THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

117

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

designating march as human rights month and designating hawaii as a human rights state.

 

 


     WHEREAS, December 10, 2013, marked the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was spearheaded by the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt and based on policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms"; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the rights of all peoples and encompasses a broad spectrum of economic, social, cultural, civil, political, and collective rights; and

 

     WHEREAS, this anniversary provides an opportunity to call attention to human rights violations that occur around the world and to continue to promote the importance of educating the citizens of Hawaii about human rights; and

 

     WHEREAS, a human rights state serves as a model for communities around the world to witness practical ways the human rights framework can make every citizen a partner of sustainable social change; and

 

     WHEREAS, a human rights state is one whose residents and local authorities, through ongoing discussions and creative exchanges of ideas, come to understand that human rights, when widely recognized as a way of life, assist in identifying the issues and inform the actions in the communities of the State, for meaningful and positive economic and social change; and

 

     WHEREAS, developing human rights states is an attempt to build infrastructure for conflict prevention, human security, and sustainable development and to create a place for active civic engagement at the local, national, and global levels; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii could be declared among the first human rights states in the United States, building upon the human rights city movement, which includes Washington, D.C.; and

 

     WHEREAS, if declared as a human rights state, Hawaii will join human rights cities around the world in working to provide leadership and advocacy to secure, protect, and promote human rights for all people; and

 

     WHEREAS, International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8, a day when thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements; and

 

     WHEREAS, while December 10 has been designated as International Human Rights Day, March is an appropriate month to be designated as Human Rights Month in the State because the Legislature is in session and March 8 is International Woman's Day; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the House of Representatives concurring, that March is designated as Human Rights Month and Hawaii is designated as a human rights state; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body commemorate Human Rights Month with related activities at the State Capitol in conjunction with International Women's Day; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mayor of each county, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

International Human Rights Month; Human Rights State