134. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Today, October 16, is Blog Action Day, where thousands of different bloggers from all over the world post about the same theme. This year’s theme is HUMAN RIGHTS.
After surfing the net trying to get an idea of what I could contribute, I kept coming across articles about how governments seem to be ignoring people’s human rights more and more these days. The thing was, I didn’t even know what these magical “human rights” were. Where did these rights come from? Who decided what they were? Are they international law? That’s when I came across the Universal Declaration and decided to turn them into an accessible poster because I knew that a lot of people had probably never read them either.
After the horror of World War II, the United Nations was formed in 1945. The UN charter’s main two objectives are ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ and ‘to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.’ In 1946, the UN Commission on Human Rights was established. Chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, the commission drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and it was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 ‘as a common standard of achievement for all people and nations’. Today, it is the job of the Human Rights Council, an important body of the United Nations, to promote and protect people’s human rights around the world.
This poster uses a simplified version of the Declaration. You can read the original wording here. For more information about the history of the Declaration I suggest this article. For more info about Blog Action Day and to find contributions from other bloggers, visit the official website.
RELATED COMIC: Malala Yousafzai I Have the Right
A few readers have since shown me this cool typographic video of the Declaration.
Discussion (146) ¬
Awesome! as always…
Different than usual, and effective..
Keep up the good work Gav
Excellent work, sir.
I’m definitely sharing this bad boy on the social medias.
Are there prints available of this one? Would love to hang this up in the office.
I was JUST going to ask that. I’m a future teacher and I know exactly where I’ll be putting this one up. 😉
Ditto! My classroom needs this!
Me too please!
any luck yet? I am very interested too.
Even a high resolution version would be great.
I would definitely buy this as a print to post up in my classroom! This is amazing, and as a social justice educator, this would be a perfect reminder for myself and my students about being compassionate global citizens!
I would love to hang this in a high res. full size poster – with a few rights added for nature and the earth (or I’d even buy two if one was created for the earth separately). Pretty please? Plllleeeeease?
Yes! I’m a teacher too, and I immediately went looking to buy this!
A large classroom version would be great! I would love to buy one! Where can we get it???
Can buy one here: https://zenpencils.com/blog/human-rights-poster-available-from-amnesty-international/
Great topic! http://www.youthforhumanrights.org made a short video for every right. It’s how I first heard about the universal declaration of human rights. Check em out!
It`s moving, but I think the right for intellectual property is useless in Internet era. Not that the others are that respected, though… By the way, congratulations from the East of Spainf for your amazing work.
Love it. Once again you’ve done a really nice job!
It is just so sad that almost all of these universal human rights are just talk and that 3/4 of the world can only dream of those rights..
Hi Zen Pencil, is there any way I can edit this and make a Japanese version of it?
I Second that request!!!
I’m amazed (not in a good way) that I’ve never seen this before.
Hey Gavin,
As I read through this list of “rights”, I felt the underlying energy of “protection”. The people responsible for generating this list are like global parents declaring the rules of the game for humanity.
But are these rights respected and protected? Sometimes. I found myself saying yes or no, almost like I saw them as guidelines to live with, not rules.
Some people treat traffic rules as guidelines, for instance. If we can’t get the rules of the road right, how are we ever going to live up to this list?
I learnt this by heart in Junior secondary school, it reminds of those days taking social studies. But then as kid we debated over it, you have the right doesn’t mean it is given to you.
that ” everyone is innocent until proven guilty’ is the only thing saving the Indian Corrupt Politicians *sigh* .
if you could get the permission, this would make a great poster! i would love to have this for my social studies classroom.
Me too, me too, me too! How can I get this for my classroom?
These are wonderful thoughts and how it should be, but unfortunately the idea of rights is just an illusion. The illusion is only as powerful as the entity that needs to enforce your rights. But what do you do if that entity is the very one working to take them away. Who actually *gives* you these right? God? The Universe? In the end we give these rights to ourselves and we can only hope that if there’s enough of us believing in them and advocating for them they will come true.
You’re right that rights are not a universal, naturally arising concept. But neither are civilization, laws, trade and commerce, medicine, science, education and so on. We’ve invented and created these things, including the idea of human rights, and we need to preserve and maintain them for future generations. It is the responsibility of our governments to guarantee and respect human rights, and it is our responsibility to protest and take political action if these rights are violated.
