International Human Rights Day
WHAT?
December 10th marks 50th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
WHERE?
The State Capital in Atlanta, GA 9:30 a.m. - ? (tentatively scheduled until 11:30
a.m.)
WHY?
The purpose of the rally is to celebrate the progress that has been made on human rights
in the last fifty years, while at the same time calling on governments, businesses, and
people around the world to do more to ensure basic human rights for all.
WHO?
The rally is being sponsored by Amnesty International and Students for a Free Tibet.
Members of Congress, monks from the Drepung Monastery, and other key members of the
community will be in attendance. This rally at the capital will be open to anyone
who wishes to participate. For more information on the rally, or if you'd like to
help out, please contact Lawrence at (706) 354-8507 or sft@uga.edu
December 10th, 1998 marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. All UN
member nations adopt and ratify this Declaration and agree to abide by its
principles. The UDHR is the standard by which all governments are upheld and all
people guaranteed equal rights and protections.
For a copy of the Universal declaration of Human Rights, visit the below link:
http://www.udhr50.org/UDHR/default.htm
The people of Tibet have had every article of this declaration violated by the Chinese
government and military. It has been 50 years since the illegal occupation of Tibet began
and still the people of Tibet suffer under this oppression. In Tibet, there is no
freedom of speech, worship, assembly, or press. The Tibetan people and culture are
being pushed to the brink of extinction in Tibet by the Chinese government's
policies. On the 50th anniversary of this Declaration, which coincides ironically
with the beginning of the destruction of human rights for the Tibetan people, we call on
all peoples and governments of the world to support the Tibetan people in their struggle.
The UDHR states, "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 Members States
themselves and among the peoples of the territories under their jurisdiction." (UDHR
Preamble)
The Tibetan people suffer under one of the most inhumane regimes. Cultural genocide is
going on. We should also keep in our thoughts the suffering of all peoples on this and
every day. For the people of Nigeria who continue to live without electricity and
running water while Shell Oil gets rich off of their land, for the people of East Timor
who have seen 200,000 of their countrymen killed by the Indonesian government, for the
people of Burma, for the Native Americans who needed this document long ago, for the men
and women of Chiapas whose struggle continues, for the Christians in the Sudan who are
murdered for their beliefs, for all people who cannot express their inalienable freedoms,
and who must live in fear, this document is a hope, an aspiration of unrealized freedom.
There will be major rallies in New York City and San Francisco on this day as well as
events in other cities including Washington DC. For information contact:
New York City
US Tibet Committee ustc@igc.org, 212.481.3569
San Francisco
cryingboy@milarepa.org
Atlanta
UGA SFT sft@uga.edu
US Ambassador to the United Nations
Richard Hollbrooke
799 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017-3505
212.415.4000 (phone)
212.415.4443 (fax)
press@usunwpoa.us-state.gov
Lawrence Ryefield
Sector 6 Contact
Students for a Free Tibet
President
University of Georgia Chapter
www.uga.edu/sft
sft@uga.edu