Tuesday December 10th is International Human Rights Day. Take a look at the website: https://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/. A lot of people do not know it exists. Some do not see the United Nations as an effective organization despite the fact that 193 sovereign states are members. 192 have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I have done quite a bit of reading about Saudi Arabia’s hesitancy to sign the full agreement. It is a complex discussion so I will not be addressing it here as this is not the point of today’s blog. Basically they cite conflicts between the Bill of Rights and Shariah Law. For a discussion on the topic take a look at: https://fanack.com/saudi-arabia/human-rights/.
The concept and establishment of the UN was a brilliant idea. The decision came on the heels of a devastating global war, World War II, and the extreme atrocities that occurred in so many places. These included the Holocaust, treatment of Prisoners of War, civilian causalities and the wholesale bombing of cities. The fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo were horrific and we all know about the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the use of nuclear weapons. We had reached a new level in our capacity to destroy each other and it seemed as though few were safe so the U.N. was formed to prevent further catastrophes.
As with many ideas that are solid in theory the practice always is the tricky part. Just look at the inscription on the wall of the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.:
“ Out of our memory…of the Holocaust we must forge an unshakable oath with all civilized people that never again will the world stand silent, never again will the world…fail to act in time to prevent this terrible crime of genocide….we must harness the outrage of our own memories to stamp out oppression wherever it exists. We must understand that human rights and human dignity are indivisible.”
This was written by former President Jimmy Carter. It is a very moving, heartfelt statement. The Museum opened on April 22, 1993. The first visitor was the Dalai Lama. On April 7, 1994 the Rwandan Genocide began and in 90 days close to a million people were murdered as the world, including the United Nations, watched doing little to intervene despite calls for help. Since that time many other genocides have occurred and some are ongoing. I will argue it is not the UN that is the problem. It is the selfishness, greed, and arrogance of its members that limit its success. They are a reflection of us (see the Podcast “Greed as a Mental Illness”). It is the unwillingness of the members to abide by their own creation. It is our unwillingness to hold them accountable.
A major issue with the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights is since states are sovereign they cannot be compelled to adhere to it. Even if our intent may be to follow the spirit of the document our will to do so may not be equal to the task. Sadly, some will just refuse to follow it and there is little the U.N. can do about it. Excuse me; there is little they choose to do about it. There is a power imbalance that prevents action and the “powers” are very skilled at bullying, particularly the five permanent members Security Council, the Unites States, Russia, France, Great Britain, China, and France. This group of nations with superior status is incongruent with the intent of the Declaration.
As an example the Rendition Program employed by the United States, which violated several articles of the UNDHR, including torture, legal representation, arbitrary arrest and detention, and the right to life, liberty and security of person, is clearly a violation of the UNDHR. China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Sudan, North Korea, Brazil, and Italy are just a few of the U.N. members who have a long list of human rights violations to answer for. A more detailed report can be found at: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019.
So how can the United Nations begin to work towards achieving its goals? How can they live up to the Declaration of Human Rights? They could start by reading, with their minds and hearts, the first sentence of the preamble: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” They could follow it with Article 1: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
We all have some soul searching to do particularly since the environmental catastrophe we are in the midst of, global warming and climate change, is rapidly changing our situation. Major demographic, economic, and political changes are on the horizon especially since the displacement of an estimated two billion people by rising sea levels by 2100 will stress the entire world. A good start is to become familiar with the UNDHR and really study it. Figure out if you can accept it and if so embrace it. The next step is to take action. Demand equal rights for everyone, no exceptions. We all have a right to live safe, productive, meaningful lives that put us in a position to live up to our potential. Develop a voice. I was going to say let your leaders know what you think but that is not enough. The same old tired rhetoric from the same old ideologies and people is not working. You must lead yourself. If you need a primer on how to lead take a look at some of the people who have affected change through nonviolent practices. The list is very long but here are a few: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf….the list is endless. And if you are stuck just ask yourself: What would Greta do?