Thanks for the poster – hope it helps all to understand the basic human rights we all should enjoy.
Gav, thanks for this.
I’m putting it up in my lecture theatre.
X
Gav….
Mind. Officially. Blown.
I love this site, and I love this post.
That said, it is truly sad that, while no-one can take away these rights, they can take away your ability to exercise them. A world where these rights are enjoyed by all without restriction is a world worth working towards.
GAV!!! THIS IS IT! I NEED TO BUY THIS FOR MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS IN SINGAPORE WHO DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT AS HUMANS, as SINGAPORE is one of the countries that do not embrace this beautiful code. I hope they will live by this concept. Copies available online already?
I was about to write about Singapore….in fact there are so many things that listed here that are not allowed in Singapore……I doubt schools will ever approved this to be shared with their students. It will be considered blasphemy…haha… Btw good job Gav….
Great poster. Thanks for taking part in Blog Action Day.
What wonderful poster, makes it really clear. I hope you make it available in other languages.
“You have the right to seek asylum in another country if you are being persecuted in your own country” Tell that to Abbott!
Also all adults have the right to marriage and raise a family. I haven’t read them until now but i agree, people do need to read these.
Great poster by the way, i love it! 🙂
Reblogged this @ http://eddyfy.net/2013/10/16/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/
Fantastic! The graphic really brings it to life.
Thank you.
Great work – love it!
great one, as usual… 🙂
the only thing I would change (well, add, really) is the part on religion…
maybe something like “everyone has the right to belong to a religion of his choise, or none”
He didn’t write it, he’s quoting 😛
Of course, he’s only quoting, but that it’s not in the original text is the thing that worries me. Somehow it’s better accepted to be in a religion than not. But the right to not be in a religion also should be there, once we’re talking about an ideal world..
Brilliant!
Brilliant, as usual. Thank you.
What a great piece of work! I would love to have this in my classroom as I’m sure thousands of other teachers would as well. Teaching kids about human rights is always tricky. They always ask, “If we have these rights, why are people still tortured, forced to leave their country, etc.?” Haven’t come up with a satisfactory answer for that yet. Will it be available as a download soon?
I don’t know Gav, I think that job line should have been written as it was in the original piece. Everyone entitled to work is different than everyone entitled to a job; job gives it a more formal feel and a different context than work.
Fantastic. Love the poster and all the other things you do.
I hope you do not mind but it was so good I re-blogged this on my blog.
every citizen must read and stand !
Great job loved it
“No matter your race, religión, or nationality”. What about sex? Oh well, at least there are plenty of cartoon women in the drawing. So women’s rights are implied… right? Like always.
Gavin didn’t write the declaration. It is a quote. If women are missing from that section in the original text then that’s the fault of the UN
And there is a woman/girl dead center of the picture. The application to women is more than just implied here.
I looked through all the comments until I found someone who noticed the omission of gender. Was glad to find your explanation that this a declaration from the UN. If so, then the UN did not have the benefit of an illustration and you can bet the omission was quite intentional. As such, I’d say that using a woman with a head scarf as a central element in the illustration addresses that omission directly… as you said, “more than just implied.”
It’s a deplorable choice on the part of the UN.
Ok it’s not a direct quote from the UDHR… here is the website http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ he has summarized it. In the original it does say “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. ” He has shortened everything for this version to get the gist of what is being said, and he is using visuals (like the girl int he picture) to get across some of the omitted information.
What about men? It doesn’t mention men anywhere in there either so does that mean that they should not have rights? Stop trying to dig for a problem to whinge about when it does not exist.
Unfortunately some of those are still too far to become a reality
Great work as always Gav.
There was a time when I was a child where I thought that these rules would be followed by everyone in the world
Great work Gav. Still, like George Carlin once said “Rights aren´t rights if someone can take them away”.
Over the time, I´m not sure on the actual difference the UN has made on the world. Bear in mind I´m speaking from ignorance. Perhaps some changes have been made thanks to the UN, but I haven´t seen it or heard about it.
Waiting patiently for this to come in poster form!!!
even he is chinese.
i cant help but think that since the 1980’s we here in the USA have watched the slow decimation of our rights civil or otherwise.
