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The right to human rights education is considered a human right — yet how many of us, especially in the United States, have been educated in human rights? How can we claim our rights, let alone defend the rights of others, if we don’t know what they are? Below is a short list introductory human rights resources to explore. Curious to learn more? Contact Carrie Cuthbert at Human Rights Initiatives at Smith: ccuthbert@smith.edu
Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt holding the English-language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in November 1949
What Are Human Rights? (1 short video)
The basic idea of human rights is that each one of us, no matter who we are or where we are born, is entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms. That may sound straightforward enough, but it gets incredibly complicated as soon as anyone tries to put the idea into practice. What exactly are the basic human rights? Who gets to pick them? Who enforces them—and how? Benedetta Berti explores the subtleties of human rights.
Women Who Shaped the UDHR (2 short videos)
First lady of the United States of America from 1933 to 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt was appointed, in 1946, as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by United States President Harry S. Truman. She served as the first Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and played an instrumental role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other women from across the globe also played essential parts in shaping the document.
Human Rights Basics
Human Rights Basics
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On Dec. 10, 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War when East-West tensions were high, the United Nations adopted the UDHR. Drafted by representatives from all regions of the world, the UDHR sets forth the rights all people have by virtue of being human. Today 193 nations are signatories to the UDHR and it is the most translated document in the world.
How Women Shaped the UDHR (short article)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is widely regarded as a landmark document of the 20th century. It is the most translated document in the world and has been ratified by every country. Over the past 75 years, the UDHR has served as a blueprint for human rights and inspired several international human rights treaties. But despite the significance of the document, far-less recognized are the women from different parts of the world who worked tirelessly to make it gender-inclusive.
As Chairperson of the Sub-Commission on the Status of Women in 1946, and then of the Commission on the Status of Women in 1947, Bodil Begtrup of Denmark advocated for the Universal Declaration to refer to "all" or "everyone" as the holders of the rights, rather than "all men." UN Photo/Kari Berggrav
UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (HRET) (2011)
This Declaration asserts that everyone has the right to know, seek and receive information about their human rights and fundamental freedoms. It defines HRET as comprising “all education, training, information, awareness-raising and learning activities aimed at promoting universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” It states that HRET encompasses: 1) Education about human rights, 2) Education through human rights, and 3) Education for human rights, and recognizes that HRET is a lifelong process that includes all parts of society, at all levels and should be based on principles of equality.
Human Rights Watch 2025 Annual Report
This Human Rights Watch annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in over 100 countries and territories worldwide in 2024. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff conducted during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.
The section on human rights in the United States covers racial justice, poverty and inequality, criminal legal system, children in the criminal, youth and family court system, drug policy, rights of non-citizens, health and human rights, voting rights, climate change policy and impacts, women’s and girls’ rights, disability and older peoples’ rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, and foreign policy.
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