MetaFilter posts tagged with UnitedNations

Stop the killer robots before it's too late!

Sleeper — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:50:58 -0800

Nobel laureate's campaign calls for pre-emptive ban on autonomous weapons. As our technology advances, it becomes more and more feasible to give more and more autonomy to our drones. A new campaign led by 1997 Nobel laureate Jody Williams calls for an international ban on the design of autonomous weaponized drones. The future often arrives from directions you didn't expect. Some sci-fi writers of the past expected Moon colonies and manned missions to Mars by now, but had no inkling that the world would be revolutionized by a global network of devices thousands of times more powerful than the room-sized computers of the day. We've both disappointed and exceeded expectations. Asimov's robots never came to be, but today flying robots that are (in different ways) both less and more ambitious are in the early stages of becoming a part of everyday life, mostly for imaging and surveillance. The FAA currently bans commercial use of drones in the US, but that will soon change:

In five years, experts predict, more than 10,000 drones will be working overhead for American businesses. Some say the number might soar as high as 30,000. That’s a lot of cameras staring down, some with infrared imaging, swiveling to see ever more. Every day advancements are made in the technology. As the machines become more weather-proof, with longer battery life, lighter, smaller, even bug-sized, the list of possible uses — and concerns — grows.

Drones have become an essential part of America's way of war.

an overwhelming reliance on killing terrorism suspects, which began in the administration of George W. Bush, has defined the Obama years. Since Mr. Obama took office, the C.I.A. and military have killed about 3,000 people in counterterrorist strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, mostly using drones. Only a handful have been caught and brought to this country; an unknown number have been imprisoned by other countries with intelligence and other support from the United States.

(A visualization of the drone war in Pakistan, previously linked on the Blue) This is all scary-sounding, but drones have many sensible and peaceful uses. Mesa County, Colorado recently cut the cost of an annual landfill survey from $10,000 to $200 by using a drone instead of a piloted craft. We're not yet at a stage where automated weapons are feasible, but we will be within a couple decades. Should we ban them pre-emptively? Or is that just Luddite thinking?

Around the world in 194 meals

booksherpa — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:44:55 -0800

Jesse and Laura are cooking and eating their way through the United Nations, and raising money for World Food Program USA as they do.

To ensure the effective protection of the right to life of all persons under their jurisdiction...

jiawen — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:35:59 -0800

The UN has condemned extrajudicial killing on the basis of gender identity. When some countries tried (PDF) to remove the "gender identity" clause, the United States was opposed; but in the final vote for the condemnation, the US abstained (PDF). (Via.) Meanwhile, in the US, it is still legal to fire someone for their gender identity in the vast majority of jurisdictions (here are a few where it isn't), trans people were not protected by the repeal of DADT, and we are still routinely denied access to health insurance.

Senator Chip Rogers - Agenda 21 - Mother Jones

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:54:17 -0800

Chip Rogers is the Republican Majority Leader of the Georgia State Senate, and Treasurer of ALEC (previously 1 2). On October 11th he hosted a four-hour briefing for his fellow senators, regarding Obama's mind-control techniques which are forcing the US into a United Nations-led Communist dictatorship in which suburbanites are forcibly relocated to cities. The theory is based on Agenda 21, the non-binding 1992 UN treaty on sustainable development. Rogers narrowly failed to pass a resolution against Agenda 21, but other states have done so, and Alabama has even forbidden its implementation in law.

Iranian uranium

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:54:56 -0800

The International Atomic Energy Agency says that Iran has tripled its production of >20% enriched uranium in the past three months, while adding 2,600 new uranium centrifuges to its main enrichment facility in Natanz. The agency has not received a "satisfactory explanation" of how 20kg of uranium metal went missing from an Iranian research laboratory. Iran has been blocking IAEA inspections, and the agency "is unable to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities". In recent years, Russia and China have chosen to limit UN sanctions against Iran, whose government denies it aims to make atomic weapons.

