UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On this day in 1948, the UN Commission on Human Rights adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The full General Assembly followed suit on December 10 of that year, making the Declaration binding on all member nations.  A response to the atrocities committed during World War II, the Declaration establishes two core concepts within the context of International law: fundamental freedoms, and essential human rights.  It recognizes that all of us, and all nations, have both rights and obligations: we are entitled to a broad list of freedoms and rights inherent to all human beings, and are concomitantly obliged to recognize, honor, and implement those freedoms and rights on behalf of all other human beings. You can find the Declaration here: UDHR.

The Declaration is not without its critics.  Some argue that it is too Western-based; that it fails to recognize basic tenets of Islam that are said by some to clash with it; that in a post-modern world the very notion that universal truths and rights exist is a non sequitur. And yet, as I have mentioned in an earlier post, we have seen that all of the world's religious, spiritual, and faith traditions share a common tenet that we often call the "Golden Rule".  What is the Declaration but an elaboration of that broadly-shared principle?

Cynics (and I am often among their ranks) may argue that the Declaration is little more than a pretty piece of verbiage, a toothless paper tiger.  All it takes is a quick glance at the headlines to compile a list of ongoing atrocities all over the world that trample the very notion of freedom and protection of human rights: Rwanda; Afghanistan; Guantanamo; Tiananmen; Congo; Syria.  The list could be much longer, but we get the point.  Genocide; rape as a weapon of war; denial of rights to education, a fair trial, food, medical care; suppression of democracy, women, children, minorities of every description.

That is the bleak picture.  But it is not the full picture.  In all of these places, and in others worldwide, there are people who continue to fight to implement and protect the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights enshrined in the Declaration.  That fight can take innumerable forms, from actual physical intervention to writing a letter to speaking up instead of remaining silent.  It can even take the form of playing a video game: Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl Wu Dunn's groundbreaking Half the Sky game is harnessing the power of social media and the video game as force for positive change, education, and fund-raising, all in the name of empowering women and helping them to rise out of the cycles of poverty and abuse.

There are as many ways to honor and implement the Declaration as there are people who believe in it.  Let's each of us be one of those people.  No effort is too small to matter, no goal too large to attain.  I find myself being reminded more and more these days of the story about the little boy who was throwing starfish, one by one, back into the ocean.  An old man walked by, looked at the thousands of starfish strewn on the beach, and said "Why are you bothering?  There are thousands of starfish here, you cannot possibly make a difference!"  In response to which the little boy picked up another starfish, tossed it into the ocean, and replied "It sure made a difference to that one!"  Wise boy, that one.

~Kathryn~

Common Ground

 

It is early afternoon on the 20th of January.  I am trying without a great deal of success to warm up to the return of NHL hockey, the NFL payoff games don't start until 3:00 EST, and by default I have CNN's beyond-saturation coverage of Mr. Obama's second inauguration chattering away in the background.  As I have many times since U.S. election night, I find myself contemplating the dismal state of intentional mean-spiritness and partisan gridlock that has come to characterize politics---not just in the U.S. but, increasingly, on a global level.  

Even the polite Canadians are engaging: Ontario's parliament was so frozen by partisan sniping that the Premier shut the legislation process down completely months ago and now we sit, without an acting legislative body, waiting for yet another election.  Things are proceeding much more smoothly on the federal level; having finally gained a threadbare majority, Harper is essentially unbridled in his systematic dismantling of the social safety net, womens' programs, and environmental protections.  Back in the U.S., the tragedy of Newtown was in short order perverted into yet another vitriolic vetting about so-called inviolate Second Amendment rights that didn't exist until a few decades ago when the body politic allowed itself to be bought, sold, and buried by the gun lobby.

So here we sit, starting each other down and watching others do the same.  At times (when I haven't had enough sleep, exercise, wine, or the optimal combination thereof) it seems like civil society has become the oxymoron of the 21st century, and that somehow we not only allowed compassion to fall out of vogue but to slip from the lexicon entirely.

Then again, it is the start of a new year.  All things fresh, new, and ripe with possibilities---if only we chose to make it so (thanks, Jean Luc--I adore that phrase).  Anyone who knows me will attest that my Pollyanna days are few and very far between, while my donkey-like stubborn streak is on display with annoying regularity.  For just this once I am going to wholeheartedly embrace that trait and celebrate the fact that I am stubborn: stubborn and cantankerous enough to not allow myself to be permanently dragged down in the quicksand of closed mindedness, deliberate ignorance, and smug intolerance, nor to let my eyes or heart be so clouded that negativity is all I see, or all that I choose for my focus. 

In that spirit I would like to make a modest proposal---a sort of New Year's Resolution for your consideration.  Let us collectively resolve, at least once a week or more often if the opportunity presents itself, to start with ourselves and those around us to stem the tide of discord, to stop staring at each other and to start really listening to each other, to bring to our discourses the kind of respect and compassion for the other person and her or his feelings and viewpoint that we would have them accord to us and ours, to actively seek common ground on however small a scale, and to then cultivate that common ground so that it may grow into something productive rather than sit forever barren.  One conversation, one person, one small meeting of the mind and heart, at a time.  Let us walk not just with our friends, but also with those who we now call enemies in the hope and resolve that they might also become friends in whatever small way.  The journey of a thousand miles...well, you know the rest.

Happy New Year to all.

Kate