Is that Malala in the “education” part? She’s so inspirational, and I’d never even heard of her before your comic 🙂
these words are wonderful,it should be display to all journals in the world
Do you have this as a poster? It’s beyond awesome!
Even if it’s just a coincidence, I’m happy to see this here. I suggested it some time ago, because i think it’s perfect for your work (and vice versa!). Feels good to know you think the same way.
Great work, as always. The style reminds me of the old “Schoolhouse Rock” episodes — was that your intention?
(If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s sample, explaining how a US bill becomes a law: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0)
Dude… I saw ur blog a couple of weeks ago for the Malala Yousifzay Post, I roamed around abit, and Loved your work… I sensed a great deal of Devotion and Warmth in ur Work, frankly. And today, I wanted to check what are the Other Art blogs sharing frm other Countries in #BAD13 and There you were… Awesome Post great art, the same feeling of Devotion… Keep it Up, You Inspire!
Gavin:
Superb, as always. Unfortunately, here in the United States, the rich and the powerful, as well as their lackeys in the extreme right-wing, are doing all they can to take away a large part of these rights (voting, jobs/unions, privacy, marriage to some; it would be easy to find others).
Keep up the great work!
Simply Superb 🙂
I’m in love with your blog
I only recently have discovered your work, and will say I love several of your pieces…I don’t think this is that strong and that I have been underwhelmed with these pieces since the Watterson (which is your high mark in my opinion).
You are a very talented artist, but I would like to see some originality to your work (you’re own words or even wordless perhaps to deliver a universal feel). Alot of your pieces (please understand, I am only speaking in a constructive way, your work makes alot of people happy) come off as mere storyboards and hold little beyond the words you’ve choosen.
It’s sad that most of these get broken even in America.
There’s plenty of debt slaves in the world. Form a peaceful assembly in the states and you get undercover police/fbi causing havoc. Torture? Guantanamo. Right to marriage? Gays can’t in most parts of the world, etc.
Excellent work Gav. A lovely piece!
When is the Zen Pencils book coming out?? 😛
Just wondering why you wrote that “intellectual property… should be protected” when the whole premise of your site is to take quotes other people have said (their intellectual property) and illustrate it.
The declaration does say in article 27(2)
“Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.” But this is preceded by and restricted by article 27(1) “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.”
(1) and (2) are interdependent. Your site would go against the code if (1) weren’t true, and yet you only mention (2).
My only complaint, is we are free to join a religion, OR NOT!
I was introduced to this site a couple months ago and plowed through the archive. Love it!
I gave you a little shout out on my blog because at the start of every year I read my class a picture book called For Every Child, also from UNICEF. It has a lot of similar rights but also others that are more specific to children, and like your work it’s beautifully illustrated (with contributions from a variety of artists). So this comic really resonated with me, seeing a “grown up version” of the message I bring to my 10 year old students. I hope you have the chance to check out the book some time: http://shutthedoorandteach.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-action-day-human-rights-for-every.html
Please, post the spanish version as soon as possible.
i want to paste it in the walls of my city.
today limit, more, our right to travel.
In any case, nope the UDHR did NOT say that part in the lower left corner. Yet another attempt by those anti-moral gay activists to twist facts again. http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
When you use the word moral to try to take away the rights and freedoms of others, it makes me doubt that you understand the meaning of the word.
I wish the protection from slavery and harm was extended to non-human animals as well.
Can you make this in different languages too?
Great List but a poor choice of imagery! Choosing a women dressed in religious garb to represent equality is like choosing a man to give birth.
Good poster. I agree with Candice about the poor choice of imagery in the woman’s garb.
Also, “everyone has a right to belong to a religion” –and you include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Taoism. You left out two significant groups, perhaps because you don’t believe that they exist or that they don’t have the right. The groups are atheists and Hindus (I belong to both groups.)
Thanks.
You equality people…Why do you assume that YOUR group isn’t deliberately excluded just because you don’t see it deliberately included? He also didn’t illustrate anyone for the Ekenkars, Scientologists, Agnostics, the multitude of Native American Spiritualisms, Moonies, Hoodoo, Wiccans, etc. But you don’t care about them. You only care about you.
What part of “UNIVERSAL” is lost on you?
