HUMAN RIGHTS CREED IS 50, BUT TIMELESS

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace in the world,

"Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous
acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a
world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of
the commonpeople . . . "

These are the opening passages from the preamble of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights that was adopted in the early morning hours of
Dec. 10, 1948. In 30 brief and clearly articulated articles, it states that
every person is born equal in dignity and status and deserving of civil,
political and economic liberties.

It is, in essence, a moral guide to how we are to treat each other, one
whose principles flow from the great religions of the East and West as well
as the English Magna Carta, the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Bill
of Rights and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Though the document is not legally binding, it should be bound by the
consciences of individuals and nations whose outrage at human rights
violations compels them to raise their voices in opposition.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the chairperson of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights that drafted the declaration, said that the protection of
human rights was the responsibility of all; that universal human rights
begin close to home.

Without such vigilance at home, she said, " . . . we shall look in vain for
progress in the larger world."

Fifty years later, we still look for progress in a world plagued by
barbarous acts and the encroachment of liberty. Our progress is hastened
when we work for a world in which neither political expediency nor economic
profit are more important than human rights.

Fifty years later, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the
lodestar guiding us toward that world.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski