One of the most symbolic images of the temporary triumph of totalitarianism was taken in 1940. It shows Adolf Hitler, standing at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, with architects Albert Speer and Arno Breker and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

In that same location, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Esplanade where Hitler was photographed is now known as the “Esplanade des droits de l’homme”.

It is fitting that a location previously associated with a defining image of the darkest period in history was purged by the ratification of a document which provides a viable hope for the future of democracy.

The drafting committee was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt who would later describe the document as an “international Magna Carta”. Much of the text is also influenced by the work of one of the finest philosophers of the 20th century – Jacques Maritain.

Writing at the height of World War II, Maritain rightly recognised that no lasting peace is possible if governments do not safeguard “the essential bases of common life, respect for human dignity and the rights of the person”.

 He argues that democracy itself does not lead to safeguarding the human person. Instead, it is harmonious communal relations and the dignity of the human person which constitute the soul of democracy.

His words still ring true.

Human rights violations begin when persons are divested of their humanity. The gradual process of dehumanisation seeks to deny persons their true nature – as “members of the same species, all equal before God and death”.

Human rights are often violated through unhealthy relationships between the governed and the governing structures; between the citizen and political power. When individuals become “tools of a dictator”, they become part of “a flock of organised slaves”.

When they are “tools of a paternalist power” they become like a “regiment of children” with the paternalist power assuming the role of the “only adult in the room”.

Shared humanity, however, implies that persons are endowed with the right to order their lives as they deem fit provided they are responsible for their actions. Democratic tools, on the other hand, give authority to leaders who are temporary custodians of the common good.

Human rights violations can often be aided and abetted by indifference, ignorance and a willingness to turn a blind eye to abuse

Seventy years removed from the signing of this declaration, it would be pertinent to ask about the state of democracy and human rights.

Article 1 of the declaration states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. This basic statement is still violated in numerous parts of the world.

In its World Report for 2018, Human Rights Watch identifies issues in more than 90 countries. It cites a series of politicians who claim to speak on behalf of “the people” and who use such rhetoric to demonise unpopular minorities, attack human rights principles and fuel the distrust of democratic institutions.

Some countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Burma often fall under the radar of the international community. Such abuses, therefore, take place with relative impunity. Other countries, such as Yemen, fail to make the headlines. Thus, their continued suffering is met with indifference.

There are other, more subtle, erosions of freedom. We may be unaware of the growing threats to freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is different from the freedom to worship. While the latter refers to the right of a person to participate in religious services, freedom of religion implies something broader and more profound.

It allows individuals to profess a set of beliefs and to live by such beliefs; to evangelise, to have schools and organisations and, most importantly, to participate openly in the public square. Such a right also enables individuals to convert to another faith or to renounce religion altogether.

In short, it allows individuals to live and express themselves in a manner which is coherent to their innermost beliefs. This is intrinsically tied to the dignity of the human person.

This same right is being undermined by those who would rather have such views confined solely to private domains. If such voices express a countercultural opinion, they can often expect the full force of government to demand retraction and correction. We need not look far to see such examples.

In other recent cases we can see the deliberate downplaying of human rights violations for social and political reasons.

The reluctance to condemn more forcefully the murder of Jamal Khashoggi dents the credibility of some states. The refusal to grant Asia Bibi asylum is a complete and utter denial of the basic tenets of human dignity and decency.

On the 70th anniversary of the ratification of the declaration, we must ask difficult questions over whether some ideologies, moneyed interests, commercial ventures and indifference are slowly contributing to an erosion of human rights.

We must examine whether the promises made by a paternalistic state are leading to a situation where people are willing to compromise on issues of human freedom; where being a “regiment of children” is more enticing than being a free person acting responsibly.

These questions are not merely speculative; rather, they point to the glaring fact that human rights violations can often be aided and abetted by indifference, ignorance and a willingness to turn a blind eye to abuse. Worse still, other rights are sacrificed on the altar of fake tolerance and broad-mindedness.

Today we understand that the West is not immune to such shortcomings.

Such anniversaries remind us that, our commitment to human rights and freedoms must be challenged and renewed at every point possible. If we fail to do this, the declarations we are so proud of are rendered meaningless. 

André DeBattista is an independent researcher in politics and international relations.

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece

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