The Rights that were Left.

seanmpuckett — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:03:17 -0800

On December 6th, 2011, International Human Rights Day, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech in front of the United Nations proclaiming freedom and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (transcript included). "Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."

Guatamalan Mother Searches Five Years for Daughter

zizzle — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:09:44 -0800

In a case that is rocking the international adoption world, a Guatemalan judge has ordered the return of a six year old girl to her biological family. Loyda Rodriguez's two year old daughter was grabbed by an unknown woman and taken away in a waiting taxi. Loyda spent five years searching for her daughter, contacting Guatemalan authorities and international adoption agencies, and finally resorting to a hunger strike. Five years after her daughter's disappearance, Loyda learned her daughter had been adopted by an American couple in Liberty, Missouri and that her name had been changed prior to the adoption. Upon this finding, the "Guatemalan court has ordered La Procuraduría General de la Nación (PGN, or Attorney General's Office) and the Ministry of External Relations to work with the U.S. Embassy to 'locate and retrieve' a child adopted to Timothy and Jennifer Monahan of Missouri in 2007 under the fraudulent name 'Karen Abigail López García.' The court, Juzgado Constituido en Tribunal de Amparo, also ruled for the girl's passport to be annulled and for her birth certificate to be cancelled, based on the fact that the identity of 'Karen Abigail' seems to have been created for the sole purpose of facilitating an illegal adoption." The Guatemalan court has given a deadline of two months from the July 29th ruling for the child to be returned to her biological family. If the child is not returned, Interpol may be contacted to treat the case as human trafficking. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the case, including the judge in Guatemala who let the adoption go through. The president of Ethica weighs in on the controversy, and the Liberty Tribune has also reported on the matter. In 2007, Guatemalan adoptions were suspended, and in 2010 an anti-corruption commission overseen by the United Nations found irregularities in adoptions from Guatemala. Adoptions were reopened in the same year, though not without controversy. A similar case occurred in 2008, but the parents were fortunate enough to prevent the adoption prior to the child leaving the country.

Famine in East Africa

bwg — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:12:11 -0800

With East Africa facing its worst drought in 60 years, affecting more than 11 million people, the United Nations has declared a famine in the region for the first time in a generation. Alan Taylor's In Focus quickly brings home the scale of the suffering, with a link to the CNN article listing several ways to donate.

Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights.

thebestsophist — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:02:10 -0800

In a non-binding resolution narrowly passed by 23 to 19 (with 3 abstentions), the United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned violence and discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgender people for the first time. Introduced by South Africa, and lobbied for by the US State Department, the resolution expresses grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity…. Further, it establishes a study to to examine discrimination against the gay community around the world by the end of the year.

One step at a time

anigbrowl — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:06:58 -0800

The Global Commission on Drug Policy is the latest group to advocate an end to the drug war - but also an unusually high-profile one, including former Presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Switzerland, Prime Minister of Greece, Kofi Annan, Richard Branson, George Shultz and Paul Volcker. Tomorrow, June 2, sees the launch of their report, which advocates treating recreational drug use (and abuse) as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice one. The report will be presented to current UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Friday, as will a global petition which has attracted over half a million signatures in just a few days. This may accelerate the gradual shift away from the penal model within the US. A US district judge recently set aside sentencing guidelines for ecstasy as flawed, opting to use the much lower sentencing standard applied to cocaine. Meantime, the Department of Justice today unveiled a proposal to retroactively and automatically apply reduced sentencing levels for crack cocaine to existing convictions.

Over 2.7 million nations served.

