A blog post by Forest Whitaker on International Human Rights Day
December 10, 2025
Every year on December 10th, we commemorate Human Rights Day and the promise outlined in 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirmed the inherent dignity and equality of all people. This year’s United Nations theme, “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials,” speaks directly to a truth I have seen throughout my life: human rights are not distant ideals. They are the fabric of daily life.
Human rights are reflected in the small, everyday experiences that many take for granted: a child who feels safe enough to go to school, a woman who gains the skills and resources to start her own business, a young person who has the dignity of a full stomach and a safe place to rest at night, or a community that has the space to heal from trauma so neighbors can trust one another again. These moments may seem ordinary, but they are the foundations on which opportunity is built. When these essentials are present, communities can thrive.
I have witnessed this firsthand through the young people we work with around the world. Through our Youth Peacemaker Network, we equip young women and men with tools to resolve conflicts, prevent violence, and strengthen their communities from within. One of our proudest results is probably that more than 90 percent of participants in our Conflict Resolution Education courses report applying their training in their personal or professional lives. This reinforces a truth that guides my work: when people have access to practical tools, human rights stop being abstract ideals and become part of daily life.
We see the same dynamic in our work with women. Whether through entrepreneurship training, sports programs, or access to sexual and reproductive health information, economic empowerment and knowledge can transform a woman’s daily reality. Human rights become tangible when a woman can provide for her family, participate in decisions that affect her, or feel safe moving through her community. These experiences should be universal, yet for too many, they remain inaccessible.
This year’s theme reminds us that human rights are not only about responding to violations. Lasting peace requires cultivating a culture of human rights, a way of living grounded in respect, equality, and shared humanity. At WPDI, this culture is built through everyday activities: dialogue circles in schools, mentoring sessions, trauma-healing workshops, youth- and women-led businesses, and community sports events that bridge divides. These consistent interactions create environments where dignity can take root.
Today, millions of people, from refugees and displaced families to young people seeking opportunity, continue to face uncertain futures. Yet I have learned from our peacemakers that hope endures. When people have the tools to rebuild their lives, when their voices are heard and their rights respected, even the most fragile contexts can become places of transformation.
On this Human Rights Day, I am reminded that peace is not an abstract goal. It is a daily practice. It is something we build together: one classroom, one dialogue, one empowered youth, one family at a time.
Human rights are our everyday essentials. And when we invest in people’s everyday lives, we invest in a more peaceful and just world.