Saturday, December 10, 2005

Let Us Be Clear: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights



On December 10, 1947, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of which can be read here: United Nations. With an impressive nod to the passive voice, they also called upon all Member countries "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read, and expounded".

We seem to be having a little trouble with Article 4 lately, I notice.

Human Rights campaigns launched this year include:
  • a new campaign to free cyber-dissidents in the People's Republic of China, the Maldives, and Vietnam: Writers in Prison
  • a seminar in New York on academic freedom in Iraq: American Academy for the Advancement of Science
  • Secretary-General Kofi Annan has a great paper re: torture in the modern world: Combating Torture
  • and in Geneva, there was a gathering re: protecting the human rights of people with mental disabilities


These events are a little heavy on the academic end of things. As fascinating and important as that can be, we arguably need to do more than sit around a table and define the terms of the discourse. How might we proclaim, defend, even celebrate human rights in our daily lives?

And why does so much of the political right think we shouldn't defend or even acknowledge this document, in particular, or universal human rights more generally? I really do know their argument, but honestly... how do they look themselves in the mirror when they're brushing their teeth?

No comments: