USA: HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER AND U.N DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Record ID: 387906

  • Title: USA: HOLLYWOOD CELEBRATES HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER AND U.N DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
  • Date: 18th November 1998
  • Summary: THE REGENT BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL, BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 18, 1998) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) EXTERIOR, REGENT BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL PRESS AND MICHAEL DOUGLAS MIKE FARRELL saying (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) "The human rights struggle is a long term struggle so the problems in Indonesia, or the problems in Northern Ireland or the p
  • Embargoed: 3rd December 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA3RZRCEUKGWPHDXK1P0I5FK7QG
  • Story Text: Hollywood said a big thank you to six International Human Rights monitors on Wednesday night.Stars in attendance included Michael Douglas who doubled as Master of Ceremonies, John Lithgow and Mike Farrell 650 guests were invited to Human Rights Watch Annual Celebration Dinner.Besides honouring those who work in the field, it also marked the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 20th anniversary of the founding of Human Rights Watch.
    Mike Farrell (of M*A*S*H fame), co-Chairman of Human Rights Watch, the organisation hosting the event, says "people need to understand that there is a fundamental dignity in all human life and its up to world leaders to bite the bullet and do something instead of paying lip service to the problem"
    Michael Douglas, whose grandfather emigrated to the United States from Russia during the revolution, identifies with the needs of those who suffer at the hands of others.
    "There were no human rights accords when his grandfather was in Russia" and hearing stories about "people who were persecuted gives him some sense of what freedom and humanity really means"
    International Human Rights monitors risk their lives on a daily basis, breaking down the political, economic and social barriers to free the weak and oppressed who can't fight for themselves.
    That makes them "genuine heroes and magnificently courageous people in the eyes of John Lithgow who felt honoured to be introducing Shirin Ebadi to the 650 strong crowd.
    Celebrities are championing causes left, right and centre these days, but as Michael Douglas points out, "people don't want to watch politicians and diplomats" droning on.
    By putting stars in the front line as it were, subjects like human rights are "included on entertainment shows" and that gets the message across.
    Each of the six human rights defenders from Russia, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Argentine and Northern Ireland related their own, harrowing, personal experiences to their audience after dinner.They talked of new forensic methods being used to identify victims and how they died, thanked students in Indonesia for their courage and urged others to continue to support the fight for freedom.
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