Rhaomi — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:03:53 -0800

NationStates is a free political simulation game founded by author Max Barry back in 2002 (previously). Loosely based on his dystopian corporate thriller Jennifer Government, the game starts by asking players to provide some national trappings and answer a few civics questions, then generates a virtual country with a matching political outlook. Periodic policy decisions like mining rights and compulsory voting allow players to further modify their country along axes of social, political, and economic freedom, arriving at one of twenty-seven colorful government types like Tyranny By Majority or Scandinavian Liberal Paradise. There's also a healthy roleplaying community -- players can discuss current events in the General forum, practice wargaming in International Incidents, form cooperative Regions to debate internal affairs (many of which form their own communities), and elect Delegates to send to the World Assembly (so renamed after an amusing cease-and-desist from the real-world U.N.). Their collective history is thoroughly recorded in the 35,000-article NSWiki, which provides a detailed legislative record, gameplay guide, and profiles on many of the 90,000 active nations, 8,000 player regions, and countless characters that currently make up the game world.

Where Do Babies Come From, and Where Do They Go?

the young rope-rider — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:09:12 -0800

Interactive map of international adoptions, from the superlative Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. The site contains an amazing amount of information about corruption in international adoption in countries like Nepal and Vietnam.

The US Pot describes the Chinese Kettle, and the Kettle replies in kind

filthy light thief — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:46:29 -0800

Recently, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton released the 35th annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, covering the legal status of human rights in more than 190 countries and territories around the world. This year, Clinton had tough words for China, amid crackdowns on dissent. In response, China provides a profile of the US, pointing out actions related to Wikileaks, civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the prisoner abuse scandals related to counterterrorism initiatives. China presented a similar profiles for 2009 (previously), 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 (in 3 parts: part 1, part 2, part 3), 2001, 2000, 1999... The US index of reports, back through 1999. History: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 by a vote of 48 in favor, 0 against, with 8 abstentions (Byelorussia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Ukraine and The USSR [the five Eastern Bloc states],Yugoslavia, South Africa and Saudi Arabia).

Cole to Left: "Learn to walk & chew gum at the same time."

dvorak_beats_qwerty — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:01:58 -0800

"The United Nations-authorized intervention in Libya has pitched ethical issues of the highest importance, and has split progressives in unfortunate ways. I hope we can have a calm and civilized discussion of the rights and wrongs here." Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan writes An Open Letter to the Left on Libya.

Gays able to be executed without cause

wilful — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:15:15 -0800

On 16 November 2010, the UN General Assembly Third Committee removed a reference to sexual orientation from a resolution on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, a move condemned by gay and lesbian rights groups. Here's what the US Adviser said. Those countries in favour (79): Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Dar-Sala, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Those against (70): Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Micronesia (FS), Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela. Abstain (17): Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Fiji, Mauritius, Mongolia, Papau New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu Absent (26): Albania, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Marshall Island, Mauritania, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Sao Tome Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan.

The Gangster Prince of Liberia

reenum — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:51:12 -0800

Adam Higginbotham wrote an interesting article in 2007 about Chuckie Taylor's reign of terror in Liberia. (Note: PDF link) Charles Arther Emmanuel aka Chuckie, was an accomplice in the atrocities committed by his dad, former Liberian strongman Charles Taylor. A petty criminal in Florida before going to Africa, Chuckie is the first person to stand trial in the U.S. under the Convention Against Torture. Chuckie was sentenced to 97 years in prison in 1999.

Say Hello to the Newest Member of the Former Yugoslavia

resiny — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:05:31 -0800

Kosovo's declaration of independence has been declared legal by the International Court of Justice. On February 17, 2008 Kosovo declared indepdendence from Serbia in a unanimous parliamentary vote. Serbians, of course, did not take it sitting down:

The first sign of trouble in Kosovo came in the ethnic Serbian area of the flashpoint town of Mitrovica, where two hand grenades were thrown at international community buildings. One exploded at a UN court building while the other failed to go off outside offices expected to house the new EU mission. In Belgrade, demonstrators threw stones and broke windows at the US embassy as riot police tried to fend off a crowd of around 1,000 people. The protesters, described as gangs of youths, also attacked a McDonald's restaurant, the Serbian government building and the embassy of Slovenia which currently holds the EU presidency.

