Thread by @clairebear969, Before Christmas, I bought myself a calendar from @radicalteatowel, who make all [...]

Before Christmas, I bought myself a calendar from @radicalteatowel, who make all kinds of products celebrating aspects of progressive politics and civil rights struggles over the years, including the stories of those who fought for theirs and others’ rights and freedoms.

The calendar marks anniversaries of events and each month has a themed heading. So I thought I would start an occasional thread, to highlight some of these. In dark times, I do find some comfort in the stories of those who fought for a better world.

There have always been, and always will be, people who fight for a better world, and that gives me hope.

January starts with an image of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Ratified by the United Nations in 1948, it is the cornerstone of international human rights standards, values and laws. More info on its founding here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights

Although not legally binding itself, its contents are the foundation of various international treaties, regional and national constitutions and legal codes. The 30 articles set out the benchmark standards against which the fulfilment of rights and responsibilities can be judged.

https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html

The first anniversary marked on my calendar is that of the enactment of the Second ReformAct of 1867, which came fully into force on 1st January 1869. Before the act, only 1 million of the 7 milli9n adult men in England and Wales could vote. The Act doubled that number...

as male heads of household were enfranchised, giving the vote to many working class men. However, the way it also redistributed parliamentary seats made the Commons increasingly dominated by the upper classes