American Human Rights Council looks back on 2023
There is no doubt that the year 2023 has been the year of challenges to humanity- wars, conflicts, natural disasters, and a genocide.
In February 2023, devastating and deadly earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria claiming a huge toll of deaths, 59,259 in Turkey and 8,476 in Syria. Tens of thousands of Turks and Syrians were injured and hundreds of thousands of people became homeless.
In October 2023, the world experienced the start of a genocidal war on Gaza, Palestine. The world witnessed the indiscriminate bombing of one of the most densely populated areas on earth. More than 21,000 people were killed, over 56,000 injured. These are not final numbers since thousands are feared to be buried under the rubble.
Israel committed human rights violations at an industrial scale. Israel showed complete disregard to international law and the international community. It was able to act with impunity due to an unprecedented level of American support. The Gaza ongoing genocide is not only a catastrophe for Gaza but for the cause of human rights and international law.
2023 is almost behind us. Usually, December is the month of festivities around the world. Billions around the world celebrate Christmas and prepare to celebrate the start of the new year. The genocide in Gaza has resulted in the carnage in Gaza and the protests around the making the headlines, not holiday cheer. The sadness engulfs the city of Bethlehem, Palestine, the birthplace of Jesus that cancelled its Christmas festivities to protest the genocide on Gaza.
We live in a world and in a country rich in diversity. The diversity of holidays, cultures and religions is to be cherished and celebrated. Despite all the tragedies and sadness, we cannot allow ourselves to lose hope. The cause of human rights is the cause of hope for a better future.
To reclaim our world for human rights, we must work together to make 2024 the year of human rights, peace, justice, and human dignity for all. There is no other choice.
We hope that the year 2024 will be better for the human rights and peace for everyone around the world, and will mark the end of many, if not all, the tragedies in the world. No exceptions.
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AHRC Mission:
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC) is dedicated to defending and protecting human rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the United Nations 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The AHRC was formed to protect these rights and advocate for anyone whose rights are being violated or denied. To that end, the AHRC will build a tenacious, objective, and carefully guided advocacy program that will serve to defend individual human rights, whenever and wherever they are being infringed upon
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