International Human Rights | 1450 - Present | World History | Khan Academy

Khan Academy
16 Jun 201710:09
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe video script discusses the evolution of human rights from the Enlightenment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. It begins with the US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, highlighting the influence of thinkers like Locke. Despite these early documents, the 20th century was marked by devastating wars and genocides, prompting the creation of the League of Nations and later the United Nations. The UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted by a commission chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, aimed to establish a global standard for human rights. The video explores the declaration's impact, noting the challenges of enforcement and the continued existence of discrimination and inequality in many countries. It raises questions about the effectiveness of such declarations and the willingness of nations to uphold them.

Takeaways
  • 📜 The U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution were inspired by Enlightenment thinkers like Locke, emphasizing equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
  • ☮️ The 20th century was marked by devastating wars and genocides, including World War I and II, the Armenian genocide, and the Holocaust.
  • 👥 World War II led to the establishment of the United Nations (UN), with the goal of fostering dialogue and preventing future global conflicts.
  • 🌟 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted by the UN in 1948 to establish a universal standard of human rights for all people.
  • 🔄 The declaration was influenced by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the ideas of The Enlightenment, aiming to apply to all humans globally.
  • 👐 The declaration includes rights such as freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, and peaceful assembly, mirroring the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.
  • 🏛 It asserts the right to life, liberty, and security of person, and prohibits slavery, servitude, and torture.
  • 📊 The declaration was not universally adopted; some countries abstained or voted against it, reflecting the ongoing struggle for human rights and democracy.
  • 🌍 The enforcement of human rights is a complex issue, with the UN's ability to influence change limited by the willingness of countries to comply.
  • 🔍 The effectiveness of the declaration in promoting human rights and democracy is debatable, with examples like the American Civil Rights Movement and South African apartheid.
  • 🤔 The declaration raises questions about the power of international law and the extent to which countries are willing to enforce or abide by such standards.
Q & A

  • What is the significance of the phrase 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'?

    -This phrase is from the US Declaration of Independence and signifies the belief that all individuals are born with equal rights, which are unalterable and given by a higher power. It is a foundational principle that underpins the idea of democracy and human rights.

  • How did the Enlightenment influence the creation of the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence?

    -The Enlightenment, with its focus on reason, individualism, and natural rights, inspired thinkers like Thomas Jefferson, who cited figures like John Locke. These ideas were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and later the US Constitution, emphasizing the importance of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

  • What was the primary motivation behind the creation of the League of Nations?

    -The League of Nations was founded in 1920 as a response to the trauma of World War I. Its primary goal was to prevent future large-scale conflicts by fostering dialogue and cooperation between nations.

  • Why was the United Nations established after World War II?

    -The United Nations was established to build upon the failures of the League of Nations and to further the goal of international cooperation and peace. It aimed to prevent the catastrophic events of World War II from recurring.

  • What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and when was it drafted?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document drafted by the United Nations in 1948. It aimed to establish a universal set of human rights that all people, regardless of nationality, are entitled to, such as the right to life, liberty, and security of person.

  • How does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights relate to the US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights shares many principles with the US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, such as the inherent dignity and equality of all people, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the importance of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

  • Who chaired the commission that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

    -Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin Roosevelt, chaired the commission that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

  • What was the primary goal of the articles within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

    -The primary goal of the articles within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was to establish a set of fundamental rights and freedoms that are to be universally protected and promoted for all individuals, regardless of their nationality or other status.

  • How does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights address the concept of democracy?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights addresses the concept of democracy by asserting that everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives, and that the will of the people should be the basis of government authority.

  • What challenges did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights face in terms of enforcement and global acceptance?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights faced challenges in enforcement and global acceptance due to the lack of mechanisms to compel countries to adhere to its principles. It also faced opposition from countries that did not wish to change their existing social or political structures, which might have been in conflict with the declaration's principles.

  • What is the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the context of the American Civil Rights Movement?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights may have provided a broader international context and moral support for the American Civil Rights Movement, although it is debatable whether the movement would have occurred regardless of the UN's declaration. The declaration's principles align with the movement's goals of equality and freedom from discrimination.

  • How did the Universal Declaration of Human Rights attempt to address global issues such as discrimination and inequality?

    -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights attempted to address global issues such as discrimination and inequality by establishing a set of fundamental rights that apply to all individuals without distinction of any kind, including race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

Outlines
00:00
📜 The Enlightenment and the Birth of Human Rights

This paragraph discusses the foundational ideas of the US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, highlighting the influence of The Enlightenment thinkers like Locke. It contrasts these early writings with the brutal realities of the 20th century, including World War I and II, the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the famines and purges under Stalin's regime. The paragraph also introduces the League of Nations and the United Nations as responses to these atrocities, leading to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which aimed to establish a universal standard for human rights.

