Welcome to our collection of powerful human rights quotes. Human rights are fundamental principles that uphold the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of race, religion, gender, nationality, or any other characteristic. Throughout history, courageous individuals, activists, and leaders have spoken out against injustice, oppression, and discrimination, advocating for the protection and promotion of human rights for all.
Inspirational quotes have the ability to ignite passion, drive change, and remind us of the importance of standing up for what is right. Whether spoken by renowned figures, activists on the frontlines, or ordinary people striving for a better world, these quotes serve as a beacon of hope and a call to action for a more just and equitable society. Join us as we explore a collection of thought-provoking human rights quotes that inspire, challenge, and empower us to strive for a world where the rights and freedoms of all individuals are respected and upheld. Discover the wisdom, compassion, and resilience encapsulated in these words, and let them serve as a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and defend human rights.
Clearly, the response to terrorism and violent extremism must respect human rights and comply with international law. That is not just a question of justice but of effectiveness. Antonio Guterres
Let me reassure that the Kingdom of Cambodia a country with independence, neutrality, peace, freedom, democracy and human rights as you all have seen, shall be existing with no end. Hun Sen
I’m sad that it’s uncool or offensive to talk about environmental or human rights issues. Grimes
It will not do to say that international law is the enemy of the Jewish people, since the Jewish people surely did not as a whole oppose the Nuremburg trials, or the development of human rights law. Judith Butler
Since achieving their independence in 1992, the people of Croatia have built a democratic society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and a free market economy. Elton Gallegly
Japan and Australia share the universal values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. Shinzo Abe
Human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities. Pope Francis
America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense human rights invented America. Jimmy Carter
I can make a joke pointing out that David Cameron told off Sri Lanka for human rights abuses committed with weapons Britain sold it – like Ronald McDonald calling you a fat bastard. Frankie Boyle
A peaceful world requires collective measures for the prevention of war, international cooperation to solve economic and social problems, and respect for human rights. Goran Persson
Sometimes, I am also identified as a civil rights leader or a human rights activist. I would also like to be thought of as a complex, three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being with a rich storehouse of experiences, much like everyone else, yet unique in my own way, much like everyone else. Coretta Scott King
France, land of human rights and freedoms, was attacked on its own soil by a totalitarian ideology: Islamic fundamentalism. It is only by refusing to be in denial, by looking the enemy in the eye, that one can avoid conflating issues. Marine Le Pen
There is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will, in the end, become a nation ruled by law, where human rights reign supreme. Liu Xiaobo
The barometer for judging the character of people, in regard human rights, is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian. The judgment as to whether you can trust the future, the social advancement – depending on people – will be judged on where they come out on that question. Bayard Rustin
In a world of increasing inequality, the legitimacy of institutions that give precedence to the property rights of ‘the Haves’ over the human rights of ‘the Have Nots’ is inevitably called into serious question. David Korten
It’s widely recognized that there is no peace without development and no development without peace; it is also true that there is no peace and sustainable development without respect for human rights. Antonio Guterres
We have no quarrel with a policy that seeks to support human rights. Ferdinand Marcos
The core of human rights work is naming and shaming those who commit abuses, and pressuring governments to put the screws to abusing states. As a result, human rights conventions are unique among international law instruments in depending for their enforcement mostly on the activism of a global civil society movement. Michael Ignatieff
There is no contradiction between effective law enforcement and respect for civil and human rights. Dr. King did not stir us to move for our civil rights to have them taken away in these kinds of fashions. Dorothy Height
A commitment to human rights cannot be fostered simply through the transmission of knowledge. Action and experience play a crucial role in the learning process. Daisaku Ikeda
The U.S. government engages with many countries around the world in official dialogues on human rights. Samantha Power
In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace. Wangari Maathai
My point was very simple, and it was that it is absolutely absurd for the United States of America to continue to urge us further down the line towards a federal superstate when the U.S. has not even signed up to the U.N. Convention on Human Rights. Boris Johnson
The term ‘human rights defender,’ incidentally, isn’t something I or my attorneys came up with. Personally, I find it a little embarrassing. Ward Churchill
The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights. Shirin Ebadi
We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values enshrined in the U.N. Charter: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity. Antonio Guterres
Investing in women’s lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations – and consequently in our own long-term national interests. Liya Kebede
When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable, and just world. Antonio Guterres
Human rights is a universal standard. It is a component of every religion and every civilization. Shirin Ebadi
I think people align themselves with my way of thinking when they’re talking to me. They try to create new avenues for me to pursue, so if you want to be a doctor and you have interest in human rights and philanthropy and social equality of medicine and disease, why don’t you think about being surgeon general? Myron Rolle
