8th Annual Human Rights World Tour Launches
The 8th annual Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) World Educational Tour launches from Los Angeles, California, USA in February, circling the globe to bring human rights awareness to countries from Bangladesh to Belgium, Cambodia to Costa Rica and Honduras to Thailand. The tour will bring the printed and audiovisual materials of YHRI, a nonprofit US-based human rights education and advocacy group, to youth around the world and highlights the ongoing United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).
A strong proponent of meeting people on their own ground, in their own country to see firsthand the issues and challenges they face and to help implement effective local initiatives, YHRI founder and president Dr. Mary Shuttleworth has personally led the World Tour team every year since 2004. “Youth are the heartbeat of our future. When they do not know their rights, they are vulnerable and easy prey for ill-intentioned individuals,” says Dr. Shuttleworth. “Youth who know that they have rights and responsibilities can defend against or report abuses, and strive to reach their full potentials.”
The Tour presents the YHRI human rights education programs to youth and educators in universities, schools, youth groups, juvenile detention centers and orphanages, as well as to monarchs, heads of government and officials of the United Nations and Commonwealth of Nations. The YHRI World Tour has traversed more than 70 countries on six continents and reached hundreds of thousands of young people.
YHRI educational materials include the award-winning music video UNITED, 30 Public Service Announcements, The Story of Human Rights video, an educator's guide to human rights instruction, and the booklet What are Human Rights? YHRI audiovisual products have reached more than 500 million around the world in 17 languages, with local, national and international media coverage.
The mission of YHRI is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace. A nonprofit organization, YHRI collaborates with like-minded individuals, groups and organizations. Through their support and that of thousands of volunteers, YHRI has expanded to hundreds of affiliated chapters, groups and clubs in more than 100 countries around the world.