December 10th 2011 is International Human Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares a powerful idea: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. These words are the premise of international human rights law establishing that human rights are universal, yet they are not universally accepted.
The Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union (SUSK) opposes acts of discrimination, exclusion, oppression, and violence and honours all human right defenders who work towards freedom, justice, and peace.
SUSK strongly disagrees with the current Ukrainian Government’s actions of harassing and intimidating the Ukrainian academic community and infringing on the autonomy of academic institutions. Primarily, these actions have been focused on historians who draw attention to Ukrainian national sentiment relative to Soviet oppression.
In light of recent events in Ukraine, including the apparent politically motivated arrest of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and concerns of lack of transparency in her hearings and trials which do not comply with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the recent Holodomor Awareness Day and the opening of an exhibit as part of recognition of Canada’s First National Internment Operation, SUSK recognizes them because of their distinct contribution and value to human rights education.
