The ABCs of Human Rights: Why Human Rights Belong in Daily Conversations

Welcome back to MHREC’s The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project.

When we hear the words human rights, many of us think of international treaties, courtrooms, or global organisations. Human rights are not only for politicians, lawyers, or activists. They are part of our everyday lives, shaping the way we live, work, and relate to one another.

From the global to the personal

Human rights protect fundamental things we all value: the right to education, to work, to express ourselves, to feel safe, and to belong. These are not abstract ideas. They are lived experiences, and they come alive when we talk about them in our daily conversations with friends, families, and communities.

Reflection question: When was the last time you noticed a human right being upheld or denied in your everyday life?

The power of conversation

The ABCs of Human Rights project was designed to bring rights into simple, accessible discussions. Using the alphabet as our guide, we will explore key words linked to human rights and encourage participants to reflect on how these connect to their own realities.

When people talk openly about dignity, fairness, or equality, they begin to see that human rights are not distant ideals. They are practical principles that guide how we treat one another and what we expect from society.

Building awareness, one word at a time

By creating space for these conversations, we hope to spark a ripple effect. The discussions don’t end in the room, they carry forward into workplaces, neighbourhoods, and families.

Because when human rights become part of daily talk, they become part of daily practice.

Reflection question: If you were to introduce human rights in one simple conversation with a friend, what word or story would you start with?

The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project is built on this simple idea: that knowing our rights helps us use them, defend them, and make sure they are upheld for everyone.

This non-formal learning opportunity is co-funded under Erasmus+ through the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Employability (DLE) within the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR).