Every Man, Woman and Child

Music to Teach & Activate Human Rights

Every Man, Woman and Child is a musical presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) released in various formats. The first iteration of the original ballad (listen on Amazon | Spotify) was the FIRST grassroots musical expression of the UDHR, and was performed by a children's chorus at the UN in 1987. Since then, the project has evolved and expanded to dozens of expresssions.

Listen to all the versions of Every Man, Woman, and Child on Spotify.

Watch the world premiere of Every Living Soul (non-binary version) on YouTube.

With human rights under threat everywhere, and confusion about where we're heading, communities around the globe can physically move, groove, meditate, and more, on the meaning of this lofty idea in our everyday lives, though this uplifting and beautiful music.

Human Rights come into focus globally on
Peace Day, September 21, and Human Rights Day, December 10.
Put your musical events on the United Nations World Peace Event Map!

Article 1: Right to Equality Article 2: Freedom from Discrimination Article 3: Right to Life, Liberty, Personal Security Article 4: Freedom from Slavery Article 5: Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment Article 6: Right to Recognition as a Person before the Law Article 7: Right to Equality before the Law Article 8: Right to Remedy by Competent Tribunal Article 9: Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest and Exile Article 10: Right to Fair Public Hearing Article 11: Right to be Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty Article 12: Freedom from Interference with Privacy, Family, Home and Correspondence Article 13: Right to Free Movement in and out of the Country Article 14: Right to Asylum in other Countries from Persecution Article 15: Right to a Nationality and the Freedom to Change It Article 16: Right to Marriage and Family Article 17: Right to Own Property Article 18: Freedom of Belief and Religion Article 19: Freedom of Opinion and Information Article 20: Right of Peaceful Assembly and Association Article 21: Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections Article 22: Right to Social Security Article 23: Right to Desirable Work and to Join Trade Unions Article 24: Right to Rest and Leisure Article 25: Right to Adequate Living Standard Article 26: Right to Education Article 27: Right to Participate in the Cultural Life of a Community Article 28: Right to a Social Order that Articulates this Document Article 29: Community Duties Essential to Free and Full Development Article 30: Freedom from State or Personal Interference in the above Rights

FREE DOWNLOAD of the chant version (recording and score) featuring Harrison Crenshaw, which won a Global Peace Song Award in 2016.

Download song | Download score

Get the Workbook!

emwc book cover

Paperback $29.95
Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Ebook (pdf) $9.99
Bookfunnel

Every Man, Woman, and Child & Every Living Soul is an educational performance piece by composer Merrill Collins based on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Community groups of all types can use this project to cultivate and perpetuate the deepest levels of respect between people and toward all of life.

This was the first grassroots arts project to embody and promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, premiering in 1987. The original project manual was displayed at the United Nations Center in Geneva as an example that has inspired thousands of expressions at the grassroots level since then.

This new version, dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of the UDHR and written with co-author Kristen Caven, contains scores for both EMWC and the new non-binary version Every Living Soul. Also included in this 150+ page volume is the history of this piece and detailed instructions on how to present the 30 articles of the world's foundational human rights document in any language through singing, dancing, meditating, doing yoga, and community ceremonies.

Schools, studios, museums, civic organizations, and places of worship-any community wishing to create a uniting event-will find this exciting and uplifting project easy to implement with this well-prepared toolkit.

Order wholesale for your bookstore (one sheet)

How to Participate

Choose a project

Get the scores or recordings

Get the workbook

Plan your event

Spread the word using our PSAs (or make your own!)

Rehearse, learn, create, share!

ACTIVATE Human Rights on Peace Day, Human Rights Day or ANY day.

Choose your project:

Dance Party

Choose a song to teach, perform, or move together independently:

HighLife featuring Pope Flyne has a long break for doing your own readings of the UDHR. Amazon | iTunes| YouTube | Spotify

Hip Pop featuring Austin Starchild includes a reading of all the articles. | Amazon | iTunes| YouTube | Spotify

"Beautifully realized"
—Contemporary Fusion Reviews

Learn more about this album

Yoga Flow

Practice or teach a yoga asana with intention of activating one or all human rights.

Yoga Flow I featuring Kimberly Haynes Amazon | iTunes | YouTube | Spotify

Yoga Flow II featuring Vito Gregoli Amazon | iTunes | YouTube | Spotify

Yoga Flow Suite full album
Amazon | iTunes | YouTube | Spotify

Meditation

Add voiceover guided imagery to the meditation tracks ~ or just breathe and expand.

Five-part meditation featuring Merrill Collins on piano with various artists | Amazon | iTunes | YouTube | Spotify

The original ballad featuring Harrison Crenshaw and Michelle Crenshaw | Amazon | iTunes | YouTube | Spotify
A short instrumental track of the original song YouTube | Spotify |

Sing

A professional performance or a community sing-along creates a space to read all of or a selection of the 30 UDHR articles in any language. This is THE best way to bringing the voices of your community together!

Watch a choir sing it
Get inspired by the whole playlist on Spotify
Sing along with the instrumental track
Find ALL SCORES

Play

A NEW orchestration honoring the 75th anniversary of the UDHR was premiered in spring, 2023, with a gender-neutral chorus of "Every Living Soul." Prepared by Dr. David Stern for professional, college, high school, and elementary school orchestras.

Jam

Create your own musical expression using the themes and motifs of Every Man, Woman, and Child, and fully engage your community. Record new music, elaborate on one of the 30 articles, claim your musical style. Start with the sheet music and write the publisher for license/publishing info!

View ALL SCORES
Get inspired by the whole playlist on Spotify

We want to add YOUR audio and video performance of this piece to our playlist!

Press Releases 2019: Peace Day 9/21 | Human Rights Day 12/10

PSA Tracks for Podcasts & Radio

An album full of background clips for promoting dances, meditations, or readings of Every Man, Woman, and Child. Purchase full album or individual tracks here.