Youth for Human Rights International launched its third Annual World Tour this weekend as part of their campaign to make human rights a fact through implementing human rights education around the world. The urgent need to make all nations honor and enforce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is demonstrated by the fact that today there are 100 million children living on the street and 115 million primary school-aged youth denied schooling. It is further emphasized by the estimated 1.5 million children trafficked into slavery over the past year.

The Paris chapter of Youth for Human Rights International presented Mr. Yeka Futy with the “Know Your Human Rights Hero Award,” a special honor given to caring adults who have made an impact in their areas through stellar human rights activities and the implementation of one or more of the Articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Known as “Papa Yeka,” Mr. Futy, who lives in Essonne, a suburb of Paris, is the President of a human rights organization called “Association Essonne au Coeur de l’Afrique” (ASSECA) (the Essonne Heart of Africa Association).

Over the next year, approximately 1,500 lost or runaway children between the ages of 3 and 18 will spend up to three months at the Kiev City Orphanage for Youth and Teenagers. It was a group of these young people that Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) addressed on the importance of human rights.

Embassy Representatives, United Nations officials and human rights advocates joined actress Anne Archer and delegates from 49 nations from across the globe at an international youth summit honoring the international human rights heroes. The “Summit on Making Human Rights a Global Reality” was held at the United Nations headquarters, in Assembly Room #1. It drew human rights activists from countries all over the world including the United States, Britain, France, Uganda, Liberia, Nepal, Egypt, Guyana, Colombia and Mexico.