Expression, Freedom, and Human Rights Public Reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its 70th Anniversary
Project location: SPAIN, Barcelona
Project start date: October 2018 -
Project end date: October 2018
Project number: 2018-026
Beneficiary: Asociación para las Naciones Unidas en España
The Asociación para las Naciones Unidas en España, is a non-profit organization, designated as an organization of public interest by the Government of Spain, created in Barcelona since 1962 with the objective of acting as a bridge among the United Nations, the Spanish Government institutions and Civil Society. Its aims and purposes are the promotion and defense of the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations at the local, regional and national level as well as the promotion and defense of Human Rights. ANUE also has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and takes part to the World Federation United Nations Associations (WFUNA), a wide international platform with the participation of more than 100 United Nations Associations around the world with the common objective of to deal with the global challenges of the United Nations and Human Rights.
ANUE commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the most important international instrument for Human Rights. Despite its importance the UDHR is still unknown to many people.
This project, received a grant from the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, Delegació a Catalunya.
The project’s main objectives were:
1. To sensitize society about the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. Create awareness among the society, that Human Rights have to be practiced and respected every day.
3. Form a culture that is based on Human Rights, with special attention to young people, who are the principle carrier and guarantors of the Declaration’s spirit and its importance.
4. Emphasize, that art can be a source to promote solidarity and sensitize the society about important questions, like Human Rights.
The proposed methods of the project “Expression, Liberty and Human Rights: Public Reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in memory of its 70th anniversary” was a public event, in which the public reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was realized of each article of the Declaration. The initial idea of the project was the reading of the 30 articles and the preamble through the voice of artists of different disciplines, such as painters, musicians, actors and dancers, etc and an open discourse about the importance of art for human rights.
However, with the spirit to give the young artists an opportunity, who were the carriers of the message of the Declaration and thanks to the petition of the Foundation, the project evolved more from a commemorative act for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, towards a real carrier tool of the importance of the Declaration and the necessity to defend, respect and act upon the rights included in the Declaration.
The ceremony was held in the hall Oriol Bohigas del Ateneu Barcelonés, in Barcelona and was inaugurated by Mr. Eduard Sagarra, president of ANUE and Mrs. Antonella Dentamaro, vice-director of the Peretti Foundation. This was followed by the writer and journalist Mrs. Cristina Fallarás, who held a monolog about human rights, through an artistic composition of six voices, a song and a narrative.
The reading of the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration was held by five young actors, who realized the lecture together in different languages, under the artistic direction of Moreno Bernardi, who himself read his part in Italian. The lecture united art and culture through the voices of the young artists Daniela Brown, Paula Company, Montse Fabré, Joan Llobera, Arnau Redorta and Carla Vilaró. Also music was played, as Gerard Franch sang the aria Vidita Suum dulcería Natum del Stabat Mater, by the classic composer G.B. Pergolesi.
To complete the lecture, the assistants were honored with a postcard of the 10th anniversary of the Declaration, that showed the work “Metamorfosis” by the catalan painter Robert Llimós Oriol. His work denounces what happens in wars and is a critique of the dehumanization and moral misery of human beings.
The main objective of the project was to sensitize and spreading of the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the society in general and the necessity of complying with and respect the rights that are included in the declaration.
At the same time, the objectives of sensitization and visualization also showed that not only the states, but also society at large have the responsibility to respect and act upon the Human Rights.
The result of this activity was that the young people, as principle carriers and guards of the rights included in the Declaration, saw themselves as involved and reflective principle actors of this commitment.
Another aim was to show the importance of art as a tool for the spreading, sensitization and defense of Human Rights and in this case the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The dynamic that was used in the lecture through art was also a key in spreading the spirit of the Declaration and its cultural character.
Around 150 persons participated in the event, and around 600 persons more received the message that was spread through the event.
The event was advertised through social media of the Peretti Foundations and ANUE. This tool was fundamental to the aim of the activity and the participation of the public.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all the included rights need to be remembered, acted upon and respected every day. The commemoration of its 70th anniversary and the day of Human Rights are a memory of its spirit and all our obligations to it. Young people and art and carriers and guards of the rights included in the document.
