Over 40 members from UCLA, CSUN, and Pierce College Participated
On December 19, 2021, ASEZ members from the University of California [UCLA], California State University Northridge [CSUN], and Pierce College held an online seminar to commemorate the UN Human Rights Day.
The online seminar had three parts: the introduction about ASEZ, a presentation on Human Rights Day, and an expert lecture along with a brief Q&A session.
Through the presentation, members found out that a violation of human rights does not simply mean being unable to freely express their thoughts or fair advocacy in the court of law. Instead, there are various ways people infringe on human rights, including subconsciously discriminating against a group of people through labeling.
ASEZ member Karina Barrera, who gave the presentation, said, “While preparing for this event, I realized the importance of being conscious of the words I speak since it may discriminate against others even though I didn’t intend to.”
The expert lecture was led by Professor Joseph Berra, the Human Rights in the Americas Project Director with the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law.
Berra highlighted the history and progression of the human rights framework. He defined the focus of the Human Rights Movement as advocacy for groups discriminated by race, gender, and ability. He said, “There is much work to be done, but the work presented by ASEZ will create positive influence on the Human Rights Movement.” He concluded his presentation by emphasizing the importance of approaching the human rights struggle with humility and realizing that our humanity depends on harmony with other human beings and the earth.
When asked about what young adults can do even during the pandemic, Joseph said that the pandemic revealed inequalities, like an X-Ray, and exposed issues in equal healthcare opportunities and the environment. He said, “Where you see basic necessities denied, that’s where the human rights struggle begins.”
All human beings are valuable simply by existing, and they should be respected. ASEZ will continue to promote human dignity so that more people can respect each other.
