ACTIVITY 21: THE UDHR IN OUR COMMUNITY

Overview: Participants analyze articles of the UDHR and evaluate its implementation in their community.

Time: 1+ hour.

Materials: Card with abbreviated articles of the UDHR. The following articles should be divided on separate cards: Articles 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27 (Articles 29 and 30 can be Omitted); chart paper and markers; masking tape; copies of the UDHR.

Procedure:

1. Divide participants into small groups. Ask everyone to draw article cards so that the whole UDHR is divided among participants.

2. Explain the small group's tasks:

a) Read each article together and be able to explain what it means.

b) Decide to what extent people in your community enjoy this human right: Everyone, Most People, Some People, A Few People, No One.

c) If everyone does not enjoy the right, on the back of the card write down what particular people in the community are excluded.

3. Going in numerical order, call on a participant to summarize the group's discussion and place the article card on a chart like that below.

4. Point out that this activity has the dual purpose of reviewing UDHR content and evaluating the human rights climate of the community.

5. Ask what important human rights (e.g., environmental) are not included in the UDHR and why.

Variation: Adapt with a 1-5 rating scale to use as a community assessment tool like "Activity 18: Taking the Human Rights Temperature of Your School," p. 90.