December 10 is Human Rights Day

Yes, Human Rights Day is another annual UN observance. This year, the UN says,

the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

These human rights — the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the “99%” made their voices heard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and social inequality.

Make your voice count!

Share your thoughts about the right to participate in public life and political decision-making, using #VoiceCount.

Usual Suspect Punchbowl.com says today is also National Lager Day but, then again, Punchbowl.com seems to have a lot of beer-flavored microminiholidayettes -- American Beer Day on October 27, for example, and International Beer Day on August 5.

Nevertheless, if you are so inclined, you can combine these two events, we suppose, by celebrating your human right to a beer after work.

Alfred Nobel, the inventor of TNT (the explosive, not the cable network), died on this day in 1896. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded on this date in 1901. For these reasons, some of the Usual Suspects also designate today as Nobel Prize Day.