Observing Human Rights Day at @company.name

December 10 is Human Rights Day. Understand the significance behind this day and what you can do to support this observance. 

⚠️ Pyn note to HR: Update this message to reflect any events being held or actions being taken by your organization. 

What is Human Rights Day?

Human Rights Day is observed internationally every December 10 and commemorates when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.

The UDHR outlines the fundamental rights and freedoms that every individual is entitled to—regardless of race, color, religion, language, political affiliation, nationality, property, birth, or any other status. While the Declaration isn’t a binding document, it paved the way for the adoption of more than 70 human rights treaties, which are applied today permanently at global and regional levels.

How to observe Human Rights Day

Read through the Declaration

The UDHR has been translated into over 500 languages—and for good reason. This is one of the most crucial documents that has been developed in the history of human rights. To understand its significance and the fundamental human rights that we’re all entitled to, we encourage you to take the time to read through the Declaration.

We’ll be hosting a discussion to share our learnings, observations, and insights from reading the UDHR. Please join us [insert discussion details]... 

Hold us accountable

Public and private institutions have an obligation to address human rights dilemmas by putting the right policies and practices into action. Here’s what we’re currently doing at @company.name to advocate for human rights issues: 

• [Action 1]
• [Action 2]
• [Action 3]
• [Action 4]
• [Action 5]

But we recognize that there’s always more work to do. That’s why we want to invite all our employees to share suggestions, feedback, and ideas on how we can do better as an organization. 

Take action 

We also encourage all our employees to take action on the human rights issues that are meaningful to them. Even on an individual level, we all have the potential to make significant contributions. Here are a few general best practices you can follow: 

• Get educated on the human rights issue you’re interested in.
• Stand up for fundamental human rights in your day-to-day interactions by calling out acts of discrimination or prejudice.
• Find ways to volunteer your time or donate money to organizations that are helping progress these issues.