are human rights universal?
On the 10th of December 1948, 48 of the 56 members of the General Assembly of the young United Nations Organisation adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights that would act as the moral contract of a new world. The relevance of this text was evident at the end of the Second World War which caused almost fifty million deaths and shattered the planet by the degree of atrocity of the crimes against humanity committed during this war. The creation of this declaration was also called for due to the large number of acts showing the total contempt from the totalitarian states towards human life, human dignity and Human Rights.This endeavour has two main historical precedents:The first one is the 'Virginia Bill of Rights' of 1776 which was incorporated in 1791 in the United States constitution. This text justifies the revolt of most of the British colonies in North America that proclaimed their independence from the British Empire. The second one, in 1789, as a result of the French Revolution is the 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens'. It adds to the idea of 'pursuit of an ideal', developed in the US Declaration of Independence, a certain number of judicial rules defining the civil and political rights of the ind
By abstaining, 8 states out of 56 members in 1948 have shown their unwillingness to comply with its principles. Religious ceremonies and the birth of children often become occasions for further requests for money or goods. The idea now is no longer to justify a war of independence or a political revolution in the name of principles undoubtedly considered as universal but that in fact only apply to those who claim them, but to strongly state that the new world born of the defeat of the regimes that denied Human Rights inspires itself from ideas that are valid for all human beings. Their leaders spend more time dealing with western countries exchanging access to oil resources for money and Mercedes cars, than trying to improve the terrible living conditions of their citizens and the economy of the country. Everyday, thousands of people die because of thirst, starvation, illness, war or oppression in many countries. Non Governmental Organisations, for instance, can now use the power of what Peter Baehr (2) calls the 'mobilization of shame'. This essay about the Universality of Human Rights will present the opportunity to ask ourselves a certain number of questions:Do the standards and values of western liberal democracies expressed in the Universal Declaration have a universal bearing or must we admit that different forms of civilization exist that imply completely different principles that would lead to other conceptions of the individual, the society and the government that are not those stated in the text of 1948?Is Human Rights an essentially western concept that ignores cultural, economic and political realities of other parts of the world? Can Human Rights be universally applied?In the first part, I will defend this notion of universality by demonstrating its importance to guarantee human dignity in the world. Some Asian countries, such as China or Indonesia, are often denounced for their non-observance of Human Rights. At a time that can be defined by the notion of 'globalisation', most of the world is ruled by capitalistic interests. Demands for dowry can go on for years. CONCLUSIONIn my opinion, the complexity of our world and the cultural differences that define it make the idea of finding a universal agreement toward Human Rights almost impossible. Legitimate the fightDeveloping the notion of Universal Human Rights was thus absolutely essential to guarantee human dignity. With this Declaration, the democratic societies accept the idea that the nation is no longer ruled by kingship by divine right, but by the individuals that make the nation and agree to give themselves a government through a chart called Constitution. Tradition is also a barrier to the rights promoting the equality of sexes.
Common topics in this essay:
Human Rights,
Universal Declaration,
human rights,
Rights Vienna,
Declaration Independence,
World War,
Marriage India,
Safiya Hussaini,
Amnesty International,
Peter Baehr,
India Nepal,
universal declaration,
western countries,
developing countries,
universality human,
universality human rights,
declaration human rights,
rights individual,
declaration human,
universal human,
universal human rights,
universal declaration human,
human rights considered,
living conditions,
human dignity,
|
Acceptance Essays