From my experience both as DPP and previously as a human rights lawyer, I know that human rights and effective protection from terrorism are not incompatible. On the contrary, they go hand in hand. Keir Starmer
Human trafficking robs victims of their basic human rights, and it occurs right under our noses. Many efforts have been focused in other regions of the world, but this is a major problem here at home. Blake Farenthold
Human rights will be a powerful force for the transformation of reality when they are not simply understood as externally defined norms of behavior but are lived as the spontaneous manifestation of internalized values. Daisaku Ikeda
The struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma is a struggle for life and dignity. It is a struggle that encompasses our political, social and economic aspirations. Aung San Suu Kyi
Most Americans have no memory of the designs Franklin Roosevelt’s New Dealers had for postwar-American foreign policy. Human rights, self-determination and an end to European colonization in the developing world, nuclear disarmament, international law, the World Court, the United Nations – these were all ideas of the progressive left. Kai Bird
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society. It follows that any choice and decision with regard to the size of the family must irrevocably rest with the family itself, and cannot be made by anyone else. Garrett Hardin
I’ll happily pay more taxes if we all have equal human rights. Trisha Paytas
I heard an Israeli speaking on Palestinian human rights issues, an interesting guy, and he said ‘There’s no military solution to terrorism. If there were, Israel would be the safest place in the world. But there’s no military solution.’ Bradley Whitford
Human rights are not a privilege granted by the few, they are a liberty entitled to all, and human rights, by definition, include the rights of all humans, those in the dawn of life, the dusk of life, or the shadows of life. Kay Granger
Black-on-black crime is a massive human rights issue that’s going on in America. Ryan Coogler
Those who have been outspoken in advocating human rights during these last forty years, have themselves grabbed the most fundamental of human rights from the people of the Third-World countries. Ali Khamenei
For about ten years now, the struggle for democracy and the respect of human rights has been in the focus point – if not a commodity – of political groups aiming to rise to power. Omar Bongo
Global markets must be balanced by global values such as respect for human rights and international law, democracy, security and sustainable economic and environmental development. Anna Lindh
During past years, like frightened children, we were afraid to eat the strong meat of human rights and instead sucked the milk of civil rights from the breasts of white liberals, black Uncle Toms, and Aunt Jemimas. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood. Jimmy Carter
We’ve been in the nation-building business since World War I, and especially since WWII. The goal is not a Jeffersonian Democracy in Afghanistan, but a representative government that respects human rights, protects its own people, and is a friend of the West. These are very realistic – and necessary – goals. Oliver North
I’m not an activist; I don’t look for controversy. I’m not a political person, but I’m a person with compassion. I care passionately about equal rights. I care about human rights. I care about animal rights. Ellen DeGeneres
The stories from Iran’s present and past are reminders that freedom, democracy and human rights, or fundamentalism, fascism and terrorism are not geographically and culturally determined, but universal. Azar Nafisi
When I lived in London, I worked at the U.N. for a while as its human rights and refugees officer. I have two degrees, and my second was in radio. I was a programmer and news reporter in Canada. My CV looks bananas. Hannah Simone
Privacy is not for sale, and human rights should not be compromised out of fear or greed. Pavel Durov
From the beginning of our history the country has been afflicted with compromise. It is by compromise that human rights have been abandoned. Charles Sumner
There is no room for legal hair-splitting when it comes to the humane treatment of detainees – not in a nation founded on the rule of law and respect for human rights. Dick Durbin
The United States will rightfully go on deploring human rights excesses in the Soviet Union. And it is hardly likely Americans will one day espouse the communist ideology. But nowhere does it say we cannot live in peace with the U.S.S.R. In the nuclear age, there is truly no alternative. Antony Blinken
Both my strong faith in the Lord – and a heartfelt concern for basic human rights – gives me a sense of urgency to address our longstanding challenges within our criminal justice system. Kay Ivey
Emancipation from every kind of bondage is my principle. I go for recognition of human rights, without distinction of sect, party, sex, or color. Ernestine Rose
What we need in Africa is balanced development. Economic success cannot be a replacement for human rights or participation or democracy… it doesn’t work. Mo Ibrahim
We long to have a home where civil freedoms are respected, where our children will not be subject to mass surveillance, abuse of human rights, political censorship and mass incarceration. Joshua Wong
Democracy, pure democracy, has at least its foundation in a generous theory of human rights. It is founded on the natural equality of mankind. It is the cornerstone of the Christian religion. It is the first element of all lawful government upon earth. John Quincy Adams
America’s support for human rights and democracy is our noblest export to the world. William Bennett
The theory of relativity worked out by Mr. Einstein, which is in the domain of natural science, I believe can also be applied to the political field. Both democracy and human rights are relative concepts – and not absolute and general. Jiang Zemin
To get away from poverty, you need several things at the same time: school, health, and infrastructure – those are the public investments. And on the other side, you need market opportunities, information, employment, and human rights. Hans Rosling
We should seek international support for our mutual objectives abroad, in promoting freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, and also the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. Bob Menendez
Obviously I do have political views – I’m a believer in the free-market economy; I also believe that without competition and respect for human rights there will be no progress because nobody will feel safe and free. Pavel Durov
Homelessness has become a human rights crisis. Michael Shellenberger
