Who am I?
I am a young philosophy professor from Lebanon, nominated to be the Commission’s secretary by Carlos Romulo, the fiery Philippine representative who won a Pulitzer Prize for his newspaper articles predicting the end of colonialism in East Asia. I am a strong believer in individualism. Aside from my work on the Commission, I’m a leading spokesman for the Arab League on the question of Palestine.
Who is Charles Malik?
This political issue shaped nearly every part of the negotiations over the UDHR, including the debates about which rights were most important (civil and political versus economic, social, and cultural)
What is the Cold War?
“We are here to affirm faith in fundamental human rights. Whether the human person comes first or the society, I do not think we should discuss that problem now. The Commission should not enter into this maze of ideology”
What is pragmatism?
This sub-group of the United Nations was created in 1946 and included representatives of 18 different countries. Its first task was to create an International Bill of Rights, which eventually became the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What is the Commission on Human Rights?
I have been called the “master of the art of compromise” because when the Commission is facing an impasse, I like to offer a quotation from Confucius that provides a formula for compromise. I’m a scholar, a playwright, musician, educator, and philosopher who is well versed in Chinese, Islamic, and Western cultures. From the beginning, I have said that it is important that the Declaration reflect more than simply Western ideas.
Who is P.C. Chang?
This issue was something Eleanor Roosevelt cared about on a personal level, and something that the Soviet Union regularly used to criticize the U.S. on the international stage.
What is racism in the United States?
“The deepest danger of the age is posed by a collectivism that demands the extinction of the human person as such in his own individuality and ultimate inviolability”
What is individualism?
This report gathered input from scholars, leaders, and activists around the world on the question of human rights, concluding that the principles underlying the draft UDHR were present in many cultural and religious traditions, even if they weren’t always expressed as rights.
What is the UNESCO report?
I was Charles de Gaulle’s chief legal officer during World War II after escaping France when Germany began its occupation in 1940. I lost twenty-nine relatives in the Holocaust, including my sister. I’m the one who took the first draft of the Declaration – which was just a long, unwieldy list of rights – and created a structure: introductory articles that apply to everything, then groups of rights arranged according to the logic of the introductory articles or general principles, and the rights proceeding from those belonging to the individual to those in social and political relationships
Who is René Cassin?
This debate broke out in 1947 at the United Nations, with countries including the US and Russia arguing that the territory that had been held under British Mandate should be divided into two states while the other side, which included the Arab League and some smaller nations like the Philippines, thought there should be a single, independent, democratic state once the British left.
What is the debate over Palestine?
“Human liberty consists in perfect harmony between the individual and the community; the common interest, as embodied in the state, takes priority over individual claims”
What is communism?
This is one way that Eleanor Roosevelt fostered cross-cultural communication and good-will between the people who were negotiating the UDHR.
I am one of only two women who participated in negotiations for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (the other woman was Eleanor Roosevelt). I’m known for being an activist who was outspoken in my criticism of the British colonial policy of detaining people without trial. I’m also a pragmatist, and would prefer to focus the discussions around what should be included in the Declaration instead of being bogged down with ideological debates. I’m very concerned about women’s rights and I dislike the use of “all men” in the Declaration since I think we should use more inclusive language.
Who is Hansa Mehta?
This foreign policy doctrine guided U.S. foreign policy through the Cold War, and stated that the U.S. would provide assistance to democratic countries threatened by internal or external authoritarian forces. The doctrine was announced in a speech made in 1947, when the President called for support for Greece and Turkey in order to counter Soviet influence.
What is the Truman Doctrine?
“It is not exactly that you set the individual apart from his society, but you recognize that within any society the individual must have rights that are guarded”
What is individualism?
Early on, the 18-member Commission on Human Rights decided a smaller group should be in charge of coming up with a first draft of the UDHR. Eleanor Roosevelt was the President and supported the process, but these eight countries were the ones on that first drafting committee.
What are: China, Lebanon, Canada, Australia, Chile, France, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union?
I am the representative from Chile, and I feel very strongly about having more representation for economically developing countries and countries with less power (especially former or soon-to-be-former colonies). Because of this, I often have disagreements with the Western industrial powers. I find it interesting that when Commission members think they have a new idea, the Chinese delegate tends to quote something hundreds of years old from one or another tradition that shows these ideas have been around for centuries.
Who is Hernán Santa Cruz?
This intense and devastating civil war in this country between government forces (supported by the U.S.) and communist insurgents (supported by the Soviet Union) was unfolding during the negotiations over the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The civil war meant that one of the lead negotiators at the UDHR negotiations was representing a government about to be toppled.
What is the civil war in China?
“the psychology of individualism has been used by the ruling class in most countries to preserve its own privileges; a modern declaration of rights should not only consider the rights favored by the ruling classes”
What is communism?
This was the topic of one of the biggest debates during the UDHR drafting process, with delegates including Hansa Mehta arguing the Declaration would be meaningless without it, while others, including Eleanor Roosevelt, felt the UDHR wouldn’t even happen if it was part of the negotiations.
What is the issue of implementation, or the debate over a court or legally enforceable treaty?