S.C.R. NO. 140 - Recognition of Hawaii as a Human Rights State

• Recognizes Hawaii as a human rights state on the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was based on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" and led by Eleanor Roosevelt.

• Acknowledges that Hawaii's public school system has partnered with the Hawaii Institute for Human Rights to create courses teaching students about human rights issues.

• Declares that Hawaii should be among the first human rights states in the United States, building on the human rights city movement that includes Washington, D.C.

• Defines a human rights state as one where residents and local authorities work through ongoing discussions to understand human rights as a way of life that informs community action for economic and social change, conflict prevention, and sustainable development.

• Requires certified copies of the resolution to be transmitted to the Governor, county mayors, and members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.