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The 1948 Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, introduced in the aftermath of World War II, was
intended to enshrine a common understanding of human rights that states
agreed to protect. In the 40 years since, it been used by groups fighting
human rights abuses around the world. In communist
Czechoslovakia, the members of the dissident Charter 77 group spearheaded the
movement that led to the Velvet Revolution and the 1989 overthrow of the
communist regime. This compassionate film contrasts their success with the
struggles of Guatemalan civil rights workers in the Council of Ethnic
Communities (CERJ) today, educating peasant communities about their rights. "It liberates people," explains
one, "when they fight, peacefully, for what are their human
rights". When it comes to human
rights, the odds have always favored the abusers. This film is about changing the odds. This film is a story of victory, tragedy and hope. A testament
to the courage of those who struggle to defend their human rights. (60
minutes)
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