Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10th, marking the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly. The human rights outlined entitle everyone to these rights, without discrimination.
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” – Article 1 of the UDHR
If you ask Tasha Williamson, she’ll remind us that “human rights is every day.” In this interview, she shares the work she’s dedicated herself to, the community involvement required to ensure resources are reaching people in need of support, and how this support allows those affected to maintain their humanity after tragedy.
“We fight for everyday people who are experiencing injustices across San Diego county, supporting them in every way possible to ensure their humanity is intact as they survive the injustices that we see happening across the world.”
As stated on the UN’s human rights day website, the theme this year is “Equality – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights,” which aims to move us closer in alignment with principles of equality and non-discrimination. This includes “addressing and finding solutions for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies.”
Advocating for human rights is necessary work supporting those who are not able to fully advocate for themselves. It offers an opportunity to stretch ourselves a little bit at a time and impact our circles of people, neighbors, and larger communities.
Given that there are protected standards of human behavior worldwide and goals set to measure progress, where do we start as individuals? Tasha invites us to consider kindness and the power of words. Her story is an example of what we are capable of when we connect to a “why.” Her experience has shown how action can connect to the bigger picture of bringing balance to the scales of equity, equality, and justice.
Tasha Williamson
is an American activist, community leader, and political candidate. Williamson has spent her career advocating for families in the San Diego area who have been affected by gun, gang, and police violence. She is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Exhaling Injustice and co-founded the San Diego Compassion Project in 2008.
