What is the festival?
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival is an annual festival of events running each December that includes International Human Rights Day on the 10th of December.
International Human Rights Day marks the day in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created by the United Nations. This document is widely recognised as the starting point for the creation of the wider system of human rights laws and protections that we now have across the world.
The festival Celebrates and Protects Human Rights, offering events that seek to positively promote, challenge and engage the public in celebrating human rights and hopefully becoming active advocates for their protection.
Most events are run by various organisations and artists from home and abroad. The Consortium also curates several events itself as well as pulling together all of the events into a wider programme and supporting their promotion and marketing.
“82% of people believe that human rights in Northern Ireland should uphold international human rights standards.”
— Milward Brown Omnibus Survey, August 2016
Why is there a festival?
1. To coordinate the various civil society events that seek to celebrate International Human Rights Day on the 10th of December.
2. To provide an alternative, creative and artistic avenue for promoting and engaging with human rights in Northern Ireland.
3. To engage new audiences in conversations about human rights at home and abroad.