Belgium, France, Italy, the UK, Croatia, Germany, and the United States released statements supporting Kosovo. (Discussed here.) Russia objected and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Counsel. On October 8th the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to take the case before the ICJ. (Discussed here.) The ICJ decision was released earlier today.

FDR: "People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made."

filthy light thief — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:06:00 -0800

The United States was engaged in the largest two-front war of its, or any nation's history. Though victory was not yet certain, there were discussions on a multi-national level regarding the future peace, and on the President of the United States was looking to the post-war prospects for the nation. With that in mind, the annual address of the President to Congress and the nation was summed up in one word: Security. "And that means not only physical security which provides safety from attacks by aggressors. It means also economic security, social security, moral security -- in a family of nations." This was Franklin D. Roosevelt's third-to-last Fireside Chat, presented on Tuesday, January 11, 1944, which included what he proposed to be the Second Bill of Rights. Much of the Second Bill of Rights, also called the Economic Bill of Rights, had been discussed by Roosevelt for some while. Roosevelt had spoken on economic rights of the individual since he was chosen as the Democratic candidate for president in the 1932 Democratic National Convention, and elaborating in another speech seven weeks later, including a fable of the American public cast as Alice in Wonderland amidst the delusions of paper profits and increased production and consumption. In 1941, the United States had not yet entered World War II, but was providing material support against "aggressor nations," and FDR was looking ahead to times of peace to come. In his 1941 State of the Union address, FDR spoke on the Four Freedoms (prev): the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, freedom from want (a healthy peacetime life), and the freedom from fear (in short, a world-wide reduction of armaments). These were freedoms not simply for the United States, but that would cover everywhere and anywhere in the world. In early January of 1944, the U.S. was engaged around the world, with US forces moving beyond the Battle of Tarawa and Allies moving towards Monte Cassino on their way for Rome, with preparation for Operation Overlord under way. On January 11, 1944, Roosevelt chose to end his State of the Union speech to the nation by talking about a second bill of rights:

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy. More than the winning of the war, it is time to begin plans and determine the strategy for winning a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever known before. This republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty. We have come to a clear realization of the fact, however, that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made. In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, or race or creed. Among these are: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries, or shops or farms or mines of the nation; The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation; The right of farmers to raise and sell their products at a return which will give them and their families a decent living; The right of every business man, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; The right of every family to a decent home; The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health; The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, and sickness, and accident and unemployment; And finally, the right to a good education.

This would be an an economic bill of rights that Congress might enact through legislation, not a revision to the Constitution. FDR had two more Fireside Chats with the nation in June of 1944, won the election for a 4th term as President of the United States and was inaugrated on January 20, 1945. Less than three months later, President Roosevelt was dead, and his Second Bill of Rights was in the hands of others. The Four Freedoms from 1941 was part of the motivation behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, thanks in part to Roosevelt's widow, Eleanor Roosevelt, as a member of the United Nations' Commission on Human Rights. But the Economic Bill of Rights has faded as a cohesive whole. Progress on the separate elements varies, and interest in the Second Bill of Rights has seen a recent revival of interest in part thanks to a book on the topic by Cass R. Sunstein, discussion by Howard Zinn in an interview, and inclusion in a movie by Michael Moore following research for forgotten footage of FDR that was shot for newsreel (though Moore mis-credits Roosevelt's intentions in saying FDR wanted to amend the constitution). There is also concern for this rising interest in the Economic Bill of Rights, as it is seen as a "treacherous transformation of human aspirations into enforceable legal rights" and FDr's "massive take over of the U.S. economy." As an interesting note, Ronald Reagan had proposed his own Economic Bill of Rights, which has been recalled recently, even credited as a "Jeffersonian Economic Bill of Rights," due to Jefferson's views on taxation. Tying everything back together, some modern supporters of FDR's Second Bill of Rights see parallels to Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson's letter to James Madison Fontainebleau, in particular citing the following quote: "Whenever there are in any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on."

