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E-News for ACLU-AL Friends |
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DECEMBER 2008 – JANUARY 2009 |
FIGHTING FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES IN |
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60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
December 10, 2008, marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the founding document of the modern human rights system. The UDHR is a set of basic rights and protections that are to be enjoyed by all persons throughout the world, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. It enables governments, advocates, and lawyers to promote respect for human rights everywhere, and take action when human rights are violated. Watch a short ACLU-produced video on the UDHR >> The Declaration recognizes that "the inherent dignity and... the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." The fundamental rights articulated in the UDHR include the right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to seek asylum, the right to freedom of expression, the right to education, and the right to freedom from torture, among others. Read the complete UDHR >> The national ACLU, specifically the Human Rights Program
(HRP), and state affiliates, including the ACLU of Alabama, work to ensure
that the To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR, the ACLU
will be engaging in an advocacy campaign to raise awareness of ACLU-AL in the News! State
school board approves 2nd Bible textbook:
ACLU-AL testified at a public hearing, objecting to the adoption of
“The Bible and its Influences” for use in public schools. (Associated Press, November 14, 2008) Bible-based
text adds to concerns: Editorial
describing the textbook as being more appropriate for Sunday school, not
public school. ( Hankins’
Middle School in Theodore, Ala., single-sex classes being challenged by ACLU: Allison Neal, staff attorney for ACLU-AL,
said the single-sex policy violates the Constitution and Title IX, the
federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in public schools. (Mobile Press-Register,
November 13, 2008) Should
boys and girls be in separate classes?:
A video report on the single-sex education policy. (WKRG,
November 13, 2008) Single-sex
classes attracting both praise and concern: In an example of how single-sex education
is being implemented, girls discuss wedding cakes and boys talk about sports
in an English class. (Mobile
Press-Register, November 24, 2008) Boys
and girls apart: Editorial
explains that evidence is needed to support single-sex education, and such
programs cannot continue if the only justification is the “hope” or the
“possibility” that something good may come of them. ( Girls
on one side, boys on the other:
Editorial states that benefits from gender-segregated education
are murky at best. ( Differences
in learning abilities of girls and boys are myths: Special opinion piece explaining how
single-sex classrooms are a trendy idea based on bad science. (Mobile Press-Register, November 30,
2008) Thank you for your continued support of civil liberties
in
Olivia Turner Executive
Director, ACLU of T: 334-262-0304 | F: 334-269-5666 |
info@aclualabama.org |
