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AGBU Youth Delegation Attends Global UN Conference Dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
| Date: |
10/27/2008 |
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| Contact: |
AGBU Press Office |
| Phone: |
212-319-6383 |
| Fax: |
212-319-6507 |
| Email: |
press@agbu.org |
Paris, France — Representing the largest Armenian non-profit in the world, members of the AGBU Paris Youth Group and AGBU Young Professionals of Paris recently participated in a major international human rights conference sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information/Non Governmental Organization (UN DPI/NGO) from September 3-5, 2008 in Paris, France.
In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), UN DPI/NGO held their 61st Annual Conference at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris where the declaration was first adopted. Participating on behalf of AGBU were Varti Donikian, Yves-Armen Kantarci, Lilya Melkonian and Antranik Zekian.
Sixty years after the adoption of the UDHR, it is estimated that more than half of today's world population does not, in fact, enjoy basic and universally accepted human rights and freedoms. Over the three-day conference, some 1,200 participants representing NGOs from almost 90 countries engaged in round-table discussions, as well as midday workshops and sessions, sharing their experiences on the ground and presenting best practices in different areas of human rights protection.
"You should not look to others for the results of the three days you have spent here, just as you should not look to governments to tell you how to work for human rights. You have created your own results," stated Shamina de Gonzaga, Chairwoman of the UN DPI/NGO Conference, in her closing remarks.
The discussions covered a diverse number of topics, including traditional human rights subjects such as extreme poverty and the rights of the disabled, the mentally ill, minorities and homosexuals, as well as topical human rights issues, such as the growing challenges in the context of national efforts to address terrorism.
"The presentation summarized on a theoretical level the necessary steps to allow for reconciliation after mass massacres or genocide," explained Kantarci who, along with Zekian, attended the round table on "Reconciliation — Post-Conflict and Post-Genocide," which cited recent atrocities in Bosnia and Rwanda as examples of conflict and post-conflict resolution. "The whole reflection process was really interesting and educational, especially for a young Armenian like me, who is very involved in efforts to get the Armenian Genocide recognized," Zekian said.
For a comprehensive collection of translations of the UDHR, please visit www.unhchr.ch/udhr. For more information on the conference, please visit www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/conference.
Established in October 2007, the AGBU-UN Special Interest Group represents AGBU at the United Nations where it is committed to promoting its mission of preserving and promoting the Armenian identity and heritage. For more information about the group and its work, please visit www.agbu.org/un or email agbuunsig@gmail.com. For more information about AGBU and its other worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org.
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