Karin Ryan: Celebrating Universal Human Rights Is More Important than Ever

This year, as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Carter Center will bring together human rights defenders from dozens of countries to discuss the erosion of human rights globally and the rising threats facing citizen activism throughout the world. The gathering will produce strategies to overcome these setbacks.

Former president Jimmy Carter has often cited the establishment of the United Nations in 1945 and the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as among the most promising events of the 20th century. He has written about how inspired he was that, out of the horrors of World War II, the nations of the world charted a new course, guided by an unprecedented collective commitment to prevent war and address a root cause of war: injustice. He sought during his presidency and through four decades of work with the Carter Center to advance these ideals.