This article was written by Julie Kae and originally appeared on the Qlik Blog here: https://www.qlik.com/blog/the-value-of-addressing-the-entire-spectrum-of-human-rights
World AIDS Day, held December 1st, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held December 3rd, and Human Rights Day, held December 10th, are all important dates that inspire us to continue our important work of our DE&I program, ensuring we experience a “Qlik for All.”
World AIDS Day
Founded in 1988 and hosted by the National AIDS Trust, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day and is supported with guidance from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, as well as the World Health Organization, among other organizations. It’s fundamental that communities, countries and governments should champion human rights and the rights of people with disabilities. However, companies also have a role to play by leveraging their name and brand to call attention to observances like World AIDS Day, which we supported with awareness-building activities for the day through our LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG). This is especially timely, given that World AIDS Day was early December.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
This date proclaimed in 1992 and adopted by the UN General Assembly, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Qlik recently launched a new Qlik-able ERG to support initiatives to build the understanding and support represented by this important day. Ruth Rathblott – a well-known DE&I speaker who presented to Qlik employees earlier this year – will work as an advisor to the ERG, helping strategize with its leadership around programming to internally advance our work around disability, as well as aid in the design of initiatives to more broadly promote our efforts within the disability space. The ERG’s work will also be further informed by our first-ever DE&I global survey, the results of which will be analyzed to provide insights into how Qlik can help advocate for those with disabilities internally and externally.
Disabilities come in many forms, running the whole gamut of mental and physical conditions. They can arise in times of emotional crisis and be temporary in nature or be permanent or acquired traits which shape peoples’ entire lives. Those you work with, your neighbors – and, yes, the family and friends you share the holidays with – could be people with disabilities, visible or invisible. They could also already be underserved and under-recognized minorities, who need increased understanding, empathy and inclusion.
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day was adopted in 1948, as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone post-WWII document, which affirms the inalienable rights to which everyone is entitled as a human being – regardless of race, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.1
Let’s remember that and ensure we are all doing our best to help those around us feel embraced – and not just for this holiday season, but every day. That’s how we can have the most lasting, meaningful impact in our society, honor the inherent dignity of those around us, and make the world a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place.
References
1. OHCHR | World record. (n.d.). https://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/pages/worldrecord.as...