Discussion The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on the 10th of December, 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) (Links to an external site.) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and has been translated into over 500 languages.

View and/or download a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Links to an external site.)

After reading through the 30 Articles of the Declaration, post a thoughtful response to the following questions:

• What do you think is the purpose of the Declaration of Human Rights? Is it effective?
• Choose two Articles that you think are among the most important in the Declaration. Explain what these mean to you and why you think they are important.
• What moral/ethical principles and theories are reflected in the Articles you chose?
• For which real-world issues in our modern society do the Articles you chose have relevance and applicability? Be specific.