More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on a synopsis of the universal declaration of human rights
First generation of human rights
Essay on a synopsis of the universal declaration of human rights
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Human rights are necessary for our world to continue to operate peacefully. But at one time human rights did not exist. Prior to the Second World War, “as long as governments did not interfere with the rights of neighboring countries, it could abuse its citizens in any way it wanted and never run afoul of international law strictures” (Bedesman, 2006, pp. 97). Like most laws, change only comes when extreme circumstances occur, such as World War 2 with regards to the Nazi’s. It became necessary for some type of international law to protect human rights. The United Nations came into being as an intergovernmental organization, with the purpose of saving future generations from the devastation of international conflict. At this time The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted.
This declaration is a milestone document in the history of human rights. The first time human rights have been outlined formally. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations
However, John Humphrey, a Canadian professor of law and the UN Secretariat’s Human Rights Director, authored its first draft . Also instrumental in the drafting of the UDHR were Eleanor Roosevelt; Chang Peng-chun, a Chinese playwright, philosopher, and diplomat; and Charles Habib Malik, a Lebanese philosopher and diplomat. (Andreopoulos, 2006) When drafting the declaration there were a series of debates on a range of issues, including the meaning of human dignity, the importance of contextual factors in the determination of the content and range of rights, the relationship of the individual to the state and to society, the potential challenges to the sovereign prerogatives of member states, the connection between rights and responsibilities, and the role of spiritual values in individual and societal
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
According to Thomas Jefferson, all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. Unalienable rights are rights given to the people by their Creator rather than by government. These rights are inseparable from us and can’t be altered, denied, nullified or taken away by any government, except in extremely rare circumstances in which the government can take action against a particular right as long as it is in favor of the people’s safety. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America mentions three examples of unalienable rights: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I believe these rights, since they are acquired by every human being from the day they are conceived, should always be respected, but being realistic, most of the time, the government intervenes and either diminishes or
The issue of human rights has arisen only in the post-cold war whereby it was addressed by an international institution that is the United Nation. In the United Nation’s preamble stated that human rights are given to all humans and that there is equality for everyone. There will not be any sovereign states to diminish its people from taking these rights. The globalization of capitalism after the Cold War makes the issue of human rights seems admirable as there were sufferings in other parts of the world. This is because it is perceived that the western states are the champion of democracy which therefore provides a perfect body to carry out human rights activities. Such human sufferings occur in a sovereign state humanitarian intervention led by the international institution will be carried out to end the menace.
Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity and Justice for All of Us. Accessed on October 29,
Before any legislation could be implemented, a definition of human rights had to be compiled and accepted. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was approved in 1948 by th...
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (n.d.). United Nations. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
In Rene Trujillo's book "Human Rights in the 'Age of Discovery,'" the introduction explains the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations and was ratified by 48 nations. Eleanor Roosevelt was the chair of the commission that wrote it and represented the United States in the United Nations. Most national constitutions incorporate some of the Declaration's principles and human rights organizations think of the Declaration as a kind of constitution, stating rights and freedoms.
48 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted 10 December 1948 UNGA Res 217 A(III) (UDHR), Art 1
Declaration of Human Rights: Dignity and Justice for All of Us. Accessed on October 29,
Jack Donnelly, when making this distinction, set forth the criteria of universality, equality, and inalienability. Using his criteria, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was the first human rights document, formed out of an overlapping political consensus after World War II (Donelly 25). Donnelly argues early on in his book, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice, that in order for rights to be human they must be universal. He goes into more depth about the subject stating that humans obtain human rights merely because they are human beings. Therefore, by his definition of universal, since humans can never become anything other than human, human rights are also inalienable (Donnelly 10). Then there is paramount importance in accordance to the UDHR. This is where my view leads astray from Maurice Cranston. Cranston uses both paramount importance and universality when analyzing "human" rights, but claims the last ten articles of the UDHR are not of paramount importance. To be of paramount importance, it must relieve distress, but not provide pleasure. I argue that the last ten articles are of paramount importance because without them, for example the right to education, one may not be able to get a job provide for himself or herself and will constantly be distressed. Also, without having social interaction or the ability to think for oneself the individual would be being oppressed and could go
On December 10th 1948, the General Assembly adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration, although not legally binding, created “a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations.to promote respect for those rights and freedoms” (Goodhart, 379). However, many cultures assert that the human rights policies outlined in the declaration undermine cultural beliefs and practices. This assertion makes the search for universal human rights very difficult to achieve. I would like to focus on articles 3, 14 and 25 to address how these articles could be modified to incorporate cultural differences, without completely undermining the search for human rights practices.
There have been individuals and even countries that oppose the idea that human rights are for everybody. This argument shall be investigated in this essay, by: exploring definitions and history on human rights, debating on whether it is universal while providing examples and background information while supporting my hypothesis that human rights should be based on particular cultural values and finally drawing a conclusion. A general definition of human rights is that they are rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, simply because they are human. It is the idea that ‘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.’
Nations, U. (2013). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved November 4, 2013, from United Nations: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
United Nations. (n.d-b), developed their Utopian view of social justice with “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” based in part, on recognizing the natural
The role that globalization plays in spreading and promoting human rights and democracy is a subject that is capable spurring great debate. Human rights are to be seen as the standards that gives any human walking the earth regardless of any differences equal privileges. The United Nations goes a step further and defines human rights as,