Universal Declaration of Human Rights poster series, Amnesty International, design by Woody Pirtle, 2002
Today, December 10th, is the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted by the member states of the United Nations in 1948, the UDHR
consists of 30 articles, which set out human rights fundamental to
the dignity and development of every human being.
Sixty years later, we live in a world where these basic rights are still neither universally respected nor legally mandated in many countries. We still have hunger, slavery and persecution. The rights to education, work, voting and religion are still abused. In the U.S., we have lived through a reign of Presidential imperialism that supported torture and surveillance; where the richest country in the world ignored the education of its children and the health of its elderly; where economic growth trumped economic responsibility; and where a country turned its back on genocide and environmental destruction. On this anniversary, sadly, there is little sense of progress.
Still, we have hope for the United Nations. We have hope for a new American administration. We have hope for the Kyoto Protocol and the Millennium Development Goals. But, mostly, we have hope in citizen initiatives around the world, grassroot efforts to work in small communities, to affect change in small ways. We can only hope our governments will follow our lead with larger initiatives and systemic change.
Today should give us pause. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights deserves not only celebration, but our respect and our best efforts.
Sixty years later, we live in a world where these basic rights are still neither universally respected nor legally mandated in many countries. We still have hunger, slavery and persecution. The rights to education, work, voting and religion are still abused. In the U.S., we have lived through a reign of Presidential imperialism that supported torture and surveillance; where the richest country in the world ignored the education of its children and the health of its elderly; where economic growth trumped economic responsibility; and where a country turned its back on genocide and environmental destruction. On this anniversary, sadly, there is little sense of progress.
Still, we have hope for the United Nations. We have hope for a new American administration. We have hope for the Kyoto Protocol and the Millennium Development Goals. But, mostly, we have hope in citizen initiatives around the world, grassroot efforts to work in small communities, to affect change in small ways. We can only hope our governments will follow our lead with larger initiatives and systemic change.
Today should give us pause. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights deserves not only celebration, but our respect and our best efforts.
In this vein, we are honored to present the work of designer Woody Pirtle.
Working with Amnesty International, which uses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the foundation of its activities, Woody Pirtle designed a series of posters that spotlights 12 of the individual articles. The posters were distributed to schools as part of the group’s “Amnesty Educate” initiative in 2002. The design uses photography of common objects to visually summarize each article. Posters were printed in a kaleidoscopic range of colors that, when hung together, provide a lively classroom display. The intent was to make the UDHR into a “living” document relevant to students.
Article 02: Freedom from Discrimination
Article 04: Freedom from Slavery
Article 09: No One Should Be Subjected to Arbitrary Arrest, Detention or Exile
Article 11: Everyone Has the Right to Be Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Article 14: Everyone Has the Right to Seek Asylum in Other Countries from Persecution
Article 16: Everyone Has the Right to Marry
Article 18: Freedom of Religion
Article 20: Everyone Has the Right to Peaceful Assembly
Article 21: Everyone Has the Right to Participate in Government and Free Elections
Article 23: Everyone Has the Right to Work
Article 25: Everyone Has the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living
Article 26: Everyone Has the Right to Education
