Human Rights Day 2025: Understanding Our Everyday Essentials
Every year on 10 December, people around the world mark Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. It’s a moment to recognise the rights and freedoms that belong to everyone, raise awareness of the challenges many still face, and encourage action that protects dignity, equality and justice.
The theme for Human Rights Day 2025 is “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials.” This year’s focus highlights that human rights aren’t abstract or distant and that they are part of daily life. From feeling safe, to being heard, to accessing opportunities, human rights shape experiences we often take for granted. At a time when many people feel uncertainty or disconnection, this theme encourages us to reconnect with the values that support fair and secure communities.
The Rights Challenge Badge
The Rights Challenge Badge, created by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland and Scouts Scotland, helps young people learn about their rights in a practical and engaging way. Available to Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorers, the badge introduces key rights, explores why they matter, and encourages young people to think about how they can uphold these rights for themselves and others.
Activities range from creative projects to discussions and teamwork, helping young people understand that rights are positive, essential and achievable in everyday settings.
Cubs Taking Action in Dundee
Earlier this year, Cubs from the 5th Downfield Scout Group in Dundee completed their Rights Challenge Badge. Their activities included learning about fairness, creating visual representations of rights, and discussing how rights apply within their group and communities.
One Cub, Emrys, is pictured proudly holding his Human Rights shield. He said:
“I really enjoyed learning about rights and how they can help all Cubs and Scouts.”
Why This Work Matters
Cameron Lindsay, Lead for Community Impact at Scouts Scotland, reflects on the significance of the badge:
“The Scouts Scotland Rights Challenge Badge is a landmark programme that empowers our young people to understand their rights and use them to shape a fairer, more compassionate world. We’re the only uniformed youth organisation to build children’s rights into our programme, and this badge gives our young people a chance to better understand their human rights during some of the most important years of their development. By learning about their rights, our young people learn how to protect equality, kindness and respect in every community they are a part of.”
Marking Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day offers a moment for Scout groups across Scotland to reflect on the importance of rights and the role young people play in promoting them.
Through programmes like the Rights Challenge Badge, Scouts can connect global principles to everyday experiences and help build communities where rights are understood, valued and protected.
Read more about the Rights Challenge Badge here.
Further information on Human Rights Day can be found here.
