This year's International Human Rights Day commemorates the 76th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  This year's theme, "Our rights, our future, right now" reminds us that Human Rights belong to us all, whatever our circumstances.  As the UN's High Commissioner of Human Rights has pointed out, "The full promise of Human Rights is still to be fulfilled" and so we are called upon to mobilize action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights.

Here in Chipping Norton, as we raised our Human Rights flag to mark this anniversary, our co-chair thanked the Mayor and the Town Council for enabling and supporting us to make a small but important contribution to this effort.  She highlighted the importance of standing up for our human rights in our own neighbourhood and throughout the UK as well as in other parts of the world where abuse of human rights is more prevalent, too often with dire consequences.

Later in the day we held a vigil on our Town Hall steps, attracting the attention of passers-by, some - including school chidren - stopping to find out more about our vigil and the work of Amnesty International. 

Deservedly and to warm ourselves up, we then retired to the nearby inn and enjoyed a chance to chat with other members and supporters of our Group.  A good day's work!