Reaching True Universal Human Rights

Mulham N. || Peer Leader || International Human Rights Day

Since the universal declaration of human rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, the implementation of these rights around the world has been a myth, due to the fact that human rights are not universal, as geographical, economical, political, and cultural differences are evident around the world. Human rights have the potential to form an “ideal” world, yet implementing these set of rights is incredibly challenging.

As a Palestinian who grew up and lived in the West Bank for 15 years, I can say there is a lack of human rights in my country. It’s true that most people have access to basic human rights such as: food, water and shelter, in addition to education as Palestine has one of the highest rates of literacy in the region. However, Palestinians do not have access to two of the main human rights among others: freedom of movement and freedom of speech.

Palestinian youth and people haven't had access to either of these rights. Movement has been a big struggle due to the fact that Palestine is an occupied territory and people have started seeing it as a prison. Many reasons are behind this including: the separation wall, illegal settlements, people being unable to go outside the West Bank, presence of checkpoints between Palestinian cities, and the need to go to Jordan in order to travel because of the absence of an airport in Palestine. This causes depression and frustration among the Palestinian youth, as soon as they realize the reality of the confined situation they live in.

Similarly, freedom of speech is not practiced. There have been many cases where Palestinians have been put in prison for saying their opinions aloud or expressing what they think. People have been placed in jail by the Israeli government and by the Palestinian authority. This also greatly impacts the hopes of many Palestinians at an early age, as this lack of freedom of speech frightens people when they realize that their own lives and their families’ lives are in danger when they express their opinions.

Last but not least, I would like to wish that one day, human rights will be achieved at my home country Palestine and all around the globe. If we prioritize human rights in every region worldwide, we can make this a possibility and we can reach universal equality, rights, freedoms, and opportunities.