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Friday, December 08, 2000 OnCampus/News    ACTIVISM    A celebration of human rights   AMY CRAWFORD | KERNEL STAFF Community members and human rights activists gathered Thursday night to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration was enacted in 1948. The celebration began with a candlelight march and culminated downtown with a forum on basic human rights.   A candle in the night: UK organizations participate in human rights march   Kathy Wyatt STAFF WRITER   The streets were in flames last night, but there was no need to call the fire department.   The fire that lit up the night came from individual candles held in the hands of students during a march for the 3rd annual Universal Declaration of Human Rights Celebration, sponsored by UK's Amnesty International.   The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948. This agreement, which includes 30 human rights, was encouraged by the tragedies of the Holocaust and covers rights from acceptable housing to the right of receiving education.   Gov. Paul Patton dedicated Dec.10 as United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in Kentucky.   The event began with a candlelit march that led to The Arts Place on Mill Street, where the festivities continued. Amy Shelton, a Spanish and linguistics senior and Amnesty group coordinator, said the night's celebration atmosphere came from work to find entertainment and speakers.   "We really want it to be a celebration," she said.   The evening included a poetry reading by Nikky Finney, UK English professor, music by the High Street Band and various other speakers, including Lexington Herald-Leader cartoonist Joel Pett.   Each of the speakers talked about their organizations and how they were related to human rights.   People signed giant cards that were addressed to prisoners of conscience in different places of the world.   Charles M. Holmes, a retired Transylvania University English professor, also spoke Thursday night, representing the Blue Grass Chapter of the United Nations Association. He said this was an important celebration.   "Human rights are a crucial issue and problem and ideal in the world, both within the country and abroad," he said.   Different UK groups sponsored this celebration. Aside from Amnesty International, the Leftist Student Union, United Students against Sweatshops and American Civil Liberties Union helped out.   Casey Holland, a political science sophomore, is the co-coordinator and on the state board of Directors for UK's ACLU. He said this organization provided moral support for this event.   He said many students do not realize how important the human rights issue is.   "We have an obligation to at least care about it if we are not able to do anything substantial," Holland said.   Current Headlines OnCampus/News

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