Portraits of Power

gwint — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:26:59 -0800

Portraits of Power "An interactive portfolio of portraits by Platon of world leaders, with commentary by the photographer."

The Flickr Page of the UN Refugee Agency

Kattullus — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:23:33 -0800

The United Nations Refugee Agency has a Flickr page with nearly 3000 photos neatly sorted into over 150 sets, most often by country, though sometimes by other themes, such as photos taken by refugee children, life in a refugee camp and mixed migration. There are also news sets, sorted by month. Some of the countries featured are ones that many associate with humanitarian disasters, Timor-Leste, Iraq and The Democratic Republic of Congo, but there are also photosets from countries that few associate with refugees, Panama, Hungary and France.

Unemployment is of vital importance, particularly to the unemployed

KokuRyu — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:44:11 -0800

The world's economic crisis has cost more men their jobs than women in Western countries. But in Asia and most of the developing world, the economic meltdown has a woman's face. The Toronto Star: Today, International Women's Day, women celebrate the gains made in achieving equal rights and highlight the widespread wrongs that damage the lives of the 3.3 billion females around the world. But the issue foremost in women's minds is the global recession, which has hit the most vulnerable half of humanity with exceptional force. The Bangkok Post: The latest International Labour Organization (ILO) report revealed that the global unemployment rate could rise as high as 7.1% in 2009, compared to 6% in 2008. What is worrying is that the consequences of the global crisis could come knocking on your door. What was the global economic crisis last year could easily become a global social crisis this year. Link: ILO Global Employment Trends for Women report, 2009 (pdf) Jobs: A 'much worse disaster' in US: Mississippi's maximum benefit is $230 a week, a few dollars above the U.S. poverty line, and half of what the unemployed get in many other states. Fewer than a quarter of the state's unemployed get any benefits at all, ranking it 46th out of 50 states. CNN: Life on unemployment - making ends meet on $300 a week.

Peace: Still a Man's Thang

terranova — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:02:11 -0800

In 2001, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on Women's Role on Peace-Building and Security, calling for increased participation by women in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. Eight years later, "in terms of signing the peace documents and being at the peace table and involved in the peace-making operations, 1.3 percent of all the signatures in the world on these peacekeeping documents have been rendered by women." (Stephen Lewis, former UN special envoy), and as of 2007, women constituted only 1% of peacekeeping military personnel. Could increasing women's participation also help reduce sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers?

U.N. DECLARATION FOR GAY RIGHTS OPPOSED

terranova — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:27:10 -0800

Alone among major Western nations, the United States refused to sign a United Nations declaration calling for worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality. The U.S. was joined by China, Russia, the Roman Catholic Church, and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in rejecting the declaration. In 2004, the Vatican and Islamic Conference had lobbied vehemently and successfully to prevent the U.N. Human Rights Commission from outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. Nonetheless, in August, despite contentions from UN watchdogs about homosexual organizations' "historical alignment with organizations advocating pedophilia," the United Nations' Economic and Social Council accorded two homosexual groups "consultative status" for standards-making and problem-solving of economic and social issues. Presently, homosexuality remains illegal in 77 countries, in seven of which it is punishable by death. The UN Declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity remains open for signatures.

globalizing democracy

washburn — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:51:02 -0800

Today's featured article at Wikipedia concerns the United Nations Parliamentary Assembly: a proposed UN body which, according to its proponents, would eventually consist of representatives elected directly by the people of the world. Might this proposal be a viable plan for a more global expression of democracy? Or is it just one more Utopian vision of "world government" doomed to wither under the vociferous criticisms that such proposals seem, inevitably, to attract?

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th Anniversary

Fiasco da Gama — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:44:32 -0800

Sixty years ago on December 10, fifty eight nations created the UN Declaration of Human Rights. There are extensive commentaries, and critical alternatives. Most of all there are predecessors. Do you know your rights? Previously, previously.