Human Rights Day being observed today

The day is being observed across the world including Pakistan under the theme of ‘Celebrate Human Rights’ against abuse and violations of human values and to mark the anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted between January 1947 and December 1948. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day.Acting alone or in groups within their communities, every day human rights defenders work to end discrimination by campaigning for equitable and effective laws, reporting and investigating human rights violations and supporting victims.The UN rights commissioner said Human rights went viral in 2011 thanks to the exponential growth of social media on the Internet.2011 has been an extraordinary year for human rights (thanks to) the dynamic and irrepressible surge of social media, Navi Pillay said.Although we must mourn the lives of many ... we also have cause to celebrate, Pillay said in a statement ahead of International Human Rights Day, observed Saturday.In Tunis and Cairo, Benghazi (Libya) and Daraa (Syria), and later on -- albeit in a very different context -- in Madrid, New York, London, Santiago and elsewhere, millions of people from all walks of life have mobilised to make their own demands for human dignity, she said.In sum, in 2011, human rights went viral, Pillay said.The results have been startling.... We have already seen peaceful and successful elections in Tunisia and, earlier this week, in Egypt -- where the turnout for the first truly democratic elections there for decades has exceeded everybodys expectations, despite the shocking upsurge in violence in Tahrir Square, she said.Governments no longer hold the ability to monopolise the dissemination of information and censor what it says.... Wherever it happens, you can now guarantee it will be tweeted on Twitter, posted on Facebook, broadcast on YouTube, and uploaded onto the Internet, Pillay said.For International Human Rights Day she exhorted everyone, everywhere to join the Commissions social media campaign to help more people know, demand and defend their human rights.The campaign on Facebook/Twitter and their Chinese equivalent Weibo is aimed at making people aware of the articles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.As of Friday, these pages had received eight million visits, including more than six million on Weibo, according to the United Nations.It is a campaign that should be maintained so long as human rights abuses continue, Pillay said.