In December, already the fifth year in a row, the Human Rights Monitoring Institute together with its partners organizes the Annual Human Rights Awareness Month to commemorate the International Human Rights Day and shift our society to live and act according to human rights principles. This year theme of the month is – Art and Human Rights.
There's a powerful connection between artists of all kinds and human rights. Artist and activist sometimes stand up against the establishment to say what needs to be said in the name of humanity. Art communicates across boundaries of geography, politics, gender and race. Human rights too, cross all divides and belong to every individual on the planet.
Freedom of expression is vital for an artist's work and the human rights activist works to protect that very right. But in the end the relationship is more fundamental. We experience art together. It makes us feel human, and moves us to protect the human rights of others. (Amnesty International Magazine, July/August 2006)
Events exploring art and human rights connection are popular all over the world – human rights art exhibitions, film festivals, video installations and public actions have been done in Australia, USA and many European countries. This year we decided to bring this theme to Lithuania. Therefore we launched Human Rights Awareness Month 2009: Artists for Human Rights.
Regretfully, due to the flu epidemic half of the events had to be moved to the Annual Week Against Racism, March 2010 (e.g., series of discussions at the National Art Gallery as well as the high-level discussion in Seimas with politicians and Nordic experts). If you feel fit you are most welcome to attend the events which we still have left in our calendar of events (see below).
However please take necessary precautions (use personal protective measures such as face masks or respirators, wash your hands regularly, and avoid touching your face when among other people, see more on
http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/documents/09_07_personal_protective_measures_ecdc-2009-0001-00-00-enen_final.pdf).
See the Events Calendar in the Events section under the Human Rights Awareness Month.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute