10/12/2023
Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All!
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 75th anniversary is celebrated today, December 10, 2023. UDHR is one of the world's most significant commitments to humanity. This consequential document avows inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human beingโregardless of race, color, religion, s*x, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. Social Initiatives for Nurturing Communities and Active Governance (SINAG) reaffirms its commitment to promoting and protecting the fundamental rights and dignity of every individual and envisions a world where equality, justice, and respect prevail for all.
As a youth organization, SINAG is aware that there is a lot that needs to be done given the Philippine government's appalling record in human rights. In the face of rampant extrajudicial killings, state-sanctioned brutality, stifling of dissent, and inadequate social services, we yearn for a real changeโa departure from the current state that perpetuates gross inequalities and systematically marginalizes and exploits the masses.
As we celebrate International Human Rights Day, we demand not only recognition but the actualization of the rights of every Filipino. While this day's remembrance serves as a promising reminder of a better future, we are with those who struggle against a system that prioritizes profit over people. SINAG believes that the promises of UDHR can only be fulfilled by seeking not just to address symptoms but to eradicate the root causes that perpetuate suffering; by confronting the oppressive machinery directly, challenging the very foundations that breed impunity; by pushing boundaries, from the streets to the corridors of power, leaving no room for the violators of human rights to operate unchecked.
The struggle for human rights in the Philippines demands people who refuse to be silenced by any red-tagging or any other forms of intimidation as we aspire to become one of those who persistently fight for a future where justice, equality, and freedom are the birthright of every Filipino.
In the trenches of the human rights struggle in the Philippines, collaboration with like-minded advocates to forge alliances that go beyond traditional boundaries. Together, we strategically mobilize, leveraging the strength of collective resistance against forces that undermine the dignity and freedoms of the Filipino people.
