The Human Rights Academy in the Pine Bush Central School District is a summer program dedicated to students learning about and supporting human rights through a series of activities and service projects. 

On the first day of this year’s program, as in years past, students began their study of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a virtual visit from Mr. Jeff Urbin who explained the way in which FDR’s Four Freedoms laid the foundation for what became the UDHR. His presentation covered the way in which FDR sought to secure these basic freedoms for all people and how, after his death, his wife Eleanor continued his legacy of establishing human rights globally for all citizens. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following Mr. Urbin’s presentation, the group delved deeper into the topic of human rights and examined how global current events are infringing on these rights. The focus this year was to support Ukrainian refugees who are currently facing very similar circumstances to those witnessed by FDR in the wake of World War II, which inspired him to protect human rights for all.

 

 

 

The group visited the FDR Library which was an opportunity for students to further explore Franklin and Eleanor’s involvement in the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while also seeing how the challenges that FDR faced in his personal and presidential life inspired the protection of freedom across the globe.