PRESS BRIEFING BY BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, WHO CYCLES 'MILE AFTER MILE' TO DRAW ATTENTION TO VIOLATIONS

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY BRAZILIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, WHO CYCLES 'MILE AFTER MILE' TO DRAW ATTENTION TO VIOLATIONS

Antonio Carlos de Oliveira, a human rights activist in Brazil, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this morning that "mile after mile, kilometre after kilometre" he had cycled across countries to draw attention to human rights violations worldwide in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His dream of coming to the United Nations had finally come true, and he believed that he must be the only person in America travelling by bicycle to promote human rights, he said at the press briefing, which was sponsored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Mr. Carlos de Oliveira left Bahia, Brazil, on 28 December 1996 and had bicycled across Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. From Mexico he cycled to San Antonio, Texas. Having completed approximately 12,000 miles, he flew to New York, before continuing his journey in Europe.

A representative in the New York Liaison Office of the Office of the High Commissioner, Jose Rosenberg, expressed his full support for Mr. Carlos de Oliveira's efforts. His journey was an exceptional way of demonstrating one's belief in human rights. He wished him much success in his trip to Europe, including to Geneva, where he would hopefully request a meeting with the High Commissioner. His return to Headquarters next 10 December, for the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary, was warmly welcomed.

The Chief of the Development and Human Rights Section of the Office of Communications and Public Information, Marian Awwad, moderated the briefing.

Mr. Carlos de Oliveira said that he was first inspired to work in the area of human rights some six or seven years ago in Brazil. He had always promoted human rights, particularly involving the street children of Brazil, and the general population battling that country's various social problems. He later combined study in Europe with a bicycle trip, whereupon he saw a changed world that had lost its respect for human rights. That observation motivated him to work in connection with two upcoming international events -- the World Cup in France, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations. While the United Nations commemoration provided a natural link to his work, the World Cup intrigued him because it gathered people from around the world in harmony and fraternity for sport rather than conflict.

He said that the project began to take shape within months of planning in 1996. He told his family during the Christmas holiday of his intention to raise human rights awareness in as many countries as possible. On

Human Rights Press Briefing -2 - 17 March 1998

28 December 1996, he set out from the north-eastern region of Brazil. At nearly every stop, he exchanged views on human rights with government authorities, and disseminated information about the Universal Declaration. While the events surrounding the anniversary itself were significant, preserving human rights required persistent attention. It was not just a problem of governments, but "my problem and yours", he added.

Replying to a question about how he financed his trip, Mr. Carlos de Oliveira said that he earned some income before undertaking the trip, and he had received some support from his family. Several governments had assisted him, and the United Nations had provided additional aid. Although he had a very limited budget, he did not wish to receive millions of dollars for his human rights work. Indeed, if he had, he would donate it to people living in poverty and suffering human rights abuses.

Asked to describe the most impressive human rights violations he had seen along the way, he said that it was very difficult to isolate individual human rights problems. In Venezuela, for example, as well as in other countries such as Brazil, he witnessed prostitution, including child prostitution. The size of the problems seemed to depend on the size of the country. There were human rights abuses everywhere and the numerous violations made it difficult to isolate any one in particular. Even in the United States, there were human rights violations requiring investigation. He would not judge the degree of suffering or the magnitude of the problems, nor did he wish to point a finger at any particular countries. Rather, he wished to "join hands and work together". Increased awareness would result in fewer problems.

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