By Peter Maiden
The Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley commemorated the 70th Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights by holding a program at Fresno State on Dec. 8 titled “The Human Rights of Children.” The featured speaker was Dr. Joaquín Arambula, a medical doctor who was re-elected in November to represent California’s 31st Assembly District.
Giving introductory speeches were Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State, and Dr. Andrew Fiala, professor of philosophy at Fresno State and a columnist on ethics for the Fresno Bee.
Esmeralda Santos, attorney at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), addresses the gathering. She is a graduate of Fresno State, where she majored in Chicano and Latin American Studies. Photo by Peter Maiden Young people from Oakland’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Center listen to a speaker. Photo by Peter Maiden Dr. Andrew Fiala, professor of philosophy and director of the Ethics Center at Fresno State. He is also a columnist on ethics for the Fresno Bee. Photo by Peter Maiden Dancers from the King African Dance Troupe performed. Photo by Peter Maiden Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor of the Human Rights Coalition Planning Committee spoke. Photo by Peter Maiden Fresno State’s North Gymnasium was filled for the event. Photo by Peter Maiden Dancers from the Lao Community Cultural Center of Fresno performed to close the event. Photo by Peter Maiden
The Coalition gathered children from local schools to read the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was adopted by the United Nations in 1989, with near-unanimous support. It was not ratified by the United States.
Speakers and a panel took up most of the three-hour event, but there were also child performers. The King African Dance Troupe performed, as did dancers and musicians from the Lao Community Center of Fresno.
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Peter Maiden is a staff photographer for the Community Alliance newspaper. He studied media at UC Berkeley. Contact him at maidenfoto1@gmail.com.
