Learning about and integrating the meaning of human rights in our lives for the future of humanity

Closing the Dignity gap!

Closing the gap of unfulfilled dignity: --The most important initiative/challenge for the 21st century is for all women and men, youth and children to learn, know and own human rights as a way of life so as to plan and carry out their lives guided by the holistic, comprehensive, interconnected and interrelated world view of human rights. In a way, human rights are a secular religion that gives strength and richness to all cultures and religions… to all human hopes and aspirations attempting to break through the vicious cycle of humiliation… away from POWER, FEAR and GREED. -- We must make human rights a counter-power to achieve [full] equality for all without any discrimination; to arrive at meaningful economic and social transformations, adopting positive creative choices; giving real power to human rights; learning to identify the difference between what are the symptoms and what are the causes of inequality.

Guided by the extraordinary vision and practical roadmap suggested by the human rights framework and applying it to our own ways of life, women --the world mentors and organizers of human rights cities-- can shine the light on the new journey we should all embark on. We are talking of fostering a new future, of re-imagining, re-casting and re-defining what ultimate sense [of] our lives really have. Indeed, the most important challenge for humanity in the 21st Century is learning about and integrating the message, promise and dream of human rights as a way of living and belonging into society, in dignity and in community with others. We must recognize the humanity of others as our own; we must recognize women as full human beings with undeniable human rights. We must redirect our ways to effectively move horizontally to reach new horizons, achieving new dreams, new hopes, using an altogether new language. The UDHR is indeed the most important promise for the 21st century; we must know, own and live by it to de-facto celebrate our dignity and genuine equality wherever and whoever we are. We must never again exchange our equality for survival and abide by the injustices some call ‘justice’… We must all belong in dignity, in community with others, women and men alike. Add this to whatever life course each of us chooses to abide by, to whatever historic memories guide our desires, to whatever culture gives us a sense of security and belonging. Human rights close all gaps of unfulfilled dignity. Human rights are about inclusion, they extricate exclusion.

All people learning about human rights as a relevant to their daily lives is the most important initiative for the multitudes in the 21 st century. For millions to recognize human rights as a way of life is the way to go. This calls for an intense and ongoing process of learning for moving from charity to dignity .Whoever we are, we must build trust and respect. Human rights learning must never stop… While learning human rights, people continuously learn how their own meaning lives affect the lives of every human being. To close all gaps of unfulfilled dignity, and yet be what we choose to be, we must reinvent our lives while remembering our past. We must add a new powerful link to our historic memory and raise human rights to the level of a veritable way of life.

Joining together to make this a reality is the most important initiative of the 21st century. 

No one should be left behind, as women --half of humanity and an acknowledged source of moral authority-- assume the day-to-day mentoring of others integrating the vision and mission of human rights as a world view and a guide to life. A covenant must be made, one that assures that the sanctity of life will never be desecrated or stepped on.

This step-by-step process of women mentoring communities must have women and men participating as equals in making the decisions that determine their future... guided by human rights as a way of life.

This is indeed the most important forward-looking initiative of the 21st century.

Shulamith Koenig