Why I Fight For Human Rights

I am passionate about human rights issues.  I feel my blood boil when I see a person’s dignity and rights are violated or when groups of people are exploited by others.  I fight for the rights of all people around the world, using the law and my voice as a tool for change.

I have lead and joined thousands in protest against the human rights violations in Sudan and Congo; campaigned against the Chinese occupation of Tibet; worked with Eritrean refugees to build new lives free from torture.  Seeing people dying from malnourishment, children mortally wounded as casualties from war; these are visions that will never leave my mind. These visions are what compel me to push forward and end these inhuman acts.

These acts of human rights violations can range from civil liberties to genocide – first-world to third-world. As humans, these crises demand our immediate attention.  We have a responsibility to guard and protect the rights of our brothers and sisters. I refuse to sit back idly and watch these atrocities take place. My life’s work has been spent erasing the hatred and pain people have inflected upon each other.  Human rights are not a luxury. People around the world are entitled to living with dignity and respect, not just terror and fear.

Why should we allow this to continue?  We can’t. And we won’t. We must fight for those that can’t fight. We must speak for those that do not have a voice.  My experience and passion do not make me an expert in this field, nor does it make me the self-appointed lone savior to Earth. I am one voice, but I am a voice. If my voice can reach just one person and have them share my passion, I have done my job.  This is why I chose this topic and this is why I write this blog.