Oklahoma City – Oklahoma’s annual Human Rights Day observation will take place this year on December 7 at the State Capital. The event carries on a tradition that was started many years ago by the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission, which was later disbanded by Gov. Mary Fallin. The Oklahoma Universal Human Rights Alliance was formed to continue the work of the commission, and proudly carries on this tradition honoring individuals and organizations in our state that embody the meaning of human rights where we live.
The Human Rights awards program is jointly sponsored by the Oklahoma Universal Human Rights Alliance in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA.
“We are proud to support the values expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, celebrated annually around the world on December 10,” said OKUHRA Vice-President John Walters, who helps organize the award program. “It’s vital to continuously raise awareness about these fundamental rights that every human being should enjoy, and to recognize those who contribute to righting wrongs and assuring justice.”
Any Oklahoman can nominate a person or organization for the award; nominations are due by Nov. 1 of each year. For more information, visit okhumanrights.org.
The 2019 Human Rights Day Observance Ceremony will take place on Saturday, 7 December, at 10:00 a.m. in the Oklahoma Senate Conference Room (535), with lunch to follow after the ceremony. Each honoree will give a short speech as part of the program. The full slate of awardees will be announced on the website in early December.
The awardees for 2019 are:
- Lester Paul Clarvell
- CommonWealth Urban Farms
- Melissa Jeanne Eick
- Jason William Hall
- April Dawn Heiple
- Dr. Misha Klein
- Leading Ladies for Healthy Babies
- Willard Linzy
- Gene McKown
- Bansari Mehta
- Saidy Herrera Orellana
- Dwain A. Pellebon Ph.D., LCSW
- Pivot, Inc.
- Gilma Edith Ramjak
- Pamela Timmons
- Ramiro Vasquez-Padilla
- Jonathan Thompson Velie