Human Rights Day Celebrates 60th Anniversary

As Human Rights Day celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10^th, there is uncanny parallel with the values of cbm (Christian Blind Mission).

An advocate for the rights for people with disabilities since 1908, cbm has given hope and dignity to people living in poverty with disabilities by restoring sight to the blind, healing the lame, and giving the gift of sound to the deaf, to name just a few.

The UDHR sets out a commitment to the inherent dignity and equality of all human beings, regardless of colour, creed or origin. The core values of the UDHR include non-discrimination, equality, fairness and universality, for everyone, everywhere - always.  “Dignity and justice for all of us” is the theme for 2008.

cbm helps those living in poverty with disabilities, regardless of race, religion, gender or age. cbm’s goal is to reach, restore and empower a world of forgotten people who are among the least free, the least served, the most misunderstood and the poorest people in the world. cbm’s goal is to enable them, showing them Jesus’ love, so they can be free… for life!

Examples of cbm’s worldwide impact on humanity over the past 100 years:

•     We’ve grown from one humble home for blind and otherwise disabled children in Turkey to more than 1,000 projects in over 100 countries, serving 20 million people last year alone.

•     We’ve served more than 100 million people and families trapped in poverty by disability (more than 70 million people served since 2000).

•     We’ve just performed our 8 millionth sight-restoring cataract surgery.

•     Our orthopaedic surgeons and partners have performed 75,500 limb-straightening surgeries since 2003.

•     More than 380,000 school kids have been educated, either at CBM special schools or integrated into regular schools, in the last 4 years.

•     18,000,000 moms, dads and children have had their sight saved through sight-protecting eye medications since 2003.

•     We’ve distributed 14,000 hearing aids over the past 4 years alone. No other NGO is doing more for hearing-impaired

For further information about cbm Canada’s work, visit www.cbmcanada.org

For further information on this story.
Please contact;
Lindsay O'Connor
cbm Canada National Media & Public Relations Manager
Toll Free: 1-800-567-2264 or (905) 640-6464 x 289
loconnor@cbmcanada.org