[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 78149-78150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31566]



[[Page 78147]]

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Part VI





The President





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Proclamation 8616--Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human 
Rights Week, 2010


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 239 / Tuesday, December 14, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 78149]]

                Proclamation

                
Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human 
                Rights Week, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted 
                the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More than 60 
                years later, the Declaration reflects the world's 
                commitment to the idea that ``all human beings are born 
                free and equal in dignity and rights.'' As Americans, 
                this self-evident truth lies at the heart of our 
                Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our 
                Bill of Rights. It is a belief that, while every nation 
                pursues a path rooted in the culture of its own 
                citizens, certain rights belong to all people: freedom 
                to live as they choose, to speak openly, to organize 
                peacefully, to worship freely, and to participate fully 
                in the public life of their society with confidence in 
                the rule of law.

                Freedom, justice, and peace for the world must begin 
                with basic security and liberty in the lives of 
                individual human beings. Today, we continue the fight 
                to make universal human rights a reality for every 
                person, regardless of race, gender, religion, 
                nationality, sexual orientation, or circumstance. From 
                the freedom to associate or criticize to the protection 
                from violence or unlawful detention, these inherent 
                civil rights are a matter of both pragmatic and moral 
                necessity.

                The challenges of a new century call for a world that 
                is more purposeful and more united. The United States 
                will always speak for those who are voiceless, defend 
                those who are oppressed, and bear witness to those who 
                want nothing more than to exercise their universal 
                human rights. Our Bill of Rights protects these 
                fundamental values at home, and guides our actions as 
                we stand with those who seek to exercise their 
                universal rights, wherever they live. Countries whose 
                people choose their leaders and rely on the rule of law 
                are more likely to be peaceful neighbors and prosperous 
                partners in the world community.

                Part of the price of our own blessings of freedom is 
                standing up for the liberty of others. As we observe 
                Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights 
                Week, let us recommit to advancing human rights as our 
                common cause and moral imperative. Let us continue to 
                stand with citizens, activists, and governments around 
                the world who embrace democratic reforms and empower 
                free expression. Together, we can advance the arc of 
                human progress toward a more perfect Union and a more 
                perfect world--one in which each human being lives with 
                dignity, security, and equality.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim December 10, 2010, as 
                Human Rights Day; December 15, 2010, as Bill of Rights 
                Day; and the week beginning December 10, 2010, as Human 
                Rights Week. I call upon the people of the United 
                States to mark these observances with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities.

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                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-31566
Filed 12-13-10; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P