SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Human Dignity, Human Rights
Written by Jeff Koetje, MD, AMSA Reproductive Health Programming Strategist
If you’ve been following AMSA National’s social media, including our Instagram and Facebook pages, you’ve likely noticed that the AMSA Reproductive Health Project has been working with our social media team to create a 30-day series of posts that highlight the 30 identified human rights in the United Nations 1948 document on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, perhaps the best known declaration of human rights in the modern era. We’ve posted about one human right each day over the past week, so, check it out here if you haven’t seen it, or want to check it out again. And keep following us @AMSANational on Instagram and Facebook as we continue on through all 30 declarations in the month of December!
There’s something else about the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is rather remarkable and deeply relevant to the political moment we find ourselves in now, with the results of the 2024 election pointing to the possibility of coordinated attempts to weaken the constitutional and legal protections of human and civil rights in the US. What is special about the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is that it states clearly that all human rights are intrinsically derived from the natural and universal dignity that is possessed equally by every human being. In fact, the declaration’s Preamble begins with these words:
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…
And immediately following the Preamble, the first article (Article 1) states:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood [sic].
Notice how dignity and rights go hand-in-hand?
The notion of human dignity has a long history. The word, “dignity” has not always had the meaning of something inherent and equal in all persons. In the past, the word has conveyed a quality whose quantity people possess more or less of, depending on the circumstances. A more dignified person was someone with more wealth, greater social stature, a more important job, or in possession of more power. Dignity, in this way, wasn’t inherent to the humanness of a person, but was “granted” to those deemed worthy by virtue of these external factors. So, the connection between the notion of a dignity that is inherent to all humans and the notion of universal human rights is a more modern connection, but the seeds for it can be traced through much of human history, going back to some of the earliest known recordings of human rights, such as a Persian clay cylinder dated to the mid-500s BCE, known as the Cyrus Cylinder (named after Cyrus the Great of Persia, who established basic rights for Persians and conquered Babylonians, through laws written in cuneiform on the clay cylinder).
So, while it is true that the word “dignity” has not always referred to an intrinsic quality that is possessed equally by all humans, it has come to mean that over time. And is a great example of how the great flows of human ideas, experiences, language, and values can come together in ways that help us better articulate the meaning that we create when we reflect on the individual and collective human experiences through time and culture. Eventually, we (humans) started to understand that we humans could live better lives, under better conditions, if we come to the table of society with a willingness to grant mutual recognition of human worth, and codify that recognition of human worth through laws that provide basic protections and assurances to each and every person for the material and immaterial conditions for living these better lives. The universal quality of human dignity is the basis for – and in fact, demands no less than – recognition of universal human rights – these are rights to, for example, clean water and air, sufficient food and housing/shelter, education, and healthcare…and also sexual pleasure, rest, and play! These are ALL universal human rights!
In this moment of time, in 2024, we are once again faced with direct attacks against so many of our universal human rights, and if we are paying attention, we can notice that these attacks against human rights are preceded by attacks against the notion of universal human dignity. Who are the people whose human dignity is being attacked right now? Trans people. Houseless people. People who are incarcerated. People living with disabilities. People seeking refuge or asylum. Black people. Women. Pregnant people. This is hardly a complete listing, and the list will only grow, if we don’t do what we can and what we must, to stop it. So, let’s come together to preserve, protect, and honor each other’s dignity – a way of saying, the divine in me recognizes the divine in you.
###
*Note: an excerpt of this Spotlight is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews
#33: Building Community, Connecting Human Rights & Repro Justice, Dec 7 2024
Find the current and past issues in the AMSA Repro eNews Archive.
Explore the AMSA Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities & more!
Sign-up Here for AMSA Repro Project Updates
