60 Signers for the 60th Anniversary
An Initiative Honoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights poster, following its adoption in 1948.
In 2008, artist and human rights advocate Max Dana launched the “60 Signers for the 60th Anniversary” initiative in support of the Every Human Has Rights campaign, marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Founded in 2003, the MagkaSama Project reflects Max Dana’s long standing commitment to international affairs, human rights, and creative activism. She has consistently chosen to work outside the media spotlight, using art as a way to engage with complex global issues and to open dialogue across borders.
For the sixtieth anniversary of the Declaration, she brought her creative voice to the Every Human Has Rights campaign led by The Elders, a group of international leaders including Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Nelson Mandela, Mary Robinson, and Desmond Tutu.
The Artwork
A Collective Signature of Commitment
For this occasion, Max created an original artwork and spent several months engaging with representatives from sixty respected organizations around the world. Among them were Amnesty International, UNICEF, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, Reporters Without Borders, OMCT, and UNESCO. Each organization endorsed the artwork by signing it, affirming a shared commitment to the universality of human rights.
During this process, Max met with Stéphane Hessel, one of the contributors to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, as well as François Zimeray, then French Ambassador for Human Rights.
Beyond institutional leaders, she connected with volunteers, humanitarian workers, medical professionals, journalists, and human rights lawyers. She also met the thirty recipients of the Every Human Has Rights Media Awards, all of whom expressed their support for the initiative and its message.
The project brought together institutions and individuals across continents, using art as a shared language to affirm a simple principle: human rights are universal and indivisible.
Impact and Recognition
Public Support and Institutional Voices
The strength of the “60 Signers for the 60th Anniversary” initiative was reflected in the responses it received from respected human rights institutions and leaders. Their words did more than praise the project. They recognized the role of art as a meaningful way to express shared responsibility and to renew commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Geneviève Garrigos, then President of Amnesty International France and partner of the Every Human Has Rights campaign, stated:
By marking human rights on every inch of the globe she drew, even on the most remote places in the world, Max Dana enforces the universality of the Declaration of Human Rights on its 60th anniversary.
Katy Cronin, Communications Director of The Elders, shared her appreciation:
I am very grateful to Max Dana for her creative and inspiring support for The Elders and the Every Human Has Rights campaign. This artwork is a wonderful reminder that any committed individual can take action to change the world for the better.
Thank you Max! And don’t stop now!
Jean-François Julliard, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, emphasized the initiative’s relevance:
It is a great initiative and an original and creative way to raise awareness on human rights. The universality of Human Rights shouldn't restrain to signers on a map, all the people who signed this art piece should now act and defend Human Rights the best they can.
These reflections show that the initiative was received not only as a commemorative gesture, but as an invitation to act. The artwork became a shared space where institutions publicly affirmed their values and responsibilities.
Legacy
A Lasting Symbol of Collective Commitment
In April 2009, the artwork was officially presented in London to Ingrid Srinath, then Secretary General and CEO of CIVICUS, in the presence of representatives of The Elders. The following month, the original piece was delivered to CIVICUS headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The artwork remains housed at CIVICUS as a permanent symbol of global solidarity. It stands not only as a commemorative piece marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but as a reminder that the defense of human dignity requires sustained commitment.
The initiative demonstrated how creative work can connect institutions, advocates, and citizens around a shared cause. It showed that art can move beyond symbolism and become a meeting point between conviction and action.
Its presence at CIVICUS today underscores that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not confined to history. It remains a living commitment that each generation is called to uphold, defend, and reinterpret in its own time.
CIVICUS staff members with Max Dana’s collective artwork at the CIVICUS headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Signatories of the Initiative
Organizations and individuals who signed Max Dana’s artwork
Mary Robinson
Member of The Elders
Geneviève Garrigos
President of Amnesty International France
Jean-Marie Fardeau
Paris Office Director, HRW
Stéphane Hessel
Ambassador of France,
Participant in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
François Zimeray
Ambassador for Human Rights
Jacques Hintzy
President of the French National Committee for UNICEF
Souhayr Belhassen
President of the International Federation for Human Rights - FIDH
Francisco Galindo Velez
UNHCR Representative for France
Jean-François Julliard
Secretary general, Reporters without Borders - RWB/RSF
Pierre Sané
Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO
Yves Berthelot
President of the World Organization Against Torture, Chairman of the CFSI
Jacky Mamou
President of Collectif Urgence Darfour
Pierre Lévy
Founder and President of Planète Urgence
Every Human Has Rights
The Campaign launched by The Elders
Internews
The 30 winners of the global 'Every Human Has Rights' Media Awards
CIVICUS
World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Individuals:
Lawyers, doctors, volunteers, journalists, and many others who chose to stand behind this initiative.
We thank these organizations and individuals whose support helped turn commitment into collective action.
