comentario de texto-eleanor+roosevelt

7/26/2019 Comentario de texto-Eleanor+Roosevelt

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Eleanor RooseveltAdoption on the Universal Declaration of

Hum an Rights 1948


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No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

Eleanor Roosevelt, 'This Is My Story,' 1937


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On December 10, 1948, the United Nations representatives from all regions of the world,

meeting in Paris, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Then something happened that had never occurred in the United Nations before, or

since. The delegates rose to give a standing ovation to a single delegate, an elderly ladywith a rather formal appearance but a very warm smile. Her name was Eleanor

Roosevelt.

This is a political speech in which Eleanor Roosevelt, Chair of the United Nations Human

Rights Commission, persuades the members of the United Nations to adopt the

Declaration of Human Rights. We recognize this when Mrs Roosevelt states We stand

today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life

of mankind. This Universal Declaration of Human Rights may well become the

international Magna Carta of all men everywhere. Alsowhen she declares[]Mans

desire for peace lies behind this Declaration [].and at the end of the speech when she

refers to Gladstone Murray and Secretary Marshall.

The speech is addressed to the President and all the delegates from the 58 countries of

the United Nations. In a clear introduction, she mentions the topic of the speech, she

remarks on some of its characteristics and the hard work involved in its formulation,making clear the purpose of the speech.

In the main part of the speech, Mrs. Roosevelt analyses the amendments by the Soviet

delegation to the Declaration. She maintains the audience attention with short and clear

ideas and she suggests what the solution to the problem should be. She uses the

personal pronoun I, not only to convey her opinion and make the speech more subjective,

but also to shows her authority as a Chair of the Commission.

She criticizes the Soviet delegation in a really ironical way, we can appreciate this when

she says [] we in the United States admire those who fight for their convictions, [].

But in the older democracies we have learned that sometimes we bow to the will of the

majority. In doing that, we do not give up our convictions [].

During most parts of the discourse she informs, comments and contrasts the Soviet

delegationsposition towards the Declaration (their amendments) with her own point of

view and with the other members. She develops her thoughts and main points step by

step backing up her main ideas with facts and background information. Mrs Roosevelt


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states []The new article proposed by the Soviet delegation []It would convert the

Declaration into a document stating obligations on states, thereby completely changing its

character as a statement of principles to serve as a common standard of achievement for

the members of the United Nations.

Mrs. Roosevelt describes her countrys position to the Declaration when she says []

My government, []would consider that this is unquestionably subject to limitation in the

interest of public order and the general welfare.She shows her countrys view of some of

the articles. []my government has made it clear []that it does not consider that the

economic and social and cultural rights stated in the Declaration imply an obligation on

governments to assure the enjoyment of these rights by direct governmental action.

In the last part of this speech, we can see the use of the personal pronoun weinstead of

the first person pronoun I. Mrs Roosevelt tries to win the audience over to her side and by

using the pronoun we, she includes others in the utterance, creating a group with a clear

identity. More than as representative of or on behalf of an institution, Mrs Roosevelt uses

the pronoun we to separate us from them(The Soviet Delegation) creating an image of

the group she belongs to in a positive way and the other group in a negative one.

She concludes the speech calling to all the members to approve the Declaration; Mrs.

Roosevelt expresses the importance of this agreement and the future actions to fully

guarantee the rights of the individuals. This Declaration is based upon the spiritual fact

that man must have freedom in which to develop his full stature and through common

effort to raise the level of human dignity. [] we must at the same time rededicate

ourselves to the unfinished task which lies before us [].

Her last sentences are the repetition of the call to action by Secretary Marshall in his

opening statement to the Assembly. Mrs. Roosevelt appeals again to the audiencesintellect and emotions to conclude that the General Assembly should approve the

Declaration as a standard of conduct for all.

The prelude of this Declaration is the effects of World War II. It had raged from 1939 to

1945, and as the end drew near, cities throughout Europe and Asia were destroyed.

Millions of people were dead; millions more were homeless or starving.

In April 1945, delegates from fifty countries met in San Francisco full of optimism and

hope. The goal of the United Nations Conference on International Organization was to


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create an international body to promote peace and prevent future wars. The Charter of

the new United Nations organization went into effect on October 24, 1945, with the

purpose of saving future generations from the devastation of international conflict.

