[hr-education] Re: Human rights/children's rights values

I have been following this conversation with great interest. Certainly any
document needs to be revisited on occasion, especially one that is
intended to guide in global terms. In my own country, I am frequently
annoyed when I hear the phrase "What our 'forefathers' intended..." when
interpreting the U. S. Constitution. One, we can only guess at what was on
"founding fathers'" minds; and two, the world is not exactly as it was in
1776. To continue to be relevant, historical governing documents must be
flexible and open to re-interpretation based on present situations.

My question is this: what are the articles in the UDHR that some cultures
not present at the document's formation find hegemonic and/or offensive? I
know when I teach the document to university students, they are usually
surprised at some of the inclusions, especially social and economic (such
as the right to work, right to leisure, right to social services). They do
not find them offensive; they are just surprised that these would be
considered rights (of course, most of my students take these rights for
granted as part of their lives). I would love to hear from anyone on the
list, but especially from those of you whose cultures were not considered
50+ years ago.

Thank you, 
Lynn 

J. Lynn McBrien, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor of Education 
University of South Florida 
8350 N Tamiami Trail, B322 
Sarasota, FL 34243
USA





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