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frogggirl2's review
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
"Franklin Roosevelt's famous, 'four freedoms'- freedom of speech and belief, freedom from fear and from want" (p. xviii).
"...the more the declaration is pulled apart and politicized, the higher the risk that protection of human rights will become a pretext for imposing the will of the strong by armed intervention or economic pressure" (p. xviii).
These world leaders were so goddamn prescient! It's really frustrating that everyone knew exactly what today's problems would be seventy years ago, and here we are anyway.
There are so many elucidating quotes!
Eleanor Roosevelt quoting her late husband Theodore, "'Freedom without bread ... has little meaning" (p. 43).
"Prior to world war II, legal positivism (the view that there are no rights other than those granted by the laws of the state) flourished in the United States and Europe and was dogma in the Soviet Union. But legally sanctioned atrocities committed in Nazi Germany had caused many people to reevaluate the proposition that there is no higher law by which the laws of nation-states can be judged" (p. 176). (And here I took inalienable human rights as a given).
Even in the first draft of this thing, SEVENTY years ago, everyone had a right to medical care, universal basic income, food, employment, housing, and education! It's unfathomable in the United States.
No less than five massive wars were pending when this was going on just post WWII (when governments and individuals were still recovering)! We get taught so much about WWII and nothing about what happened after it. They taught us nothing about these subsequent wars, the formation of the UN, or this declaration! This is an interesting and informative work. This should be taught in every school in America and beyond.
"...the more the declaration is pulled apart and politicized, the higher the risk that protection of human rights will become a pretext for imposing the will of the strong by armed intervention or economic pressure" (p. xviii).
These world leaders were so goddamn prescient! It's really frustrating that everyone knew exactly what today's problems would be seventy years ago, and here we are anyway.
There are so many elucidating quotes!
Eleanor Roosevelt quoting her late husband Theodore, "'Freedom without bread ... has little meaning" (p. 43).
"Prior to world war II, legal positivism (the view that there are no rights other than those granted by the laws of the state) flourished in the United States and Europe and was dogma in the Soviet Union. But legally sanctioned atrocities committed in Nazi Germany had caused many people to reevaluate the proposition that there is no higher law by which the laws of nation-states can be judged" (p. 176). (And here I took inalienable human rights as a given).
Even in the first draft of this thing, SEVENTY years ago, everyone had a right to medical care, universal basic income, food, employment, housing, and education! It's unfathomable in the United States.
No less than five massive wars were pending when this was going on just post WWII (when governments and individuals were still recovering)! We get taught so much about WWII and nothing about what happened after it. They taught us nothing about these subsequent wars, the formation of the UN, or this declaration! This is an interesting and informative work. This should be taught in every school in America and beyond.
acethirtynine's review against another edition
This served as a text book for my Human Rights class this semester, and while I found the writing to be incredibly dry, when it could have, in my opinion, been far more interesting, I learned quite a bit. Before reading, I knew very little about the founding of the United Nations, and what it took for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to come into being. Very well researched, packed with information, if you're interested in learning even more about Eleanor Roosevelt, this is a good start.
florismeertens's review against another edition
Zowel erg informatief als entertainend. Sommige dagboeknotities zijn gewoonweg geroddel en ik geniet ervan. De vele Sovjet-afgezanten komen wel erg negatief uit dit verhaal, maar ik weet niet hoeveel dat aan framing ligt, en hoeveel gewoon feitelijk juist is. De Amerikaanse regering onder Truman wordt ook niet echt als lieverdjes afgebeeld.
Dit is een sterk betoog vóór de universele pretentie van de Universele Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens, en mensen die zich haasten om het Westers imperialisme te noemen, raad ik aan het te lezen. Misschien blijf je bij je standpunt, maar het geeft waarschijnlijk nog steeds veel inzicht.
Dit is een sterk betoog vóór de universele pretentie van de Universele Verklaring van de Rechten van de Mens, en mensen die zich haasten om het Westers imperialisme te noemen, raad ik aan het te lezen. Misschien blijf je bij je standpunt, maar het geeft waarschijnlijk nog steeds veel inzicht.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
In the Post World War II era, the United Nations were interested in coming up with a Universal Declaration of Human Rights to ensure that people all over the world were treated with basic dignity and rights to live and thrive. This was an effort to prevent more atrocities like the Holocaust from being committed. Eleanor Roosevelt was an intelligent, outspoken lady, who had an extreme interest in this endeavor. She used all her diplomatic skills to get everyone in agreement on this and get something signed. It was a very good read, and I learned a lot.
shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition
4.0
Very clear and gripping story of the work to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--and the key role Eleanor Roosevelt had in its making. A pioneering, driven woman. Eleanor, Presente!
letitiaharmon's review against another edition
4.0
A very interesting and easy read on the origin and mechanics of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Opened my eyes to many things. Glendon definitely approaches from the perspective of adoration for Roosevelt, and tries very hard to make the point that this is NOT a western document. She also takes on the word "universal" and argues that the precepts found in UDHR really can be found in almost every culture. Her argument is fairly good, if not 100% convincing. Well-written, at the very least.
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