U.N. Commission on Human Rights

October 10 is World Day Against the Death Penalty, launched by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003.

Every year since 1997, first through an initiative from Italy and then from efforts of the European Union, the United Nations Commission of Human Rights (UNCHR) has approved a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions. The ultimate goal is an international ban on capital punishment.

In its 2007 resolution (62/149), the United Nations General Assembly, appealing to the General Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, reminded the world of the following points:

the death penalty undermines human dignity
a moratorium on use of the death penalty contributes to the development of Human Rights
there is no conclusive evidence that the death penalty has any deterrent value
any miscarriage or failure of justice in use of the death penalty is irreversible and irreparable.

Amnesty International also takes on the death penalty, calling it “the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state.”

As indicated in the Amnesty International 2012 video at the beginning of this post, support for a moratorium has increased, but the United States joined such countries as China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Zimbabwe in opposing the non-binding moratorium resolution in the General Assembly’s rights committee.

This year, Maryland became the 18^th U.S. state to abolish the death penalty.

Time for more states to join the odyssey.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

Eleanor Roosevelt at UN — Eleanor Roosevelt at U.N. Image in public domain.

December 10 is International Human Rights Day.

According to the United Nations: “This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.”

The right to express one’s opinion and have it heard is among the rights affirmed on June 18, 1948, by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, under the chairmanship of Eleanor Roosevelt, in the International Declaration of Human Rights.

The Preamble begins:

“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

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights resulted before and during the second World War, in barbarous acts which outraged the conscience of mankind and made it apparent that the fundamental freedoms were one of the supreme issues of the conflict, and

Whereas it is essential, if mankind is not to be compelled as a last resort to rebel against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by a regime of law….”

What do you think of these principles? Do you agree that human beings have inherent rights and that violation of those rights can lead to war?

Among the universal and inherent human rights listed in the Declaration are:

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Everyone has the right to freedom of assembly and association.

Do you exercise those rights? Would you fight to defend them? Would you follow the difficult and high road of fighting for them non-violently?

Would you deny those rights to the thousands of people around the world who are fighting for them?

View this brief video from Human Rights Day 2011 and then ask yourself: What have you done of a peaceful nature to pursue your own rights or the rights of others?

Please share your story.

Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology

Death to the death penalty

To make their voices heard