WE - the Free Citizens (Translated by Doan Trang, Clip subtitled by Square1 - Danlambao)
The outdoor gatherings of May 5, 2013 showed that many people are still unaware of their human rights. It also demonstrated that the exercise of human rights face numerous difficulties, involving tears and bloodshed, even though in its most simple form of having a picnic.
It is because of lack of knowledge about human rights that the Vietnamese government has failed to respect and protect the human rights of the Universal Declaration. An increased understanding about human rights, the Universal Declaration and Vietnam’s human rights obligations under international treaties, is necessary.
This lack of knowledge and the widespread violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Universal Declaration makes Vietnam’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council a bit absurd in the eyes of the international community.
Therefore, WE - the Free Citizens shall:
- openly disseminate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in public sites on Sunday, May 12, 2013;
- send copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the government and the authorities, including the National Assembly, the Ministry of Public Security, and the People’s Committees in major cities;
- call for the support of young people and their elder relatives to introduce ideas about human rights by coming together into groups of three to five people, together disseminating copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their neighborhoods.
Dear friends,
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. (Article 19, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Therefore, the dissemination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its contents is one of our rights. Ill treatment and acts of deterrence can only temporarily stop us, but never remove our human rights.
There are a great many creative ways to introduce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to people.
The Declaration may be in the form of balloons high in the sky...
The Declaration may be in the form of children’s paper kites...
or flying kites...
or simply handouts to shop-assistants...
Let us walk together on this path, which is full of challenges yet necessary for us to move forward.
Be creative!
The Declaration may be sent to you via Gangnam style beats...
or may be passed from hand to hand.
Each of its articles may be a line of words on our T-shirt...
or it may be a small paper boat on a stream...
Let’s meet on May 12, 2013, to shine a light on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in the market
in the park
in the university campus
on the beach
at the bus station
at church, pagoda, and even the National Assembly...
And have picnics, discussions, sharing wherever WE could.
