Freedom, Security and False Dichotomy

The principle of freedom and equality stated in Article 1 of the UDHR constitutes one of the core elements of the international human right law. Although, this was not a new concept- ancient Greek philosophers wrote extensively about the rule of law and individual’s freedom- the Declaration was the first international human rights document that included both civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights.

The 60th Anniversary of this revolutionary document makes me reflect on the state of human rights in the world today and the leadership void. The United States has been a champion of human rights. Yet, Washington’s credibility as a proponent of human rights has been diminished drastically by the practices used in the “war on terror.” The threat of terrorism has resurrected the unthinkable subject of the legitimacy of torture. Bush administration’s engagement in rendition programs, the use of abusive interrogation techniques, and stripping Guantanamo Bay detainees- and any other non-citizens declared to be an “enemy combatant” of the habeas corpus effectively limited the United States’ role as a human rights defender. The administration’s strategy of sacrificing human rights in the name of protecting global security is based on a false dichotomy.
Unless the US restores its moral ground, there is a desperate need for a new leader that would stop the atrocities that take place around the world every day, every second.


The disregard of international law by many democratic governments, the unimaginable abuses in Darfur, Burma, Sri Lanka and many other countries, the disappointment of the Human Rights Council – we still have a long way to go…

Equal in Dignity

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.

This first article, with the phrase, "Equal in dignity and rights" tempts me to write a long tirade against American foreign policy. Our decisions in Iraq and Pakistan make it plain that we don't see the world the way this article asks us to. Iraqis aren't equal in dignity if we aren't concerned enough about their deaths to have an accurate count. And Pakistan isn't equal in dignity if we are happy to support a president who is eroding democracy because he supports our "Global War on Terror".

But instead, maybe it would be more fun to start off our celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on a more idealistic tone. So maybe we could right now imagine what the world would look like if our governments really did believe that, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

As I close my eyes, I see a world that lives up to its promise of troops and support in Darfur - a world that is truly committed to preventing genocides, like those of the Armenians in Turkey, the Holocaust, in Cambodia, the Balkans, Rwanda, and the Kurds in Iraq. I see a world that moves immediately to crisis like the ones in Congo, Somalia, and Kenya. And I see a world that starts a project on the scale of the Marshall Plan to help move Afghanistan from a country of perpetual war and refugee crises, to one that might be stable and without extreme poverty. Finally, I see a world that uses all available resources to end extreme poverty.

What do you see?

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.