December 10 is known as International Human Rights Day and celebrates the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In commemoration, we bring attention to our freedoms and shine a light on how we can advocate for ourselves when these are disrupted.
If you’re an event planner looking for ideas on how to celebrate Human Rights Day, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for inspiration on how you can create an event to observe this important day.
What event does Human Rights Day commemorate?
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) — a document that ensures basic rights for every human being regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, and other statuses. The drafting of the UDHR was a monumental occasion, and December 10th was deemed Human Rights Day. This holiday celebrates the dignity the UDHR grants us and raises awareness of how people’s rights are violated.
International Human Rights Day promotes equality, peace, justice, and the protection of human rights. It’s important to find ways to honor these values, so we’ve devised 10 ideas for creating events for the day.
10 event ideas to celebrate International Human Rights Day
Many people may not know how to celebrate International Human Rights Day. As an event creator, it’s your job to provide people with ways to commemorate this special day. The following Human Rights Day celebration ideas are engaging, educational, and designed to spark inspiration for activism.
1. Organize powerful performances
Performances are an artistic way to convey the meaning of Human Rights Day. Invite local artists to perform pieces centered around pertinent themes. Performances can include poem readings, dance routines, monologues, or skits. CIRCA Pintig hosted a World Human Rights Day event that showcased performances focusing on pressing issues surrounding the topic, such as radical violence, police brutality, and injustice.
2. Host an online conference
An online conference allows attendees to listen to one speaker at a time, which increases audience engagement. Not only that, but an online event can reach a wider group of people — think international. Youth for Human Rights International organized an online conference that brought together speakers from all over the world.
To host your own webinar for Human Rights Day, start by reaching out to candidates. Preferably these would be activists, community leaders, authors, or anyone else that can deliver addresses surrounding human rights. Allow attendees to interact with speakers by organizing breakout rooms with Q&A sessions.
For more ways to make your online event one to remember, check out our guide for hosting a webinar.
3. Celebrate the community with an awards ceremony
Recognize human rights advocates in your community with an awards ceremony. This idea is also perfect for charities and other organizations that want to celebrate their members.
Additionally, an awards ceremony provides an opportunity to educate people on human rights issues. Invite keynote speakers to give addresses, and for entertainment, bring up artists to perform thematically aligned work. Eventbrite creator Cristian Vargas hosted an awards ceremony focused on educating their community about human rights issues.
Remember: No event is complete without food. Scout your area for restaurants and caterers that would be happy to help provide the menu for an event celebrating human rights advocacy.
4. Encourage new connections with a networking event
Organizing a networking event can bring together people interested in connecting with other human rights advocates. This will give passionate attendees the chance to swap ideas on initiatives and efforts.
Your event can be either virtual or in-person. Virtual networking is a draw for many event-goers; this format provides easier access and allows participants to connect with people outside their community.
If you opt for an in-person event, consider icebreakers, such as speed networking or scavenger hunts, to facilitate conversation.
5. Curate an art exhibition
Art and photography deliver messages in powerful and unique ways. Curating an exhibit will help give attendees a fresh perspective on human rights issues and themes, such as gender inequality, human trafficking, and reproductive rights.
Human rights are relevant to everyone, so you’re bound to find artists with a story to tell. To find artists, visit your local art gallery or scour social media. International Arts Festival tapped into their own network of artists for their International Human Rights exhibit.
6. Educate attendees with a panel discussion
If you want to showcase diverse voices, consider organizing a panel. A roundtable gives more than one insight into a topic as well as provides an enriching and educational experience for your attendees. United Nations Association of Saint Louis hosted a thought-provoking panel that featured local leaders and activists in the area.
Keeping your panel local helps attendees connect with their community, but you’re not limited to this approach. Consider inviting international speakers to lend their voices. For instance, a virtual roundtable allows speakers from all over the world to gather in one place and share their input.
7. Present a self-advocacy workshop
Human rights extend to all areas of life, including the workplace. Issues around gender, age, and racial inequality impact millions of employees. Many people aren’t equipped to advocate for themselves when these issues arise.
Offering a self-advocacy workshop will empower people to use their voices. Need inspiration? Eventbrite creator Yejin Lee hosted a workshop that provided a space for people of color to gain skills for safely and strategically responding to workplace racism.
Take a look at our how-to guide for creating an interactive workshop for ways to bring your event to life.
8. Human rights young activism summit
Inspire tomorrow’s leaders with an activism summit. First, start with a lineup of invigorating speakers. A group of experienced guests can lend their knowledge and ignite the spark in young people interested in human rights defense. UNA-SF hosts a yearly event featuring prominent leaders who discuss their work as peacekeepers. You build upon this by adding games, discussions, and workshops.
9. Hold a Human Rights Day festival
Encourage people to come out and celebrate the freedoms the Declaration of Human Rights grants. Instead of a one-day affair, make this a weekend-long extravaganza.
Here is an example of what a human rights festival could look like:
Friday: Panel discussions, theater performances, children’s exhibits, musical performances
Saturday: Art showcase, poetry reading, trade show booths, musical performances
Sunday: Book fair, musical performances, activism workshops
For a large-scale festival like this, it’s wise to approach event sponsors. Incorporating sponsors will help cover costs, and partnerships can even help increase your reach.
10. Plan a kids’ activity day
A kid-friendly Human Rights Day event can be both educational and fun. For instance, you could host a read-aloud that features children’s books about human rights issues. After the reading, provide games and activities that test kids’ knowledge of the book’s topics. You might even consider inviting the book’s author to do a Q&A and signing.
Get started with Eventbrite
We hope the Human Rights Day event ideas we discussed will provide inspiration for your own event. Once you’ve figured out how you want to celebrate the day, make it a reality with Eventbrite and post your event listing.
