Donna Mae Alaga 
We have never looked at our human rights the same way before— Cyrus cylinder and other internationally recognized documents are just an oversimplification of our human dignity.
Social oppression, violent diplomatic relations, and human trafficking, to mention a few, did mark wounds in the fabric of rights entitled to us regardless of our age, race, gender, and other indicators of our identity.
With the theme “Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future,” this Human Rights Day requires that we foster and integrate a culture of same-shared urgency to educate ourselves about our rights and those of others. It also urges us to continuously help build a society where everyone enjoys their rights and cultivate a community that participates for and with our posterity to bring such a vision into fruition.
May we stay vigilant of our actions, for they could potentially infringe on the rights of others. Our government should also play its role by being accountable for its policy-making efforts and interventions through transparency and providing accessible, truthful information that is indispensable in further safeguarding the rights of its people.
Together, may we not end the freedom of others merely by starting our own.
