Since the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, no document has more clearly outlined the inherent rights and freedoms guaranteed to every human being. It is the most important document in human rights history. Period.
Despite it’s unparalleled significance, we at ARTE noticed that many young people across the United States feel disconnected from it and don’t see it’s relevance in their lives. We are here to change that but we can’t do it alone.
To better engage youth on human rights, we redesigned the UDHR to make it readable, accessible and dynamic. With all that work behind us, it was time to get this into the hands of young people in schools and jails across the country.
We knew we couldn’t do it alone – so we teamed up with NYC brand agency, ThoughtMatter(check out their re-designed Constitution). After a few drafts, we knew we had something special. Our re-designed UDHR elevates the importance message of universal human rights. It also:
- can travel with you as a intimate pocket-sized zine
- can fold out into a poster you can hang up, take down and re-fold again!
ARTE connects with incarcerated young people and young people in schools and in communities across New York City. This document will serve as a foundation for this work under the premise that when you know what rights you have, you can better defend them for yourself and for others.
In February 2019, ARTE invited youth across New York City to participate in a series of workshops in which they created art and discussed routes to action based on each article of the UDHR. Their work resulted in a self-published zine by and for youth organizers, artists, and activists. This will supplement the re-design by serving as a way in which folks across the USA understand their rights and take actions to protect them.
ARTE will also develop curricular tools for human rights educators and activists on how to utilize our re-designed UDHR in their classroom, youth groups, organizing, etc. It will include example activities and ideas for engagement of youth and adults.
We will continue to host workshops that use the UDHR as a foundational tool in creating art to understand and express the impact of human rights on our everyday lives.
