Because Flo already outlined some of the concerns I share about the western nature rights themselves in the UDHR, I would like to think more closely about the implementation of those rights and whether effective implementation is truly possible. It is obvious that many of the rights set forth in the UDHR are not protected around the world. In fact, in scrolling through the document, I can think of multiple instances in nearly all of the Articles in which countries have failed to protect the outlined rights. For example, Article 21 declares, "Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country." Surely we can agree that DADT blatantly excluded many members of American society from an equal service experience in public service. Article 23 states, "Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work." According to the Economics and Statistics Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, women made 78.2 cents to every dollar that men made in 2010. In other words, Article 23 is clearly being violated in the U.S., not to mention the even more blatant gender wage disparities around much of the world.
This raises the question of how a right can exist while it is being violated. Does the UDHR hold the same weight when the rights that it outlines go unprotected, or is it simply a piece of paper with words scribbled on it? Approaching the problem from a different angle, is the goal of the UDHR for the outlined rights to be fully protected and enforced, or is the document meant to serve as more of a set of guidelines/model for us to aim towards? What do you think?
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ReplyDeleteI don't know what's up with me and deleting posts. Aaanyway, here we go again.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it feels like it's a piece of paper with words scribbled on it. I think this is one of the most frustrating things about the UDHR and the UN in general. People complain constantly about how the UN does nothing and has no power (or at least they did in my high school history/social studies classes). At the same time, they take no responsibility for taking an active role in the UN. I know the statistics about the amount of money we contribute in relation to other countries, but what does that really mean in the grand scheme of implementation of human rights and the creation of a truly functional UN? As we discussed in class today, the US doesn't teach the UDHR in its schools, but would many parents even want their children to hear the UDHR? Would Americans want to face the fact that we violate human rights on a regular basis? In addition to the violations Leanne mentioned, several others jump to mind. Our government attempted to spin the illegal incarceration of a number of ghost prisoners as a matter of national security. Maybe it was, but it also clearly violated a number of human rights laws, even if the prisoners weren't subjected to "enhanced interrogation techniques." I think it's much easier for us to think of human rights violations in terms of the big things because it makes us feel good about ourselves. So maybe we're cafeteria UDHR observers? We pick and choose our outrages.
I get frustrated when looking over the Declaration as well because we see violations all the time in America; however, I still think that it is important and more than a piece of paper. When the declaration was written, it was after a time when people were glad that the war was over but also very disturbed about the atrocities that took place. I think the only way for them to move on was to think of a better future, and that's how they decided to do it. I think it is overly optimistic and it isn't possible to enforce all of them right now but I still think it is important to have something to work towards. The world if a very troublesome place, but I would hate to think how much worse it might be without the UN and the UDHR. As long as there are people that are aware that this document exists and reminds people of the agreement we made when we signed it, it will still make at least a small difference. Like you guys said, education is an important aspect of change so I think the first step to having this more closely followed is for more people to be aware of everything it entails.
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