Youth for Human Rights: Article 19 - Freedom of Opinion and Expression

Viktoria Oczadly, Pakize Melek, Cansu Temur, Kalliopi Oikonomou, Margarida Rodrigues, Lukas Trella
from Germany, Slovakia, Türkiye, Greece, Portugal, Croatia

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
This right is at the heart of open, democratic societies and empowers people to speak up, share their views, and access information freely. In our Erasmus+ project "Youth for Human Rights", students from Germany, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, Greece, and Turkey collaborated to explore the importance of this right. Together, they discussed how freedom of speech enables young people to participate in society, raise awareness on important issues, and defend other human rights. Their reflections were captured in creative projects and joint international activities.