When staff at the UN Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels were planning ways to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they wanted to find a universal symbol or spokesperson that would demonstrate that a campaign to celebrate human rights is best viewed with the heart.
Inspired by the words of the celebrated author Antoine Saint Exupéry, the group settled on the character of Le Petit Prince, or the Little Prince, who said, "On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”)
Saint Exupéry's world famous novel (which was first published in 1943 and celebrated its own 60th anniversary five years ago), The Little Prince, has been translated into nearly 200 languages, not that far behind the number of languages into which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself has been translated. The book has sold over 50 million copies and is consistently on the list of the top 50 best-selling books worldwide. An image of the “Spokesprince” is on the front page of the campaign’s hallmark Know Your Rights 2008 web site and other campaign materials, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Olivier d’Agay, guardian of the Saint Exupéry estate, and grand nephew of Saint Exupéry. Mr. d’Agay was one of the first people to support the campaign.
The multimedia web site, which includes audio and video materials, currently available in English, French and Italian, is billed as a “marketplace of ideas” spotlighting events and other activities celebrating the anniversary year. It also features quizzes for children and adults to test their knowledge of human rights issues and the declaration itself.