Tennessee Human Rights Day Planning Committee Calls for Student Participation

The Tennessee Celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place on December 7, 2017 at the John Seigenthaler Center.

For the past decade, Tennessee has held events each year to observe International Human Rights Day, and since 2011, the event has asked for student participation in the form of art. This has included visual art, computer graphics and spoken word presentations. This year, the committee wants students to come together for a theatrical piece to demonstrate freedom of expression.

According to a new page up at nashvillehumanrights.org, “Student actors and performers are being called to participate in the Tennessee Celebration of Human Rights Day by creating a short theatrical presentation to make the audience think.” From there, students are able to submit their name and information for consideration to participate in this way.

“This is a great way to include college age students in human rights day,” says planning committee chair, Rev. Brian Fesler who pastors the Church of Scientology. “We are still asking middle and high school level students to submit visual artistic presentations,” he says, “but wanted to expand student participation this year.”

The Tennessee Celebration of Human Rights Day brings attention and awareness to key topics, and uplifts human rights leaders who deserve recognition for their accomplishments.

Human Rights Day celebrates the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed on Dec 10, 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

“It’s our intention to foster hope for new generations while celebrating the strides we’ve made,” says Rev. Fesler. The celebration is set for December 7, 2017.

For more information on the event or to participate, visit www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Tennessee Human Rights Day to Be Held on December 7th at First Amendment Center

The Tennessee celebration of International Human Rights Day will take place on December 7^th this year at the John Seigenthaler Center.

For the past decade, Tennessee has held events each year to observe International Human Rights Day, and since 2014, the event has been held at the First Amendment Center, inside the John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Whether you’re reading about fair housing, racial disparities or gender equality, these are all human rights issues. The Tennessee Celebration of Human Rights Day brings attention and awareness to key topics, and uplifts human rights leaders who deserve recognition for their accomplishments.

Human Rights Day celebrates the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed on Dec 10, 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

“It’s our intention to foster hope for new generations while celebrating the strides we’ve made,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. The celebration is set for December 7, 2017.

The celebration centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award.  

The committee plans to feature many different human rights organizations during this year’s celebration, especially government agencies and non-profit organizations in Tennessee that have commitments to some part of the thirty rights as laid out in the UDHR. Organizations who wish to participate in the planning may contact the organizer through www.nashvillehumanrights.org. 

Tennessee Human Rights Day Planning Begins for 2017

Human rights are a hot topic.

Whether you’re reading about fair housing, racial disparities or gender equality, these are all human rights issues. To bring increased awareness and education on human rights to the public, a celebration for Human Rights Day takes place each December in Nashville, Tenn.

On this day, Tennesseans gather to celebrate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed on Dec 10, 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

“Human Rights Day means acknowledging leaders while encouraging others to take up the torch for the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. The celebration has been tentatively set for December 7, 2017.

The celebration centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award.  Last year, Rising Advocate Awards were given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They were Anna Carella, who has worked both locally and in other parts of the world to help others in need and most recently with Advocates for Women's and Kids' Equality (AWAKE); Justin Jones, a Fisk University senior who has already proven himself as a strong advocate for social justice and peace by organizing several events, marches and protests with the purpose to help others; and Mohamed Shukri-Hassan, who works with the Tennessee Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition and American Center for Outreach and was on the first Mayor’s New Americans Advisory Council.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service were Juan Canedo for his work on issues that affect the wellbeing of the Hispanic community and the community at large, with particular emphasis on empowering Hispanic immigrants; and Derri Smith, who is the Founder and Executive Director of End Slavery Tennessee.  

The Lifetime Achievement award last year went to Dr. Charles Kimbrough, a longtime civil rights activist who established and organized NAACP chapters in four different cities across the South and served as President of the Nashville Branch, where he saw a surge in chapter membership, addressing civil rights issues within the local African American community.

The committee plans to feature many different human rights organizations during this year’s celebration, especially government agencies and non-profit organizations in Tennessee that have commitments to some part of the thirty rights as laid out in the UDHR. Organizations who wish to participate in the planning may contact the organizer through www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Human Rights Day Celebration in Tennessee Set for December 7

The committee planning the Tennessee celebration of International Human Rights Day, which takes place in December, has just announced a tentative date for the event.

Each year, Tennesseans gather to celebrate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations on Dec 10, originally signed in 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

“Human Rights Day means acknowledging leaders while encouraging others to take up the torch for the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. The celebration has been tentatively set for December 7, 2017.

The celebration centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award.  Last year, Rising Advocate Awards were given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. They were Anna Carella, who has worked both locally and in other parts of the world to help others in need and most recently with Advocates for Women's and Kids' Equality (AWAKE); Justin Jones, a Fisk University senior who has already proven himself as a strong advocate for social justice and peace by organizing several events, marches and protests with the purpose to help others; and Mohamed Shukri-Hassan, who works with the Tennessee Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition and American Center for Outreach and was on the first Mayor’s New Americans Advisory Council.

The award winners in the category of Outstanding Service were Juan Canedo for his work on issues that affect the wellbeing of the Hispanic community and the community at large, with particular emphasis on empowering Hispanic immigrants; and Derri Smith, who is the Founder and Executive Director of End Slavery Tennessee.  

The Lifetime Achievement award last year went to Dr. Charles Kimbrough, a longtime civil rights activist who established and organized NAACP chapters in four different cities across the South and served as President of the Nashville Branch, where he saw a surge in chapter membership, addressing civil rights issues within the local African American community.

The committee plans to feature many different human rights organizations during this year’s celebration, especially the Tennessee governmental and non-profit agencies that have commitments to the thirty rights as laid out in the UDHR. Organizations who wish to participate in the planning may contact the organizer through www.nashvillehumanrights.org.