2009#1 - Human Rights and Spiritual Responsibilities
We live in a time where human rights are regarded as unexceptional, and are seen as the most useful way to guarantee morality in the public sphere. So much so, that, even in countries where governments are oppressive, they still feel obliged to defend their human rights records. It is easy to underestimate what a huge advance this is. Much of the credit for this fact is due to the worldwide influence that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has achieved in its sixty years of existence. Written in the aftermath of World War Two, it was intended to give effect to the UN Charter’s provisions on human rights. It has become a kind of gold standard, against which national behaviour is measured.
Given this widespread influence, we are justified in asking what is the ultimate basis of rights? It would be possible to tie ourselves into philosophical knots over the answer. But if we acknowledge a spiritual dimension to existence, the answer becomes simple: the origin of rights lies in the fact that every single sentient being is a manifestation of the One Life, an expression of the Divine Purpose. As a result, every being is equally valuable, in the deepest possible way. This is the basis for the claim, voiced in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…” (emph. added), in other words, the notion that human rights are universal. This may be the most controversial element of the Declaration. By claiming this fundamental identity of all human beings, it cuts across all differences of culture and religion. A speaker from World Goodwill put it this way at the New York Symposium:
Reflections like these, on the spiritual implications of the Universal Declaration, give us some inkling of its true long-term significance. Yet at the same time, we are naturally impatient creatures, and are eager to see the Declaration implemented now, in full, everywhere. And when it so patently is not, we may be dismayed, and may even succumb to despair. As Kimberley Riley asks, at the beginning of her presentation The Dignity and Rights of Man: A History of the Democratic Ideal: “How are we to find encouragement for human progress, when the historical and contemporary records often seem so bleak? Can we see any actual progress in human consciousness, or rather is it true, as the old French proverb suggests, that: ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same?’ (‘Plus ca change; plus c’est la même chose.’)”
She continues by asking, “How can the study of history in general, or the study of the history of democracy and human rights help us to gain inspiration for the collective progress of humanity? What thoughts might we develop on our own and share with others as a source of support…? What language might we invent for this collective strengthening?”
She then brings in the direct relevance of this question to contemporary democracies by reflecting on the pros and cons of a critical public opinion:
She sets out the case that we tend to have too short-term a perspective on the evolution of consciousness:
She supports the latter assertion by examining the evolution of legal systems, from the time of the Babylonian emperor Hammurabi (1760 BC) to the Magna Carta (1215 AD). She notes that, while Hammurabi’s edicts include elements that we would today consider barbarous, “they do contain two basic principles that will eventually be the basis of every democratic constitution and every bill of rights: namely that the same laws apply everywhere and they must be publicly known.” Tracing the connection with the Magna Carta, she notes that “Human social organization and philosophical thought, much like human science and technology, builds on the past, incorporating old ideas and adding innovations in increments.” Within the Magna Carta, there is the same emphasis on its laws being applied equally everywhere. However, there are also steps forward:
In conclusion, she notes:
One of the potential difficulties with the advance of a rights-based approach to human development is that it may be more suited to some cultures than to others. Thus, it has been pointed out by a distinguished body of elder statesmen, the Interaction Council, that, along with Human Rights, we should also consider human responsibilities, and that both are needed to form a complete picture of human ethical behaviour.1 They make the interesting point that, while the West is comfortable with a rights-based description of how individuals should relate to one another within society, in the East, there is often more emphasis on the notion of the responsibilities that the individual owes to others and to society at large. We could say that, while the West comes down firmly on the side of the freedom of the individual, in the East there may be a tendency to come down on the side of the smooth functioning of society.
A significant example of this cultural difference is China. During the recent Olympics, the Chinese authorities set aside official protest zones in Beijing where those wishing to protest against one or another aspect of either the Olympics or other issues could gather. To be allowed to go to those areas, a form had to be submitted to the authorities. The New York Times reported that, five days into the Olympics, not one protest had actually taken place, and gave examples of people who had submitted forms who were subsequently taken into detention. While those living in a Western democracy might see this as a fragrant violation of human rights, it might be worth trying to see the incident from the perspective of the Chinese authorities. Having placed their country, and particularly Beijing, at the epicentre of world attention, they presumably wanted to ensure that the images that flowed out of Beijing were as positive and harmonious as they could be – and multiple protests certainly would not fit that prescription. They might even feel that it was the duty of all Chinese citizens to help them in this endeavour. This is not to condone the Chinese action, or judge the legitimacy or otherwise of the protestors. It is simply to illustrate a different mind-set, that locates the balance between social harmony and individual freedom in a quite different place than does a Western democracy.
Reflecting on the subject of responsibilities, at the London meeting, Julia Häusermann suggested that these responsibilities are owed principally to humanity as a whole. She notes that her organisation, Rights and Humanity, “recognized that we have certain responsibilities which we share across our faiths and cultures. We have the responsibility to respect our common humanity. We have the responsibility to respect human dignity. We have the responsibility to revere life in all its forms… We have the responsibility to respect and protect the human rights of everyone everywhere. We have the responsibility to think and behave with compassion, to act with integrity, and to make peace so that we can all live in unity.”
Discussing how one can balance rights with responsibilities, she gives the following example:
Returning to the situation in Britain, she notes:
In the final remarks from New York and London, this need for taking responsibility for the common good is also echoed. The New Group of World Servers are identified as the group who are helping humanity to recognise this sense of responsibility.
In conclusion, in a time of world crisis such as this, when the old and familiar ways have been called into question and found lacking, yet when little clarity has emerged to light the way, group meditation can be a powerful form of service.2 The fundamental ideas on which a new and better world for all must be based can be clarified and empowered through the power of meditation, making them recognisable to people of goodwill all over the world. Group meditation can help to stimulate the growth of public opinion, and augment the efforts of those servers who have thought their way through to a new level of understanding, helping them to hold their wisdom as a vision before the eyes of all people.
N.B. Printed copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are available from World Goodwill. Also, a Commentary on this theme is in preparation and should be available soon.
1. For copies of the Interaction Council’s A Declaration of Human Responsibilities, please contact us.
2. The meditation Strengthening the Hands of the New Group of World Servers, is available here.