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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.

To help your school celebrate International Human Rights Day, here are some suggestions that you could consider taking to the person or group responsible for planning the occasion – or you could volunteer to be part of the group and help:

Explore a range of publications and resources by the Human Rights Commission that outlines human rights in relation to the rights of children.

All people – no matter their age, sex, colour, religion or where they live – have the same basic needs to live a healthy life. These needs include food, shelter, education, healthcare and freedom from persecution and discrimination.

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).

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?

Note that the Activity sheet: Rights and wants provides an introduction to this activity. Provide students with a copy of the (child friendly version) Convention on the Rights of the Child (available at: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/resources/plainchild.asp). Depending on knowledge levels, some discussion or overview may be required.

The aim of this activity is to introduce students to the issues that faced children who were kept in Australian Immigration Detention Centres prior to the policy change in 2005.

Read through the following quotes. These are things that asylum seeker children told the Australian Human Rights Commission about their time in Australian immigration detention centres.

Access an activity that provides examples of when the rights of children have been denied and what action would be appropriate in order to protect them.

back to Voices of Australia Voices of Australia Activities / resources downloads Download complete resource in PDF or Word Introduction PDF or Word 1. Discussion game Activity sheet: Find someone who …. PDF or Word 2. Role play and discussion Resource sheet: Character profiles .... PDF or Word Activity sheet: Find a character who PDF or Word 3. Map and timeline work Resource sheet: World map PDF ...

You can complete an activity sheet where you need to find someone who likes Vegemite, has been on a plane, lived in another country and rides a bicycle.

I am both Australian and Lebanese. I have the best of two great cultures. Being part of Middle Eastern societies has taught me the value of family and respect for elders.

Complete an activity sheet where you need to identify a character who came to Australia in 1970 and has a diverse range of experience and interests.

Back to Voices of Australia Voices of Australia - Resource sheet 3 [Download PDF or Word ] World map Source SBS World Guide of 2004 © Hardie Grant Publishing http://www.hardiegrant.com.au ...

Complete the following questions by referring to pages 11-18 in Voices of Australia, History of change - timeline of Australia's race relations (available at: www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/voices/pdf/voices_mlc50dpi.pdf )

You can explore the Voices of Australia activities, which examine life in Australia while considering issues such as discrimination, respect and diversity.

We have also played an important leadership role internationally by sharing our experience with other national human rights institutions and by contributing technical assistance to advance partnerships for human rights in other countries.

You can complete an educational activity that raises awareness of the laws that help to ensure a harmonious and respectful society for everyone.