The Universal Declaration of Human Rights—adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1948—gave human rights a new international legal status. Though the level of successes achieved so far has not really met our dreams of a developed peaceful world, most especially in Africa, Asia & the middle-east however the glaring positive impact of this declaration in the United States of America and most part of Europe shows that the fathers of human rights were rights in saying that a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of universal peace and all round development.
For me the most useful article of the over thirty human rights declaration of 1948 is Article 1 which states that: 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. It is the foundation of all human rights.
For over a century, the world in the wake of globalization and industrialization, as being calling for peace and friendship, which is the greatest oil for sustained global community. Everybody in the global community wants to live in peace, no matter their philosophy, colour or religious belief, however the trait to this wish, is violence which is brought about by intolerance, or lack of respect for other peoples culture and belief.
Peace however has been linked with education, a UNESCO maxim “Since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”. We are living in a world of Panasonic speed, yet threatened with avalanche evils. But article one of the universal human right declarations if taught and imbibed in the minds of the people, holds the key to achieving the intended aim of enacting this rights; universal peace and development.
The summary of the article is brotherhood; lot of things have made men to neglect tolerance and respect for other people’s culture, religion, ethnicity, colour (racism), Government action, insincerity of developed nations to poorer nations, family crisis and the media, which has been the brain behind most intolerance acts. Brotherhood is synonymous with unity for a common purpose, feeling and sympathy.
The wind of change can only come from the heart of human beings. Like said by the World greatest pop singer Michael Jackson, Starting with the man in the mirror is the surest way of recreating our form world into a paradise of joy…especially at times like these when prejudice and hatred have turned our lovely planet into a place of suffering.
With the spreading fire of democratic values around the globe, based on the universal human rights, which can only work in the presence of the rule of law, and rule of law can only be achieved when All human beings know they are all 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.