Youth and Human Rights

Every step towards progress actually does start with young people!

- more than half the world’s population is under the age of 30 
- nearly 90 percent of them live in developing countries

Young people are:
- the most likely to stand up against human rights abuses 
- the most susceptible to being abused

According to the International Labor Organization/ ILO:
- more youth are poor or underemployed than ever before 
- unemployed youth lose confidence in the society 
- youth are more vulnerable to labor exploitation  

"It is not so much joblessness as hopelessness that threatens our future" - Aung San Suu Kyihe 

The incorporation of the youth priorities into democratic transitions during a time of global unemployment and disenfranchisement must be done! 

Gender-Based Violence
- gender-based violence is a global epidemic 
- disproportionately affects women and girls
- it crosses every social & economic class, ethnicity, race, religion, disability & education level
- it transcends international borders
- it's an affront to human dignity 
- it increases girls’ vulnerability, threatens their health & full enjoyment of their human rights 

Ensure that girls and boys live a life free from violence or threat of violence in order to reach their full potential is a mandatory action! 

Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- there are an estimated one billion people with disabilities worldwide
- many are young men and women, boys and girls 
- they are stigmatized, relegated to the margins & treated like second-class citizens. 
- 90 percent of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school (UNESCO)
- some are warehoused from birth, denied a birth certificate or tragically killed 
- disabled people are 3 times more likely to be victims of physical, sexual abuse and rape
- LGBT youth are particularly vulnerable to official and societal violence and discrimination

"The world ignores youth at its peril" - Hillary Clinton

It's often said: 
- young people will determine the future
- they are the leaders of tomorrow 
It's true! But… 
- the youth also determine the present
- They are leaders of today 

We should follow their lead… and… together, build a world where all people “are born free and equal in rights and dignity” - The Universal Declaration

Youth and Human Rights

Tromboembolismo Venoso - Marise Gomes (playlist)

Anti-Homophobia Message from UN Human Rights Office

TOGETHER we will BUILD a WORLD that is FREE AND EQUAL

The RIDDLE 

What EXISTS in EVERY corner of the WORLD - embraced and celebrated in some countries BUT is ILLEGAL in 76 countries? What is HIDDEN for FEAR of public SHAME, IMPRISONMENT, TORTURE or even the DEATH penalty in 7 countries?? ? What TEARS FAMILIES apart? What makes people confront the RISK of brutal VIOLENCE on a DAILY basis? What gets CHILDREN KICKED OUT of homes, Students BULLIED and EXPELLED from schools and Workers FIRED from JOBS without warning? Second-Class Citizens? What has EXISTED in EVERY COUNTRY throughout history but some people still consider "ABNORMAL"? 

The ANSWER

Being GAY, being LESBIAN, BISEXUAL or TRANSGENDER! All over the world MILLIONS of PEOPLE face VIOLENCE and DISCRIMINATION. JUST for BEING who THEY ARE!

EVERY NATION is OBLIGATED by INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW to PROTECT ALL Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people from TORTURE, DISCRIMINATION and VIOLENCE

The UNITED NATIONS has one simple MESSAGE to the millions of LGBT people around the world:

 YOU ARE NOT ALONE! LGBT rights are HUMAN RIGHTS!!!