Egypt is not only a country of ancient civilization, but also the cradle of human civilizations, on whose land many civilizations have converged and merged through the ages.

This fact has to do with the existence of the deep-rooted Egyptian vision on human rights a long time ago. A civilization cannot flourish and bloom without respect for human rights considering the circumstances and standards of every age.

Tolerance and acceptance of the other, and the interaction with other cultures and civilizations and their fusion into the Egyptian culture are sublime manifestation of human rights in addition to non-discrimination, lack of racism, openness to the other and respect for diversity and privacy.

That’s why Egyptians excelled in the fields of arts and culture from ancient times until today. Creativity is a natural result of a climate that allows the release of human potentialities to express their talents, abilities and their distinction is respected. No creativity without freedom.

In the modern era, and even as a state under the Ottomans, Egypt had been distinguished among the rest of the states with a space of freedom that attracted creators from the Arab Mashriq and from Europe itself, to live there and to share the Egyptian creators in establishing a modern renaissance in theater, media, journalism, cinema, novel, stories, plays, poetry and others.

In a subsequent era, the Egyptian people mixed their struggle for independence with their fighting for freedoms: political freedom, women's emancipation, liberation of mind, and building the state of citizenship in accordance with modern political and social systems. The revolution of the Egyptian people in 1919, which celebrates its 100^th anniversary this year, is a revolution for the liberation of the homeland, the liberation of the human and  his mind, the liberation of creativity and the building of a state of modern institutions and national unity.

As a result of this national will, Egypt gave birth to thousands of pioneers and innovators in the fields of singing, literature, theater, cinema, philosophy, thought, poetry, science and others.

Egypt pursued the same path, in the latter stages up till now. It dealt with each stage according to the appropriate standards, and kept evolving and progressing from time to time.

Here arises the correlation between creativity - in all fields - and human rights. Whereas creativity exists only in an atmosphere of freedom of expression of identity and position, art itself is always a human right. At the same time, one of the main issues in all arts and literature has always been "human rights": the right to respect human dignity, the right to intellectual freedom , the right to decent living conditions including employment, treatment, education and security, and the right to respect the values of equality, justice, freedom of belief and expression of beliefs.

This eternal relationship between arts and human rights is the  main subject of this issue. Some of the most distinguished specialists and professors contributed to this issue, as well as valuable contributions by eminent Egyptian writers who presented their deep insights in the field in this periodical "Studies in Human Rights".

This is in addition to the other sections and follow-ups, and we hope that this issue would receive the attention and the acceptance of interested readers and specialists.