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~