Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Hello there. My name is Eleanor Roosevelt. I want to tell you about a very special time. A long, long time ago, the world was very sad after a big fight. Everyone decided that we needed to be better friends to each other. So, I was given a wonderful job. I worked with people from all over the world, from countries near and far. Our job was to write down a list of promises. These were special promises to help everyone, everywhere, be safe, happy, and kind. It was a big idea for the whole world.

Making our list of promises was like a big, friendly party. Friends from so many different countries came to sit together in a big room. We all talked and shared our best ideas. We wanted to make sure our promises were fair for everyone. We decided that every person should have a cozy home to live in and yummy food to eat. We promised that every child should have a chance to go to school and learn new things. We also agreed that everyone should be free to say what they think and play with their friends. We worked together for many days, listening carefully to make our promise just right.

Then, a very happy day came. It was December 10th, 1948. On that day, the whole world said 'Yes.' to our list of promises. We called it the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That sounds like big words, but it just means it is a promise for every single person. I think of it as a gift for you. It's a promise that you are important and should always be treated with kindness. You can help keep this promise alive every day. You can share your toys, be a good friend, and make sure everyone gets a turn to play. This promise is for you, and it helps make the world a friendlier place.