In December 1945, President Harry S. Truman appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as adelegate to the United Nations General Assembly. In April 1946, she became the first

chairperson of the preliminary United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

She was an early champion of civil rights for African Americans, as well as a supporter for

women, American workers, the poor and young people. She also assisted government-

funded programs for artists and writers. Roosevelt encouraged her husband, former

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to appoint more women to federal positions, and

she held hundreds of press conferences only for female reporters. Additionally, Roosevelt

wrote a syndicated newspaper column to share information about her activities and

communicate her positions on a wide range of social and political issues.

During World War II (1939-1945), Roosevelt advocated on behalf of European refugees

who wanted to come to the United States. She also pushed for the continuation of New

Deal programs during the war, against the wishes of some of her husbands advisors.

The end of World War II saw the resurfacing of previous divisions between The Soviet

Union and the US. The expansion of Soviet influence into Eastern Europe following

Germany's defeat worried the United States. In 1947 the US policy with regards to the

Soviet Union changed from cooperation to a policy of containment. The two nations

promoted two opposing economic and political ideologies. The Cold War had begun.

The text of this Declaration was drafted in two years. An eight-member drafting

committee prepared the preliminary text. The committee, chaired by Mrs. EleanorRoosevelt, agreed on the central importance of affirming universal respect for human

rights and fundamental freedoms, including the principles of non-discrimination and civil

and political rights, as well as social, cultural and economic rights. Mrs. Roosevelt drove

her colleagues mercilessly. Some delegates may have secretly whispered the prayer

attributed to President Roosevelt: ''O Lord, make Eleanor tired!'' A delegate from Panama

begged Mrs. Roosevelt to remember that UN delegates have human rights, too.

The Commission then revised the draft declaration, before submitting it to the General

Assembly. The General Assembly, in turn, scrutinized the document, with the 58 Member


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Unfortunately, these Human Rights are not always met. There are many countries where

the human rights are breached. I believe that the international community should do

more to maintain the human rights in these nations.

Millions of people around the world have no choice but to flee their homeland to escape

war, genocide, torture and persecution. They are severe human rights violations in their

countries of origin, forcing them to make terrifying journeys across the Mediterranean.

At the present time, migrants and refugees are fleeing the civil war in Syria and unrest

elsewhere, and are making their way to safety in Europe. But Europe cannot handle the

high number of refugees and with the EU-Turkey deal of March 20, for non-Syrians, the

route to Europe is entirely cut off. Europe and the rest of the world are turning their backs

on these people, they are pushing the problem away, but they are not resolving it. If we

consider the article 14 of the UDHR "everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other

countries asylum from persecution, and the fact that Turkey should not be considered a

safe country, the deal is not consistent with international law.

This makes me wonder what the members of the General Assembly of the United

Nations on the 10 of December 1948 would think about this situation. Is this current

situation in Europe similar to the one which occurred during World War II? Should we

look back? Is this the best resolution to this crisis?

By the end of 1960, for the first time since before World War II, all the refugee camps of

Europe were closed. More than 50 years later, they are opened again.

Quoting Zeid Raad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:

One wonders what has happened to Europe. Why is there somuch amnesia? Why dont

they properly distill from their experience that theyve been down this road before and its

a very unhappy road if you continue to follow it.

In conclusion, we all should take historical lessons and apply them to todays ongoing

crisis because it shows comparison with other events and people around the world.

If we cannot predict the future, at least we have the past as a guide that should advise us.


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Bibliography

Eleanor Roosevelt. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. New York Harper &

Brothers, 1961. Print.

Peter G. Northouse. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice. Sage

Publications Inc. NY, 2012. Print.

Eleanor Roosevelt. This is my story.New York Harper & Brothers, 1937. Print.

Glen Johnson and Janusz Simonides.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A

History of Its Creation and Implementation, 1948-1998 (Human Rights in

Perspective).UNESCO Publishing. Paris, 1998. Print.

Websites

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-deal

http://www.theatlantic.comhttp://www.theguardian.com

http://www.economist.com

http://www.nytimes.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights

http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/background-of-human-

rights.html

http://www.un.org/en/sections/universal-declaration/history-document/

http://www.universalrights.net

http://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-human-

rights.html

http://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/85895.htm

https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/BERLIN_A/BOC.HTM
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-dealhttp://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-dealhttp://www.economist.com/http://www.nytimes.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rightshttp://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/background-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/background-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.universalrights.net/http://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.universalrights.net/http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/background-of-human-rights.htmlhttp://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/background-of-human-rights.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rightshttp://www.nytimes.com/http://www.economist.com/http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-deal

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