NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
Carlos Alegria informs his
high school class it's Human Rights Day.
"Every human has
rights, everyone," Alegria said. "Human rights, yes."
United Nations
established Human Rights Day to educate people, especially youth, on the
importance of upholding their human rights.
"They just make
fun of them if they're not the way they think they're supposed to be," one student said.
This year, Alegria takes
his human rights advocacy outside the classroom.
The teacher and pastor
estimates he's spent thousands of hours assisting young people in the
completion of work visa applications.
"They have the
right to exist," he said. "They have the right to work. They have he right to be seen as
humans, not just a number."
Some use the documentation
to attend local universities. This week, students study for difficult finals in
hopes the hard work will pay off with a degree.
Professor Julie Harrelson-Stephens wants none of her
students to take the right of an education for granted.
"Human Rights Day
is a moment to focus on that we don't have it that bad and that should allow us
to show grace to other human beings," Harrelson-Stephens said.
The guidance has created
awareness for Guantanomo prisoners, human trafficking and, for Kristen Cade,
immigration issues.
"The fact that I
stress about finals, that I complain about them, I still sit, in the back of my
mind, I know that I should be grateful that I have this opportunity," Cade said.
So while Human Rights Day is observed
annually on Dec. 10, it's every day these students advocate for human
rights every day, everywhere.
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