Today, the 10th of December, marks the 72nd Human Rights Day. Established in 1948, Human Rights Day marks the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The UDHR declares that we are all entitled to a broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms. Through it we are guaranteed our human rights regardless of nationality, place of residence, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, language, or any other status.
This year’s theme is ‘Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights’ and focusses mainly on how we can rebuild ourselves and our countries after the trauma and disruption of Covid-19. This year has exposed a variety of inequalities and failures in our society that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. In order to recover fully from this situation, the UN is encouraging us to do our part to tackle entrenched, systematic and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination. Today is our opportunity to reiterate how important human rights are to rebuilding the world into a society that we, as ethical consumers, want to live in.
What can be done?
As we plan for the rebuilding of a post-Covid society, we must consider human rights. The crisis has been fuelled globally by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination and various other gaps in human rights protection. If we want to build a better world, we need to close these gaps and create a fairer, more just world. So how can we do this?
- Eradicate discrimination in all its forms: Structural discrimination and racism have been fuelling this crisis so it is key that they are eradicated for a post-Covid world.
- Acknowledge inequalities: We need to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights.
- Encourage participation and solidarity: We need to acknowledge that if we are going to rebuild our society to be fairer and more just, we all have to play our part. We must guarantee that everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s role in society is considered.
- Promote sustainable development: We need to continue to strive toward the Paris Agreement goal of a global temperature rise of only 2˚.
What can we do?
At Ethical Futures, we want to help you do your part by only offering investments that are ethically sound and that fit with the ideals of the UDHR. We make sure that the funds that we invest your money in are not contributing to human rights violations through actions such as displacement, forced land purchases or gender inequality. Your investments can help to make the world a better place.
It is also important to bear in mind that even the smallest of gestures matters. Take a look around you and where you live. Are there any community projects you could get involved with? Can you afford to donate some money or even some of your time?
The simplest of actions can be incredibly beneficial to those in need. For example, you could purchase a few extra items at the supermarket and drop them off at a food bank or women’s shelter. Every action matters.
As always, we are here to answer any of your questions so please do get in touch and let us help make your money change your world.
It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this article does not provide individual tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Ethical Futures llp is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.