Human Rights Revolutionized
After the end of World War II there were still high tensions among nations plus the Cold War was in its incipient stages. The countries wanted to collaborate together to establish a human rights bill to guarantee the rights of individuals in all nations to prevent cleansing of entire groups to end. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a turning point in world history because it revolutionized the society’s outlook of inalienable rights. It brought upon changes on the moral, legislative, and ethnocentrism framework of society.
Point of Origination
The United Nations (UN) was founded after World War II. It was founded to create legal basis for human rights internationally after the terrible crimes committed against Jews and other minority groups. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. Under this human rights bill people were no longer discriminated or fleeting from prosecution because of differences. They were able to achieve freedom of religion, speech, etc.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the name "United Nations" during World War II. But the main contributors were Eleanor Roosevelt, P. C. Chang, the Chinese representative and vice chairperson of the commission, and Charles Malik, the Lebanese representative and Commission reporter. John Humphrey, the director of the Division of Human Rights, and René Cassin, the French delegate to the Commission helped draft the document.
The war caused countries to work together and create a social revolution. It would prevent such acts similar to those seen during the Holocaust from ever happening again. The declaration's drafting process was initiated by a series of debates on a wide range of issues that every country despite bad relationship came upon to agree. The document contains a thorough list of key civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. It also discusses right against torture, take part in government, right to form and join trade unions. After the World War it became definite that perpetrators who committed cruel acts against humanity should be held accountable internationally despite what the domestic laws says.
Changes To Legislature
Massive human rights abuses committed during WWII including the Nazi genocide of Jews, Gypsies, and other groups, sparked the international human rights discussion. While the UDHR document was not perfect or solved all the world's problem it has had great impact on other countries. Initially the document's non-binding status was thought of as one of its major weaknesses. But it was precisely thais allowed nations during a time of turmoil to collaborate. It has been able to remodel second and third world countries, among the documents that were inspired by it are "The four Geneva Conventions and two Additional Protocols. UDHR has influenced other humanitarian documents including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The UDHR has gone on to influence regional treaties / laws such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, European Convention on Human Rights" (WEISSBRODT). The UDHR's non-binding status allowed for progress to be made without conflict to break out by not forcing nations to follow laws but instead agree on a moral standards.
Even though it was drafted in 1948, the declaration continues to have lasting impact. The document signifies a new era of humanitarian equality. These document and countless others similar to it have transformed into other countries versions of the Bill of Rights and ones that fits with their own societies’ values. The goal of the declaration’s founding fathers was not to fix all human rights issue but to design a moral agreement and understanding between nations to grant its citizens rights. The later drafted documents inspired by UDHR all are a bit different in their beliefs since the challenge for an international law to be passed that is central to all nations is still ongoing.
Thomas Jefferson's stated in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." (Welch) The values of human rigths have been consistent over time but the objective remains incompleted.
Long before the drafting of the UDHR and the war, human rights has been a focus of government. It has always been important for Americans and justified their independence from Great Britain however it was never thought to be universal until the UDHR. Inalienable rights were extended to everyone in the famous declaration of humanitarian law. Thus a version of Bill of Rights/American Constitution was created as a model for the world and for individual countries that drew inspiration from the UDHR.The human rights started out as focusing on civil and political rights. But the UDHR transformed it to also include economic, social, and cultural rights. Since then the present focus of human right has come to include self–determination, peace, development, and a healthful environment.
Even though it was drafted in 1948, the declaration continues to have lasting impact. The document signifies a new era of humanitarian equality. These document and countless others similar to it have transformed into other countries versions of the Bill of Rights and ones that fits with their own societies’ values. The goal of the declaration’s founding fathers was not to fix all human rights issue but to design a moral agreement and understanding between nations to grant its citizens rights. The later drafted documents inspired by UDHR all are a bit different in their beliefs since the challenge for an international law to be passed that is central to all nations is still ongoing.
Thomas Jefferson's stated in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." (Welch) The values of human rigths have been consistent over time but the objective remains incompleted.
Long before the drafting of the UDHR and the war, human rights has been a focus of government. It has always been important for Americans and justified their independence from Great Britain however it was never thought to be universal until the UDHR. Inalienable rights were extended to everyone in the famous declaration of humanitarian law. Thus a version of Bill of Rights/American Constitution was created as a model for the world and for individual countries that drew inspiration from the UDHR.The human rights started out as focusing on civil and political rights. But the UDHR transformed it to also include economic, social, and cultural rights. Since then the present focus of human right has come to include self–determination, peace, development, and a healthful environment.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/128052/US-delegate-and-former-first-lady-Eleanor-Roosevelt-addressing-the
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
The above links are primary sources, the first link provides a video of Elenor Roosevelt addressing human rights and the other shows the entire UDHR document.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
The above links are primary sources, the first link provides a video of Elenor Roosevelt addressing human rights and the other shows the entire UDHR document.
Transformation In Society's Moral Beliefs
The society’s perspective about the discrimination of minority groups drastically changed to become intolerable. The lives lost in the long war because of differences spurred society to reconsider that despite differences in religion, culture, race, etc. they are still human beings.
Nazi conducted experiments in concentration camps that were far from advancements in science, they were conducted by untrained students, the hostages were forced into being test subjects, their “Skin was cut into various sizes for use as saddles, riding breeches, gloves, house slippers and ladies' handbags” (Blaha). The lives of innocent jews were disregared and instead they were tortured like animals.
