The United Nations

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

The UN in New York located on 45th and 1st and holds a history of 73 years is a must-see, from the overall building and plaza itself to the exhibits being shown and if you’re lucky a glimpse of an actual conference taking place. For me, the UN is a symbol of peace and unity for both people and the planet and something that makes huge changes for the greater good. I felt that The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was what stood out when looking around, as they were broken down by each category making it easy for viewers to read and understand which each of the 30 rights are, the Declaration was established on 10 December 1948 at the General Assembly in Paris, France. The Rights are written in order: Free and Equal, by Freedom from Discrimination, Right to Life, Freedom from Slavery, Freedom from Torture, Recognition before the Law, Right to Equality before the Law, Right to Equality before the Law, Right to access Justice, Freedom from Arbitrary Detention, Right to Fair Trial, Right Presumption of Innocence, Right to Privacy, Freedom of Movement, Right to Asylum, Right to Nationality, Right to Marriage, Right to Property, Freedom of Religion or Belief, Freedom of Expression and Opinion, Freedom of Assembly, Right to partake in Public Affairs, Right to Social Security, Right to work, Right to Leisure and Rest, Right to adequate Standard of living, Right to Education, Right to Cultural, Artistic and Scientific life, Right to a Free and Fair World, Duty to the Community and finally, Rights are Inalienable. The reason I list all these is that I believe all are as equally important therefore come hand-in-hand with one another which, makes it hard for me to pick out the ones that are the most important. Furthermore, I also feel that it is important for people to realize what the 30 Rights are. Personally, I believe that the Right to Education, Freedom from Slavery, torture and discrimination, Right to Marriage and Freedom of Expression are the ones that stand out to me the most. The reason for this is that I believe that everyone should be educated as it is a blessing to be educated and how you grow to be the person you are. Slavery, torture and discrimination are unspeakable to me and I hate that they even have to be issued as a right because no one should ever have to suffer either of these three crimes. Right to Marriage is important to me because love is an emotion which, is one of our strongest and therefore every person deserves to love and to be loved truly in with whoever they desire. Finally, Freedom of Expression is very important and something the US is based upon because everyone deserves to have a say in what they believe/feel and feel heard when they do so and if this wasn’t a Right then I believe nothing would ever be done.

By: Olivia Russell
Published: 11/27/2018

The Forever Free Exhibit 

Today I was fortunate enough to join a group of my classmates at LIM College to visit the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. We began our adventure outside the entrance of the impressive complex on the east side of Manhattan. After a painless trip through security our exploration began. The forever free exhibit located at the United Nations Headquarters, Visitors' Lobby, Main Gallery C recounts the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Through text, images, maps, and documents, Forever Free, which involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans as slaves, mostly from West Africa to the Americas, between the fifteenth and late nineteenth centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration in history, and incontrovertibly one of the most inhumane. The extensive exodus of Africans spread to many areas of the world over a 400-year period, and was unprecedented in the annals of recorded human history. As a result of the transatlantic slave trade, the greatest movement of Africans was to the Americas– with 96 per cent of the captives from the African coasts arriving on cramped slave ships at ports in South America and the Caribbean Islands. Visiting the United Nations was a great chance for me to learn about the history of the United Nations. How it came to be after World War II. The challenges it has faced over the past 70 years. The evolution of its missions as the organization works with powers all over the world to support human rights through diplomacy, education, and peacekeeping operations.

By: Elizabeth Nembhard
Published: 11/27/2018

Forever Free 

Our ancestors were slaves 

 So we have to be brave

 If all fight together 

We might be free forever 

 1948 was the year of a perceived equality 

 2018 is the year of possibilities 

 We are humans and we have a right 

Until our lives have no more light

By: Anne Emmanuelle Viau

Published: 11/27/2018