Civil society, President Obama has said, "is the conscience of our communities." But what is civil society, exactly? View the photo gallery to learn more.
While upholding human rights faces challenges , there is reason to hope, thanks to the courage of people like Aung San Suu Kyi, Liu Xiaobo, and many others.
"Freedom, justice, and peace for the world must begin with basic security and liberty in the lives of individual human beings." - President Obama
In 1948, the United Nations formally defined human rights. Learn more about that historic action.
Governments alone cannot build strong democracies, thriving economies or stable societies; it is the people themselves — especially the civil society organizations — that bring people together.