It was decided that governments should become responsible to some degree to the international community for their treatment of their own people by the member involved in writing the declaration and by people all over the world who were tired of fighting and seeing people suffer. Society very drastically came to realize that the life of a minority member is just as important as any others. People realized very quickly that "All human beings are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law." (WEISSBRODT)Following the aftermath of WWII, a different perspective yielded discrimination as intolerable. Differences in religion, race, gender, etc. no longer formed a barrier between societies. This favorable outcome of the war would not be possible to uphold if it were not for the signing of the declaration.
The focus of the declaration was to transform how inalienable rights were viewed. It became one of the main supporters for social equality. It argued that the four main freedoms were given to every human being upon birth and that genocide is the worst crime that is possible against mankind. The huge collaboration caused other countries’ government to reconsider their beliefs.
Nazi conducted experiments in concentration camps that were far from advancements in science, they were conducted by untrained students, the hostages were forced into being test subjects, their “Skin was cut into various sizes for use as saddles, riding breeches, gloves, house slippers and ladies' handbags” (Blaha). The lives of innocent jews were disregared and instead they were tortured like animals.
It was decided that governments should become responsible to some degree to the international community for their treatment of their own people by the member involved in writing the declaration and by people all over the world who were tired of fighting and seeing people suffer. Society very drastically came to realize that the life of a minority member is just as important as any others. People realized very quickly that "All human beings are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law." (WEISSBRODT)Following the aftermath of WWII, a different perspective yielded discrimination as intolerable. Differences in religion, race, gender, etc. no longer formed a barrier between societies. This favorable outcome of the war would not be possible to uphold if it were not for the signing of the declaration.
The focus of the declaration was to transform how inalienable rights were viewed. It became one of the main supporters for social equality. It argued that the four main freedoms were given to every human being upon birth and that genocide is the worst crime that is possible against mankind. The huge collaboration caused other countries’ government to reconsider their beliefs.
Declination of Ethnocentrism
Prior to WWII, opposition to slavery, humanitarian intervention, human rights and rights of minorities had very little progress. As the atrocities of Nazi genocide against Jews and other minorities became known across the world, global pressure for human rights increased. In 1946 the assembly defined genocide as the denial of the right of existence of entire human groups. It said that genocide “shocks the human conscience, violates moral law, and offends the spirit and aims of the United Nations.” (Wise) Genocide was previously not disscussed in a study conducted by the UN because of fear causing conflict but during the trail of Nuremberg it gained global interest.
No century in human history was filled by more violence than was the twentieth century, a shocking realization that post-Enlightenment era humanity has somehow progressed beyond ancient barbarisms. The most memorable moments include the mass Nazi execution of millions of persons in attempts to exterminate whole races and ethnicities, the United Nations General Assembly, at its first meeting in 1946, addressed the systematic killing of target groups or persons. (Wise)
During WWII entire groups were attempted be cleansed, lives were tortured. Human lives were undervalued and not respected. The hostages who survived the painful experimentation “had been ordered to throw the corpses into the pit, then they had themselves to lie down in this to be shot in the neck.” (Graebe) Following this, the work of the U.N in the convention on genocide, there was a large reduction in the recurrences of these events. During the war, human rights were forgotten about and instead replaced by ethnocentric views of other people that caused the cleansing of entire groups in the holocaust and other smaller massacres.
Individual and collective perspectives on the idea of how human rights are universal continued to be disscussed long after the declartion was passed. Due to the moral beliefs many countries collaborated on an international human rights to guarantee rights for everyone. As result ethnocentrism was decreased in the presence of countries working together despite differences. Despite still some racism present everywhere, now more than ever people have become more welcoming to differences.
No century in human history was filled by more violence than was the twentieth century, a shocking realization that post-Enlightenment era humanity has somehow progressed beyond ancient barbarisms. The most memorable moments include the mass Nazi execution of millions of persons in attempts to exterminate whole races and ethnicities, the United Nations General Assembly, at its first meeting in 1946, addressed the systematic killing of target groups or persons. (Wise)
During WWII entire groups were attempted be cleansed, lives were tortured. Human lives were undervalued and not respected. The hostages who survived the painful experimentation “had been ordered to throw the corpses into the pit, then they had themselves to lie down in this to be shot in the neck.” (Graebe) Following this, the work of the U.N in the convention on genocide, there was a large reduction in the recurrences of these events. During the war, human rights were forgotten about and instead replaced by ethnocentric views of other people that caused the cleansing of entire groups in the holocaust and other smaller massacres.
Individual and collective perspectives on the idea of how human rights are universal continued to be disscussed long after the declartion was passed. Due to the moral beliefs many countries collaborated on an international human rights to guarantee rights for everyone. As result ethnocentrism was decreased in the presence of countries working together despite differences. Despite still some racism present everywhere, now more than ever people have become more welcoming to differences.
Lasting Impact of the UDHR
The UDHR guaranteed protection of citizens from their country. The drafting of the UDHR remodeled how society thought about universal human rights and impacted all branches of society. Morally human rights has come far from the emancipation of slaves to inalienable rights for everyone in the world. Ethnocentrism while always present has been slowly diminishing as countries get closer together to see past the bias. Legislative laws were not linked to human rights before World War II but after the signing of the UDHR that changed, countries collaborated by taking responsibility to prevent a recurrence of massacres and protect their citizens. The UDHR was a new milestone in history because it defined what the new generation of what human rights looked like. It focused on the key areas of society that were estimated to develop in the coming years. Since then it has been changed to countless other human rights documents, made its way into other countries' constitutions and has been debated over to amend any parts that has become irrelevant or increasingly more significant since it was first adopted by the United Nations more than six decades ago.