From WMHCA's Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee

International Human Rights Day (IHRD) celebrates the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) in 1948.   The first IHRD  was held in 1950 after the United Nations invited all nations to acknowledge human rights annually on December 10th.  At that time, fifty-six member nations (8 abstained), unanimously passed the resolution.   The UDHR  has been incorporated into the constitutions of 187 countries and it led to two other covenants that became the  International Bill of Human Rights.

Article 1 of the UDHR states “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”.  The 30 articles of the UDHR were defined in response to the atrocities of the Second World War and proclaimed that “human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want (Preamble).

Mental health therapists acknowledge the trauma, including PTSD and intergenerational trauma that the denial of basic human rights causes, and strive to uphold the principles within the UDHR. We agree that “Every human being has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” (World Health Organization) regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or ethnicity.