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UN Human Rights Day 2025:
A Minnesota Commemoration
What is UN Human Rights Day?
The UN Human Rights Day commemoration, held annually on December 10, marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, serving as a global call to action to uphold fundamental rights for all, promoting equality, freedom, justice, and dignity through annual themes that focus on pressing human rights issues and inspiring collective efforts to build a better world.
Members of the Minnesota chapter of the United Nations Assocation gathered on today at the Northstar Tavern in Bloomington, MN, (09 Dec 2025) to commemorate UN Human Rights Day. The speaker for today's program was Mehr 'Jay' Shahidi, past president of the Minnesota chapter, and long-time advocate for peace and human rights. Jay discussed the history of human rights from the origination of the concept under the 18th century BCE Babylonian Code of Hammurabi.
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The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes, created by Babylonian King Hammurabi around 1750 BCE, featuring 282 laws carved onto a stone stele that established standards for commerce, family, and justice, famously using the principle of "an eye for an eye" but with punishments varying by social class, and remains a crucial artifact in legal history.
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Jay discussed the history of human rights over the ages leading up to the creation of the United Nations and the codification of a Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.
Clockwise from top left: Jay and Don McCormick, Robert Pitner, co-host (our other host was Stu Ackman), Jay discussing the history of human rights, and a group of guests.
Restorative Development
Don McCormick interviewing Bjorgvin Sævarsson, CEO, Yorth Group
Restorative Development: A holistic, system-based development approach in which environmental, social, and economic performances are interconnected to yield positive benefits for all stakeholders. Click on the video above to see the discussion.
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Cities face an exponentially expanding set of ‘wicked’ challenges – rapid urbanization, resource insecurity, climate volatility, deteriorating infrastructure, and socio-economic instability.
Water, energy, food production, and waste management are completely independent systems and are centralized, linear, and support a one-time use model (which is also called the takemake-waste economy). This leaves many synergies and benefits unrealized. Similar to our physical infrastructure, economic and social infrastructures have been built in silos, with urban planning only pivoting to a more holistic approach in recent years.