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Every year on December 10, we commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During 2009, the Australian Government conducted a series of human rights consultations on human rights in Australia.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory organisation that works to protect and promote the human rights of all people in Australia. We were established by the Australian Government in 1986.

Access an activity sheet that details human rights situations involving identity and 'difference’ in relation to young people in the workplace.

Lian and her friends meet in a café and discuss the benefits of part-time work while still at school - experience, money, meeting people etc. Lian's friend, Kenny, works in a computer company and Lian has decided to apply for a job there.

Dean does not tolerate racism on the field and so he confronts it when it happens, accepts the apology and moves on. He takes pride in his Indigenous background and likes to share his culture and educate others.

The customer comes first; if the customers are unhappy, they will not return. My business will go broke, and we will lose our jobs. So we have to keep the customers happy.

Provide students with picture cards from the Resource sheet: Human rights images. Ask students to brainstorm which human rights could be associated with the pictures (eg. right to vote, right to education). Make a list of rights on the whiteboard (they may think of others).

2. We all have identities that are significant to us; identities that have an impact on what we think and do. This is true at school, at home and at work.

The DVD/script has focused on the workplace. But human rights situations involving identity and difference' can occur anywhere. There may be situations in your own life at the moment - at school, in a sporting team, at a social club, or with your friends - where you see that identity or difference is dealt with inappropriately.

The following images are a visual representation of various human rights. Some images may be associated with more than one right. Key rights that may be associated with images are equality, right to vote, nationality, identity, freedom from persecution, labour rights, freedom of speech, leisure, participation, education, shelter.

Write down next to each statement the people that are responsible for protecting each of the rights. For example: is it you, your parents, your teacher, the police or perhaps the government?

Young people can learn about their rights and responsibilities in the workplace by accessing an activity sheet that details relevant work situations.

The Commission thanks Herman van Haren for sharing his personal story of migration to Australia, which has been provided for use during the Readers' Theatre stage of this activity.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is considered a useful starting point for research in international human rights law. Many other treaties and conventions have been agreed to since then. There have also been many human rights issues raised around the world.

This information provides some key points about some of the laws that are relevant to the workplace. It is provided as a guide only and should not be relied upon for legal advice.

The decision about what career path to follow is incredibly important. In the past, many people were limited when choosing their careers because of their difference, especially if the career choice was unconventional or not stereotypical. Today people have a right to choose their own career path, though there are often still some obstacles and barriers that are faced.

The following hypothetical case studies present a number of scenarios where you can examine the potential legal rights and the legal responsibilities applicable to both employees and employers in the workplace.

Teachers can access a series of lesson plans that were created by the Commission to help students build an understanding of human rights issues

A fundamental goal of the Commission is to engage all parts of the Australian community in a constructive dialogue about human rights and how they can be better protected.

It was a landmark for Australia - the first federal law to say that all people have the right to be treated fairly, regardless of their background, culture or colour.