05:01
🌟 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Global Commitment

This section provides a detailed look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing its intent to apply to all human beings on the planet. It outlines key articles from the declaration, such as the right to life, liberty, and security; freedom from slavery and torture; the presumption of innocence until proven guilty; and the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and association. It also touches on the right to participate in one's country's government and the principle that the will of the people should form the basis of governmental authority. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the declaration's enforceability and its impact on global human rights, noting the contradictions between the ideals and the realities in various countries at the time.

10:03
🤔 The Enforcement and Impact of Human Rights

The final paragraph ponders the practical implications of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It raises questions about the willingness of nations to enforce these rights and the extent to which the declaration can be effectively implemented. The paragraph briefly mentions potential actions such as economic sanctions or military intervention and leaves the audience with the consideration of how far nations are willing to go to uphold these universal human rights.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document adopted by the 13 American colonies on July 4, 1776, which announced that the colonies regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. It is a foundational document of the United States and embodies the principles of equality and inalienable rights which are central to the video's theme of human rights and their evolution.
💡Enlightenment
The Enlightenment refers to an intellectual and philosophical movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. It greatly influenced modern Western political and intellectual thought, including the development of democracy and human rights, as discussed in the video.
💡Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which were ratified in 1789. These amendments guarantee certain freedoms and rights to the people, such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. The video highlights the Bill of Rights in the context of articulating fundamental rights that later influenced international human rights law.
💡World War I and II
World War I and II were two of the deadliest conflicts in human history, resulting in the loss of tens of millions of lives. The video uses these wars to illustrate the catastrophic consequences of failing to uphold human rights and the international community's response in seeking to prevent such atrocities in the future.
💡Genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a particular ethnic, national, or religious group. The video mentions the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust as examples of such atrocities, which were later used to underscore the urgency of establishing universal human rights to protect against such crimes.
💡League of Nations
The League of Nations was an international organization founded after World War I with the aim of maintaining world peace. Despite its failure to prevent World War II, as mentioned in the video, it represents an early attempt to foster international cooperation and dialogue to prevent conflict.
💡United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 to promote international cooperation and to create and maintain international order. The video discusses the UN's role in the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which aimed to establish a universal standard of human rights for all people.
💡Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Adopted in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document that proclaims the fundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. It is central to the video's narrative as it represents a global commitment to human rights.
💡Apartheid
Apartheid was a policy of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa that began in 1948, coinciding with the declaration mentioned in the video. It serves as a stark example of the violation of human rights and the challenges in enforcing such declarations.
💡Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, chaired the commission that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her leadership in this endeavor is highlighted in the video as an example of individual contribution to the advancement of human rights on a global scale.
💡Human Rights Enforcement
The enforcement of human rights refers to the mechanisms and actions taken to ensure that the rights proclaimed in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are upheld. The video raises questions about the effectiveness of such declarations when faced with non-compliance by nation-states and the challenges of enforcement.
Highlights

The US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution articulate the principles of equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which are inspired by The Enlightenment and thinkers like Locke.

Despite these principles, the 20th century was one of the bloodiest in human history, with World Wars and genocides causing tens of millions of deaths.

The Armenian genocide and the Holocaust exemplify the extreme human rights abuses that occurred during the 20th century.

The Russian empire and the Soviet Union suffered greatly, with millions dying due to war, famine, and political purges under Stalin.

The League of Nations was founded in 1920 as an attempt to prevent future global conflicts, but it was unsuccessful in preventing World War II.

The United Nations was established after World War II with the goal of fostering dialogue between nations to prevent global trauma.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted by the UN in 1948 to establish a universal standard of human rights for all people.

The Declaration emphasizes the inherent dignity and equal rights of all human beings, and the importance of freedom from fear and want.

The preamble of the Declaration acknowledges the consequences of disregarding human rights and the aspiration for a world of freedom and justice.

The Declaration includes 30 articles that cover a range of rights, including the right to life, liberty, and security of person.

It asserts that everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms without distinction, such as race, sex, language, religion, or other status.

The Declaration includes rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

Article 21 of the Declaration states that everyone has the right to participate in the government of their country, either directly or through representatives.

The drafting commission for the Declaration was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, signifying its importance and the role of human rights in global governance.

The Declaration was voted on by member countries of the UN, with some abstaining and a few voting against, reflecting differing global perspectives on human rights.

The Declaration raises questions about the extent to which it can be enforced and its impact on countries with existing discrimination and undemocratic practices.

Despite the Declaration, many countries continued to experience human rights abuses, highlighting the challenges in translating international law into national practice.

The effectiveness of the Declaration in preventing human rights abuses and fostering global democracy is a subject of debate and ongoing concern.

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Human RightsDeclaration of IndependenceUniversal DeclarationEnlightenmentWorld WarsGenocidesLeague of NationsUnited NationsEleanor RooseveltApartheidCivil RightsGlobal GovernanceInternational LawDiplomacyHumanitarian Crisis