Students mark Human Rights Day with ombudsman

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Author: Liene Veide

The public defender is hosting a series of events this week to observe Human Rights Day. 

This year Human Rights Day focuses on non-discrimination under the theme "Embrace Diversity, End Discrimination." 

Today about 20 students from public schools and orphanages in Tbilisi are meeting with Public Defender Giorgi Tughushi to discuss human rights and diversity. 

Students will also take part in a painting session which will be facilitated by well-known Georgian writer Lasha Bugadze. The topic of the paintings is tolerance. 

Tomorrow high school students are invited to see a film addressing diversity and discrimination. After the film they will take part in a discussion facilitated by film expert Ninia Kakabadze. 

Nino Eremashvili of the Georgian Public Defender’s Office told Georgia Today that last year the event was also celebrated together with students. But instead of drawing they wrote essays about dignity and justice. 

Human Rights Day in Georgia is organized by the Public Defender’s Office Tolerance Center with the support of UNDP. 

“Discrimination targets individuals and groups that are vulnerable to attack -- the disabled, women and girls, the poor, migrants, minorities, and all those who are perceived as different,” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his annual message on Human Rights Day. “But these victims of discrimination are not alone. The United Nations is standing with them, committed to defending the rights of all, and particularly the most vulnerable.  That is our identity and our mission.”

Human Rights Day has been observed since 1948 when the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

10 December Thu 2009, 14:14:15