getting on with your day

Is there a time for kohl and lipstick
A time for curling hair
Is there a time for high street shopping
To find the right dress to wear

Here she comes
Heads turn around
Here she comes
To take her crown

Is there a time to run for cover
A time for kiss and tell
Is there a time for different colours
Different names you find it hard to spell

Is there a time for first communion
A time for East Seventeen
Is there a time to turn to Mecca
Is there time to be a beauty queen

Here she comes
Beauty plays the clown
Here she comes
Surreal in her crown

Dici che il fiume
Trova la via al mare
E come il fiume
Giungerai a me
Oltre i confini
E le terre assetate
Dici che come il fiume
Come il fiume...
L'amore giungerà
L'amore...
E non so più pregare
E nell'amore non so più sperare
E quell'amore non so più aspettare

[Translation of the above]
You say that the river
finds the way to the sea
And as the river
you'll come to me
Beyond the borders
and the thirsty lands
You say that as river
As river...
Love will come...
Love.
And I cannot pray anymore
And I cannot hope in love anymore
And I cannot wait for love anymore
[End of Translation]

Is there a time for tying ribbons
A time for Christmas trees
Is there a time for laying tables
And the night is set to freeze



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What to donate to a clothing drive

Donate new or gently used* items, including:

* Business clothes
* Winter coats and other winter clothes
* lighter coats and jackets for spring and fall
* Gently worn jeans
* Gently worn shoes
* New underwear, any size, male or female
* New socks, any size, male or female
* Working umbrellas, raincoats, rubber boots (especially for kids)
* clean cloth diapers
* baby clothes in any size
* baby blankets and buntings
* hair scarves, bandanas, and knitted hats (for chemo patients as well as the chilly)
* New plain Tshirts and jeans
* New swimsuits
* Handmade items, such as knit/crocheted shawls, winter hats and mittens, baby items, dickeys and ear-warmers
* New handkerchiefs
* Backpacks for kids and students
* gently used, lightweight purses
* wallets and billfolds in good repair
* sunglasses (the elderly especially often need these, as do those who work outdoors)

Do NOT donate:

* *Anything dirty, permanently stained, ripped or otherwise damaged
* *Any garment with broken or faulty zippers, missing buttons, snaps or hooks
* Children's clothing with drawstrings or other hazardous features
* *Ripped, unhemmed items, or frayed and soiled items, or anything with a hole worn through it
* Anything so out of style that it would have looked at home in another decade (give that to a thrift shop and let others choose their own fashion errors, or to a local theatre for wardrobe)
* *Woolens that have shrunk in the wash by mistake
* *Footwear with holes, worn heels or flapping soles
* Anything that smells funny, or is so ugly that it scares the children, cats and dogs!

If you see a fabulous sale and can afford it, buy one item for yourself and one to donate. This works especially well with socks and undies. Get things in color -- it will brighten the day of the recipient!

It is perfectly okay to donate fashion items, costume jewelry, nail polish and new makeup, new hair accessories and other similar items. Everyone has job interviews, weddings, birthdays, church, and special occasions. Everyone has the right to feel good about themselves.

Clothing drives are great a way to give those in need some of what they need to survive, succeed, and maintain their dignity. They are not opportunities to dispose of the things you can't bring yourself to use. Please do not treat them as trash cans -- human beings deserve better than trash. Treat these drives as an opportunity to invest in your community, and the future of humankind.

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Help someone restore self-esteem and dignity. Point someone you know to a program, or make a donation/volunteer.

Locks of Love: Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Look Good…Feel Better is a free, non-medical, brand-neutral, national public service program to help women offset appearance-related changes from cancer treatment.

ChemoCaps are soft hats that can be worn by those with hair loss caused by chemotherapy. Knit one or two or a few chemocaps and donate them to a cancer treatment center in the area where you live.

Dress for Success is a non-profit organization that provides interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide. Clothing is gathered from donations.

Midnight Run is a volunteer organization dedicated to finding common ground between the housed and the homeless. In over 900 relief missions per year, Midnight Run volunteers from churches, synagogues, schools and other civic groups distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items directly to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. Organize a run in your area.

UnderShare Inc. is a volunteer-based charity dedicated to providing new undergarments and toiletries to those in need.

