I’m not a Darwinist myself but have found Darwin’s theory of evolution quite something to think about. Its importance in the study of biology I find is often overdone. Pictures of the five apes to human forms have been on the front of science textbooks ever since one can remember. Be it decades of evolution or progeny of Adam and Eve humans have come into existence dominating life on earth with their social dependant form of life.

We by default are social beings that rely on cooperation to survive and thrive. In doing so there comes certain legal, social, or ethical principles to which a person is inherently entitled simply because he or she is a human being. These very principles were penned down to form the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we know of today.

The 10th of December marks World Human Rights Day, the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN in 1948. Going in hand to prove that every human being deserves equal rights, a great initiative was done by the Rotaract club of University Alumni. They launched a project named “Got Equality” to raise awareness in society about human rights.

The project was carried out through an HR survey as the first phase, to collect the ideas and thoughts about this matter and for the second phase, a public relations campaign was done publishing quotes which was undertaken by the HR survey to draw the attention of Human Rights and Equality. We, the Rotaract Club of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura had the pleasure of being a part of this great endeavour, and we believe that it was a highly needed matter to be discussed. 

The PR campaign included the publishing of quotes and thoughts on Human Rights which was undertaken by the HR survey, and it brought out the role in ensuring a functional community by the fellow Rotaractors all around the island. Its collection standing at an astounding sixty-five to date. Rotaractors of the Rotaract club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura was able to contribute to twenty-two of them in an attempt to make aware its profound importance in times to come and the necessity of one to fight for them.

Among the many rights, one should secure, the necessity of human beings to be treated as equals reigns supreme. Each individual’s claim to human rights pre-exists in all of those attributes such as gender, race, ethnicity, religious conviction, national identity, or physical and physiological abilities. Got equality emphasizes just that, in taking equality and human rights to a higher stand.

The three-month-long campaign will be brought to a close on the 24th of March in commemoration of the International Day for Rights to the truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, leaving the community with a better insight into Human Rights, Equality, and Social Justice.

The insight is of much need in times like this. For in a world where one’s freedom, liberty, and happiness is sought human rights cannot, instead it can only be taken away. To know something has been taken away, one should know what one has. How do you then stop others from taking something you never knew you had?

By Rtr. Reema Shakir