Korra and Aang ultimately stand for freedom, equality, and basic human rights, and I think Mike and I are fine with pushing that agenda. Bryan Konietzko
Life is not a matter of place, things or comfort; rather, it concerns the basic human rights of family, country, justice and human dignity. Imelda Marcos
To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. Nelson Mandela
The effects of human rights education can be dramatic in awakening people to the value and power of their own lives, as shown in the following stories. Daisaku Ikeda
At the Carter Center we work with victims of oppression, and we give support to human rights heroes. Jimmy Carter
Governments that block the aspirations of their people, that steal or are corrupt, that oppress and torture or that deny freedom of expression and human rights should bear in mind that they will find it increasingly hard to escape the judgement of their own people, or where warranted, the reach of international law. William Hague
I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable elements in a democratic society – and well worth fighting for. Helen Suzman
It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
When it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public lies, dictatorships, and human rights, you have to take a stand as a reporter because I think our responsibility as journalist is to confront those who are abusing power. Jorge Ramos
‘The Look of Silence’ is able to have a wide public release, although still not in cinemas. It’s distributed by two government bodies, the National Human Rights Commission and the Jakarta Arts Council. Joshua Oppenheimer
Kashmiri people are fighting the war for freedom. And India cannot stop this freedom movement through atrocities, as Kashmir dispute is a problem of humanity, human rights, and freedom. Shehbaz Sharif
Freedom is a timeless value. The United Nations Charter calls for encouraging respect for fundamental freedoms. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions freedom more than twenty times. All countries have committed to protecting individual freedoms on paper – but in practice, too many break their pledge. Ban Ki-moon
I stated that aboriginals deserve protection under Canada’s human rights laws and that the record dollars that the government is spending on aboriginals should reach the people in need. Pierre Poilievre
‘Freedom from fear’ could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights. Dag Hammarskjold
We have a moral obligation to raise awareness and educate those around us so we can create a world where human trafficking is a thing of the past, and bring these human rights violations to an immediate end. Jacky Rosen
The respect for human rights is nowadays not so much a matter of having international standards, but rather questions of compliance with those standards. Michelle Bachelet
I don’t think anybody out there in the media, U.N., human rights organisations, has any moral right whatsoever to level any accusations against me or against Rwanda. Because, when it came to the problems facing Rwanda, and the Congo, they were all useless. Paul Kagame
Books and opinions, no matter from whom they came, if they are in opposition to human rights, are nothing but dead letters. Ernestine Rose
Since the global economic crisis began, the change in global attitudes is clear to see – and I think it is pitiful. Barack Obama came to China and he is probably the only president of the United States never to mention the words ‘human rights’ in public. Ai Weiwei
Because no matter who we are or where we come from, we’re all entitled to the basic human rights of clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land to call home. Martin Luther King III
We control the world basically because we are the only animals that can cooperate flexibly in very large numbers. And if you examine any large-scale human cooperation, you will always find that it is based on some fiction like the nation, like money, like human rights. Yuval Noah Harari
The Universal Declaration of Human rights is a transformational document that recognizes the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people. Ned Lamont
If there is no word that means you don’t have the concept. In North Korea they eliminate the words: depression, stress, dictatorship, human rights. You cannot think of those. That’s why all the brainwashing was possible. Park Yeon-mi
The biggest road block to action on genocide and other human rights crimes is ignorance. Most people just don’t know that such things are happening, and often, if they have a vague idea they are happening, there is a feeling that there is nothing that can be done to stop these crimes. John Prendergast
A people inspired by democracy, human rights and economic opportunity will turn their back decisively against extremism. Benazir Bhutto
Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights. Hillary Clinton
If a country doesn’t recognize minority rights and human rights, including women’s rights, you will not have the kind of stability and prosperity that is possible. Hillary Clinton
My father’s leadership was about more than civil rights. He was deeply concerned with human rights and world peace, and he said so on numerous occasions. He was a civil rights leader, true. But he was increasingly focused on human rights and a global concern and peace as an imperative. Martin Luther King III
For me, human rights simply endorse a view of life and a set of moral values that are perfectly clear to an eight-year-old child. A child knows what is fair and isn’t fair, and justice derives from that knowledge. Tom Stoppard
We are proud of the history of our country; we learned it in school and have grown up hearing of freedom, justice and human rights. Fidel Castro
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is a human story, and women’s rights are human rights, and it’s all about equality, but at the end of the day, it’s not equal. Yvonne Strahovski
I believe that reproductive rights are human rights, and they are nonnegotiable. Kirsten Gillibrand
If we destroy human rights and rule of law in the response to terrorism, they have won. Joichi Ito
Free expression is the base of human rights, the root of human nature and the mother of truth. To kill free speech is to insult human rights, to stifle human nature and to suppress truth. Liu Xiaobo
America didn’t invent human rights. Those rights are common to all people: nations, cultures, and religions cannot choose to simply opt out of them. John McCain
I believe all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation. Coretta Scott King
