Fundamentally Right

It’s said you have the right to have fundamental human rights. FRA’s Gabriel Toggenburg explains his firm belief in the EU justice system to protect those basic freedoms. For Gabriel, a person’s identity does not necessarily come from their nationality. He tells how being born in Germany with family roots and connections in Italy, France, the UK, Switzerland and Russia shaped those views.

Peace brings optimism. FRA’s Alice Hamilton explains her passion for access to justice and victims’ rights. Growing up with a Protestant father and a Catholic mother at the height of the Troubles gave Alice a valuable insight into living in a divided Ireland. As a child, she dreamed of equal treatment in both communities – a society where you are free to marry who you choose. Now Alice shares her optimism for the future in a Europe that protects fundamental rights.

Lots of small, positive acts can lead to great things. FRA’s Friso Roscam Abbing explains how you can defend human rights by something as simple as voting. Friso shares all he learned from the fall of the Iron Curtain. And how you too can affect such world-changing events by exercising your rights at home. By using your right to vote, you too can make a difference.

An equal society is a better society for everyone. FRA’s Ursula Till-Tentschert warns against sidelining women — once empowered, there is nothing they cannot do. Ursula remembers the injustice of having to sew at school while her brothers carved models from wood. It is only a short step from classroom discrimination to outright prejudice. She celebrates the EU laws that protect us. But she says they will only truly work if we also smash the invisible social barriers to empowerment.

Never take today’s freedoms for granted. FRA’s Jana Gajdošová remembers authoritarian rule in her native Czechoslovakia. Then, shortages, secret police and petty corruption were the norm. The State Security even posted spies to watch churchgoers at mass. Jana tells how the repression she experienced in her childhood inspired her to fight for the rights we all enjoy now in Europe. If you care for freedom, this is a must-listen.

As a parent, you realise children are the future. FRA’s Nicole Romain shares the anxiety she has felt as the mother of a mixed race family living in predominantly white countries. She explains how the Fundamental Rights Charter delivers hope for an inclusive Europe where we all respect and celebrate our differences.

Minorities across Europe routinely experience discrimination. As a child, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty saw first-hand how prejudice led to violence and hatred in his native Ireland. Michael shares some early experiences of violence against Irish Travellers. He also speaks about what motivates him to fight to protect human rights for people everywhere.