EFPA EMC 33/2014 : Press release/Fact sheet about International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2014
International Human Rights Day
As human rights are of crucial importance to everyone in the world, the expertise of psychology and the experience and practice of psychologists can make a difference to advance the dignity of persons and peoples.
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. On this occasion the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) appeals on its 36 national Member Associations to raise public awareness on human rights and to encourage actions against violations of human rights.
As human rights are of crucial importance to everyone in the world, the expertise of psychology and the experience and practice of psychologists can make a difference to advance the dignity of persons and peoples.
Psychologists can make a difference
What can we do as individual psychologists and as associations of professionals, to contribute to human rights, on an every-365-day basis?
– prevent (threats to) human rights violations, by speaking loud and outside our offices,
– strengthen the resilience of our clients,
– promote proper circumstances for living, in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
– support our colleagues and professional associations in addressing violations of human rights, also the unintended ones
– work on integration strategies: access to education, employment, healthcare and housing.
– send your good initiatives to EFPA Task Force on Human Rights in order to share on our website as inspiration for member associations and colleagues.
In 1950 the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 10 as Human Rights Day, to bring to the attention of the peoples of the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration recognizes and affirms that human rights derive from the dignity and worth inherent in the human person.
Human Rights 365
This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Rights Day. It emphasizes the fundamental proposition in the Declaration that each one of us, everywhere and at all times, is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global human community.
In many respects human rights are under pressure in Europe: exclusion and marginalization of minority groups, treatment of LGBT, too many stateless persons, harsh conditions refugees have to live in, detainee treatment, bullying and discrimination, poverty, unemployment and adverse conditions in some of the mental health institutions.
Let everyday be Human Rights Day!
In 2013, EFPA established a Task Force on Human Rights to address the ongoing threats to human rights in the world and to more strongly articulate psychologists’ responsibilities to do what is within our scope and capabilities to
– raise awareness of human rights and (risks of) human rights violations
– prevent human rights violations
– alleviate the effects of human rights violations.
Please send your good initiatives to EFPA Task Force on Human Rights, so we can put them on our website for inspiration to our colleagues.
In case you’d use this message for a press release: Note for the editor, not for publication:
If an EFPA Member Association wants to join the Task Force on Human Rights or would like to receive further information, please contact Polli Hagenaars, convenor of Task Force Human Rights at Polli.Hagenaars@HumanRightsEFPA.eu , or your EFPA representative.
On behalf of
Task Force Human Rights – Polli Hagenaars, Convenor
_________________________________________
European Federation of Psychologists Associations
Grasmarkt 105/39 – B-1000 Brussels – Belgium
Phone : +32 (0)2 5034953 – Fax : +32 (0)2 5033067
email : headoffice@efpa.eu
www.efpa.eu – www.europeanpsychologist.eu
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