“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. […] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Human Rights Day is observed every year on Dec. 10 — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This year, Human Rights Day kicks off a year-long campaign to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document that proclaimed the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being —regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Although this document holds the record as the most translated document in the world, and is available in more than 500 languages, it is something many people around the world do not fully understand.

Sunday and throughout the week of Dec. 10-17, we encourage you to not only take the time to review these rights that we should all hold so dear, but to also share the information with others.

This declaration establishes the equal dignity and worth of every person These principles remain as relevant today as they were 70 years ago. However, the declaration includes 30 articles which establish liberties and rights that are still not fully-realized by every person. Likewise, the document outlines duties we should each carry out in order to life up our fellow man.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all.

We need to stand up for our own rights and those of others, we can only fully do this if we understand these rights. We can take action in our own daily lives, to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby promote the kinship of all human beings.

Let this week be an opportunity to acknowledge and share that human rights are relevant to all of us, every day; Our shared humanity is rooted in these universal values; Equality, justice and freedom prevent violence and sustain peace; Whenever and wherever humanity’s values are abandoned, we all are at greater risk.

Human rights are everyone’s rights. Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity

Know your rights, and help spread the word.

To read and share the document, visit http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.