Memoria de la V Conferencia Nacional sobre Derechos Humanos

MEMORY OF THE V NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCEtheir lives, dress in different ways and adapt themselves to the environment in different manners, expressthemselves in different ways and their music, literature and art reflect different worldviews. However,despite these differences, all people (men and women) have one attribute in common: they are all humanbeings, nothing less and nothing more. And no matter how different they might be, all cultures sharecommon principles: no culture should tolerate the exploitation of human beings, no religion shouldallow the killing of innocents, no civilization should accept violence or terror; torture is abhorrent to thehuman consciousness; arrogance, brutality and cruelty are abominable in any tradition. In summary, theprinciples shared by all civilizations reflect our basic human rights, which are valued and pursued byeveryone, everywhere, and represent the most fundamental values of human civilizations. The UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights is necessary, universally applicable, both East and West, is compatiblewith any culture, faith and religion. To violate our fundamental rights threatens humankind itself. So letus all contribute to keep this essential truth because if we destroy it, the helpless around the world willnot have any place to which to appeal.I insist, it will not be enough and we shall not be tired to repeat that it is necessary to first educatein human rights –a task which, incidentally, is the undoubted competence of the entities engaged ineducational work, and in this particular case, of the universities, colleges and research institutes in thecountry- to prevent conflicts, exercise dialogue, promote tolerance, all with a sense of ethics, coherencewith the thoughts and attitudes encouraged by a spirit of solidarity. The rest shall come by itself.The organizing institutes of the 5 th National Conference on Human Rights would like to thank ourrenowned speakers, Lic. Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi from the Organization of American States –OAS–and Lic. Glenda Gallardo Salgado, Coordinator of the National Report on Human Development of theUnited Nations Development Program –UNDP– of Honduras for their presence at the opening of thisConference with the certainty that the important reflections they will share with us this evening shallcontribute to deepen the study of the themes of this event in the coming plenary sessions.By giving you the warmest of welcomes, I invite you all to participate actively in all activities of theConference, as I have no doubt that the contributions, both of our speakers and of the attendants, shallcontribute to the analysis, understanding, discussion and proposals in order to achieve, as stated above,the full force and respect of human rights in this country.Thank you.– 426 –