The right to run as a human right
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, we’re looking back at the incredible work our Right To Run partners have done in their communities in 2022.
On December 10, 1948, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) was delivered at the United Nations General Assembly in Paris. Across 30 articles, this landmark document set out the fundamental human rights its authors argued needed protecting. These tenets have since been broadly adopted across the world, and the Declaration has been translated into over 500 languages.
In early 2022, On set up Right To Run, a social impact partnership that supports organizations working hard in underrepresented communities across the world to uphold such human rights. Through funding, support and donations, On helps amplify the partners’ common goal: to drive change in their communities by democratizing movement.
As the UDHR celebrates its 75th year, we're marking the occasion by highlighting some of our Right To Run Partners’ key achievements from 2022.
Elevating voices to fight injustice
Rising Hearts is a grassroots organization working tirelessly to elevate the voices of Indigenous people in the US. In May, they held their 5th annual Running For Justice event, which highlighted the injustices surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and relatives. In the past two years, Running For Justice has raised over $100,000 from participants, and is already planning to make next year’s event bigger than ever.
“We can’t have a better, safer future if we don’t get communities together to collaborate and learn from each other.”
– Rising Hearts founder, Jordan Marie Daniel.
A mission to motivate
Bronx-based Equity Design’s mission is to close the gap between health and wealth for underrepresented kids in their community. In June 2022 they created a Field Day in their borough where over 600 school children and their teachers got out of the classroom and participated in activities designed to get them moving and feeling motivated about physical activity.
Running for change
In May, Venice Beach run crew 48 for Change, organized 48 for Floyd, an event honoring the memory of George Floyd and raising awareness of the lack of safety for runners within BIPOC communities. Over 130 participants from across the US signed up for the challenge of running up to four miles every four hours for 48 hours, raising $12,500 for SPY – a Venice-based charity supporting young people experiencing homelessness.
"Our aim is simple: Let’s just run and help as many people as possible."
– Justin Shields, 48 for Change co-founder.
Reclaiming the streets to fight oppression
For International Day of Peace in September, Free to Run co-organized the first-ever female-only short-distance race (6K) in Erbil, Northern Iraq. Over 350 women and girls took to the streets to exercise their right to run in a show of powerful defiance against the repression females face in their society.
Fundraising for freedom
In March, Achilles Canada held their annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraising run through the heart of downtown Toronto. Over distances of 5K and 10K, more than 2000 runners of all backgrounds and abilities took part. Funds went towards helping athletes with disabilities get their freedom back by providing them with the means to train safely outdoors.
Keep running
In 2023, our mission is to grow Right To Run and work with new and existing partners around the world to help them achieve their goals. Click below to discover more about the program, and see the difference all the incredible organizations we support are making in their communities.
