Human Rights Day – December 10, 2023
Dear Students and Families,
On Sunday, December 10, HWDSB joins organizations around the world in recognition of Human Rights Day 2023. With a theme of “Freedom, Equality and Justice for All”, this year’s celebration honours the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the landmark UDHR document. The UDHR proclaims the inherit rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It is available in over 500 different languages, making the UDHR the most translated document in the world.
The declaration consists of 30 articles outlining basic human rights, including rights to life, rights to education, rights to organize, rights to be treated fairly, rights to freedom of opinion, expression, thought and religion and other rights.
Last year’s Human Rights Day marked the first time that HWDSB acknowledged this important event with our own Human Rights Policy in place. The policy supports all members of the HWDSB community in understanding their responsibilities to uphold human rights in learning and working spaces.
To support this policy, HWDSB shared two new accompanying procedures in June 2023: the Human Rights Accountability Procedure and the Human Rights Complaint Procedure.
- Human Rights Accountability Procedure: The Accountability Procedure strengthens the Human Rights Policy by providing key proactive human rights strategies. HWDSB has started implementing these strategies to prevent and remove human rights barriers. It also includes an accountability framework that defines roles and responsibilities of employees, students and leadership in protecting human rights at HWDSB.
- Human Rights Complaint Resolution Procedure: The Complaints Procedure details the process involved in reporting, resolving and investigating human rights complaints and concerns. It details the types of resolution processes available and outlines the roles and duties of supervisors or managers in resolving, responding and investigating complaints or concerns.
Thank you to the students, families, advisory committee members and union leaders who contributed to the development of these procedures by providing their feedback and input.
As we look ahead to Human Rights Day 2023, we reaffirm our commitment to Upholding Human Rights, Safety & Well-Being as outlined in HWDSB’s 2023-2028 Strategic Directions. We will continue to support all students and staff to feel safe and secure in classrooms and school communities. All members of the HWDSB community deserve learning and working spaces free of hate, discrimination and harassment, where human rights are protected.
The day is also an opportunity to reflect and learn more as global human rights continue to experience threats due to pandemics, world conflicts, racism and discrimination, climate change and more. As education and service providers, we are tasked with responsibilities to empower and prepare students for their roles in society as engaged and responsible citizens.
Educators are welcome to share this message with students through the HUB or other classroom channels in celebration of Human Rights Day.
Sincerely,
Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini Yohana Otite
Director of Education Human Rights and Equity Advisor
Resources:
- HWDSB – Human Rights Office
- HWDSB – Human Rights Policy
- United Nations – Human Rights Day 2023
- United Nations – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Ontario Human Rights Commission – Teaching Human Rights in Ontario
- Ontario Human Rights Commission – Watch children and youth ask us about their rights
- Canada – Ways to Celebrate Human Rights Day
Updated on Friday, December 08, 2023.