Jane Magazine, September 2002
"After a woman is violated, the police usually take away her underwear for inspection. 'That's a traumatic thing,' says 29-year old Helen Huang, founder of Undershare, a Berkeley, Calif. nonprofit. So, she and the 25 other ladies in the group doante new bras and panties to medical centers. Only problem is, they currently don't have a large enough variety of sizes to fit all body types. Go to www.undershare.org to make a donation." Kenya Hunt

From Nature With Love is pleased to help coordinate handcrafted soap donations to benefit two domestic violence shelters and one homeless shelter. If you make handcrafted soaps, we would like to ask you to please consider contributing several of your soaps for the benefit of the women, children and families living temporarily in these shelters. In many cases, for instance, the women and children housed within the domestic abuse shelters have suffered monumental abuse and arrive at the shelter with only the clothes on their backs.

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This is becoming a bit of a holiday tradition for me. Please, pass this information on, as a link or as a post. Any way at all, please, use it. Thank you.

What to donate to a Food Pantry
Note: Add some meaning to your actions. Put yourself in their shoes. Donate some of your very favorite foods!

Do donate:
* paper products (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper)
* laundry supplies (soap, baby soap, drier sheets)
* cleaning supplies (dish soap, glass and counter cleaners, brooms and dustpans, cleaning buckets, disinfectant sprays -- go green if you can afford it and want to)
* personal hygiene products (disposable razors, new combs and brushes, soap, shampoo and conditioner, handcream, body lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste, kid's items, babycare items, feminine products, sunscreen, toilet paper and facial tissues)
* condiments (salt, pepper, salad dressing, ketchup, pancake syrup, mustard, anything that you find you like every day)
* soup, canned or dry
* ramen
* mac and cheese
* boxed dinners
* breakfast items
* juice
* diapers and wipes
* flour, sugar, vegetable oil, salt and pepper
* tea bags, coffee, creamer, coffee filters
* beans and rice
* canned veggies (green beans, carrots, corn, potatoes and tomatoes)
* canned fruit (peaches, pears, pineapple, applesauce)
* cans of tuna, chicken, ham
* whole and nonfat dry milks, boxes of soy or nut milks
* pasta and noodles
* nuts and dried fruit
* peanut butter (an excellent source of protien!)
* low fat, sugar and sodium items for those who have dietary restrictions (gluten-free is often needed as well)
* cake mix (everyone has birthdays!), frosting, and toss in some birthday candles if you can
* cornbread, muffin, pancake mixes
* spices and flavorings (many spices and herbs are very good for you!)
* treats: Girl Scout cookies, holiday candies, popcorn, sparkling cider, chocolate: everyone deserves a treat now and then!

Ask before donating perishables such as bread, cheese, milk, frozen foods, to make sure that the program organizers can properly store and handle them. Vegetable garden surplus of zuccini, beans, tomatoes etc. are usually welcome -- ask!

Do NOT donate:

* products that are damaged, old, past use-by/sell by dates
* Homemade foods
* OTC medicines or vitamins
* Anything you would not use yourself, of give to someone you love.

Make it easy -- take advantage of "buy one, get one" sales -- buy one, and donate the other.

Please note: Food Stamp programs do not cover the purchase of non-food items. That means that they cannot purchase aluminum foil, plastic wrap and bags, plastic containers, paper towels and napkins, dish soap, toilet paper, hand and body soap, shapooo, toothpate or toothbrushes, trash bags or contianers, facial tissues, hand sanitizer, household cleansers and disenfectants, diapers, baby bottles and liners, baby wipes, first aid supplies, and a host of other needs.

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I just joined the Emergency Services Community on LJ: crisis_911 PURPOSE: Networking those in need with people who might help them.

Can you help? All you need to give is information, if you have it. Worldwide members and information welcome. Please help, or pass it on!
http://bit.ly/4PGYqc
http://community.livejournal.com/crisis_911

♥ ETA: Doing things like this goes a ways to help me heal. I made the first post in this comm, though I had nothing to do with founding it. I tripped over it ion a search, saw a need, and posted. This is what I do. This is what I will continue to do, and maybe it will save a life, or help someone else be safe and heal.