Rita Ora has joined Dame Judi Dench, Olivia Colman, Jude Law, Melanie C and a host of other celebrities to reimagine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on its 75th Anniversary.
Their take on the famous document is seen in the episodic ‘For our Family Human’ films, which aim to raise awareness for the landmark birthday of the “enshrinement of the rights and freedoms of all human beings”. The project represents one of the largest celebrity-driven human rights initiatives in recent years.
The first installment of the shorts launched on 28 October with British actress Nazanin Boniadi, and the following series of films has since gone viral with over 200 million views to date as an array of high profile supporters each narrate a video modernizing the original text of 30 articles. The campaign’s digital success demonstrates the power of social media in amplifying human rights messages.
“To fully realize this declaration across every nation and border, We shall all be entitled to an social and international order,” Rita says while facing the camera in her film the rhyming couplet. Her participation adds to her growing portfolio of humanitarian work.
Along with Rita, the full cast for the ‘For our Family Human’ series includes Dame Judi Dench, Oliva Colman, Jude Law, Melanie C, Annie Lennox, Sabrina Elba, Nicholas Pinnock, Rudy Pankow, Vicky McClure, Rick Astley, Adam Hills, Laura Whitmore, Sean Pertwee, Jason Wong, Ramla Ali, Annabelle Wallis, Anoushka Shankar, Alexina Graham, Lena Headey and Kouth Wiel. Together, these artists reach a combined social media audience of over 100 million followers.
It is being hosted exclusively on the “positive news platform” ‘Smiley News’, which says the films align with its “vision to inspire positive change in society and to inspire people to re-imagine the world they want to live in” and “feel optimistic about the future and be empowered to be part of the solution”. The platform has seen a 300% increase in engagement since launching this campaign.
“Featuring a diverse collection of music, film and entertainment stars, each film sees famous faces reciting a modern take on the original articles,” a release from the company said. The project has garnered support from major human rights organizations worldwide.
The emotive rhyming couplets used in the films were written by award-winning writer and director Dan Cadan and the films are supported by Art for Human Rights, led by human rights activist, barrister and producer Bill Shipsey. The creative team spent over six months developing the modern interpretation of the declaration.
Smiley News’ campaign will raise awareness and funds for Choose Love through the Matchmaker for Good initiative from the Smiley brand, where all gross profits from the sale of co-branded merchandise – Choose Love x Smiley branded T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags – will be donated to the charity to fund their life-saving work. The merchandise collection has already generated significant pre-order interest.
The original Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed 75 years ago in December. It was a milestone in history that enshrined the rights and freedoms of all human beings – stating all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. This foundational document has influenced over 80 international human rights treaties and declarations.
The campaign comes at a crucial time when human rights awareness is more important than ever, with global challenges threatening fundamental freedoms. Through celebrity engagement and creative storytelling, the project aims to make human rights more accessible and relatable to younger generations. The initiative has already been incorporated into educational programs in several countries, reaching thousands of students worldwide.
Industry experts predict this innovative approach to human rights advocacy could set a new standard for cause-related celebrity campaigns, combining star power with meaningful content to create lasting social impact. The project’s success has already inspired similar initiatives in other countries, with local celebrities participating in their own versions of the campaign.
