New website showcases arresting and shocking human rights facts

Australian Human Rights Commission President Catherine Branson QC delivered the 2011 Human Rights Day Oration and announced a major new Commission initiative to build understanding and respect for human rights in Australia. “I am proud to be able to launch an innovative online initiative today, known as Something In Common, which aims for greater community engagement with human rights issues,” Ms Branson said.

“In order to respond to the desire for human rights facts, as part of our Something In Common project we have developed a microsite – Tell Me Something I Don’t Know.

“Tell Me Something I Don't Know presents a series of human rights facts that are arresting and sometimes shocking,” she said. “In addition, there are a number of engagement features where users have the opportunity to not only add their own stories to the site, but contribute to Australian film reviews that deal with human rights issues, respond to polls and commit to taking a number of online and offline actions.

“Something In Common seeks to build on these ideas to enable us to speak about human rights in ways that will inspire people to promote, defend and apply human rights in their daily lives through social media,” she said.

“It is impossible to refute the reach of social media and impossible to ignore it if human rights education and community engagement are to remain relevant.”

Source: Australian Human Rights Commission