Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.
Eleanor Roosevelt, “In Our Hands”
1958
Here, Eleanor Roosevelt is pictured holding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a highly influential document that she helped create.

One of the most influential members of the United Nations' Commission on Human Rights was Eleanor Roosevelt. A modest and compassionate woman, she laid the foundation for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is still widely recognized today. The basic philosophy of the Declaration was that “'all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” In the following 29 articles, topics such as non-discrimination, civil rights (such as the right to life, liberty, and property), freedom of thought and religion, and cultural rights are discussed. In modern times, this “standard of achievement” has been published in different languages all over the world, measuring the performance of non-government organizations and United Nations bodies. More than twenty human rights treaties found their inspiration in this document, as well as constitution and legislation throughout the United States."

Unknown

1949

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Link: The National Archives 

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National Archives

National Archives

Medium: Photograph.

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Eleanor Roosevelt, Human Rights, UDHR, United Nations

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