You are missing the point @Candice of this piece. Not ALL women are forced into the “religious garb” as you call it. All people are entitled to freedom of religion and freedom to PRACTICE. And it represents equality perfectly since people have the right to be treated equally regardless of race, age, cultural background, skin color or “religion” etc…. The “religious garb” is a manifestation of the religion she belongs to. A religion she has the right to belong to and the right to be treated equally accordingly.
Nice comic and sentiment.
If only the UN had the capability to actually protect the rights of people rather than just complain when they’re taken away.
Some of your rights conflict there. Most of those rights on the bottom right conflict with the right on the top right. For instance for a government to give things like “economic help” it has to be definition violate someone’s right to property.
please this image in spanish??? where i can found it?
https://zenpencils.com/spanish/ it’ll be here soon 🙂
What a crock of bullshit.
“We are all born free and equal.” Nope. Different capabilities, different socioeconomic status = different opportunities.
“Everyone is entitled to these rights no matter your race, religion or nationality.” Non-white non-Christian non-Americans need not apply.
“Everyone has the right to life…” Only if you’re not born yet, otherwise it’s a luxury you pay for.
“…freedom…” Unless your freedom has the potential to be a threat to National Security (read: the well-being of the upper classes).
“…and safety.” Except when you have to defend yourself. That’s what the police is for. Oh wait, it has been established that the police have no duty to protect you.
“No one has the right to hold you in slavery.” Unless it’s called a “day job”. Or an “unpaid internship.”
“No one has the right to torture you.” Unless you’re a threat to National Security. Also, waterboarding is not a torture.
“You have the right of recognition everywhere as a person before the law.” Especially if you’re a corporation!
“We are all equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law.” Here, “equal” means “equal to the amount of contribution to your legal council and police.”
“You have the right to seek legal help if your rights are violated.” According to the amount of contribution to your legal council, and only if you are not a threat to National Security.
“No one has the right to wrongly imprison you or force you to leave the country.” Unless we are below the quota for privately-owned prisons, or you are a non-white non-Christian non-American, or a threat to National Security.
“You have a right to a fair and public trial.” Did we mention National Security yet?
“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.” Non-white, non-Christian, non-Americans are a fair exception.
“You have the right to privacy. No one can interfere with your reputation, family, home, or correspondence.” Unless this is required for legitimate business or National Security purposes.
“You have the right to seek asylum in another country if you are being persecuted in your own country.” However, if anyone violates the interests of National Security, they are a traitor who has no such right. Every country must cooperate to return such traitor to face a speedy and just trial (see above).
“Everyone has a right to a nationality.” As long as it’s American.
“All adults have the right to marriage and to raise a family.” “Marriage” defined as a church- and state-sanctioned union between a man and a woman.
“You have the right to own property.” If someone else owns property, and you own more, you have the right to own that person’s property as well. If this right is violated, see the right to seek legal help above.
“Everyone has the right to belong to a religion.” As long as it’s Christian.
“You have the right to free thought and to voice your opinions to others.” “Free” defined as not threatening to National Security and within established socially acceptable guidelines. Voicing must be done through approved media channels.
“Everyone has the right to gather as a peaceful assembly.” At a time and location approved by the state, so that we can assign a police detail for the protection of you and others. You do have a right to safety, after all.
“You have the right to help choose and to take part in governing your country, directly or through chosen representatives.” Your help is much appreciated, but not required. We are handling things well.
“You have the right to social security and are entitled to economic, social, and cultural help from your government.” Especially if you’re a corporation. Otherwise, the assistance will be appropriate to your contributions to the government.
“Every adult has the right to a job, a fair wage and to join the union.” Subject to availability. Must meet educational criteria (see below). Jobs are assigned on first come, first serve basis. Purchase will increase chances of winning. “Fair” wage is defined according to current rates of supply and demand. Void where prohibited.
“You have the right to leisure and rest from work.” As long as your quota has been fulfilled. We reserve the right to require you to work outside business hours in case of legitimate business need or in the interests of National Security.
“Everyone has the right to adequate standard of living for themselves and their family.” You have the right to receive economic help from the government if you do not meet such standards (see above).
“Everyone has the right to education.” Within well established socially acceptable guidelines, in the amount proportionate to contributions to educational institution or the government. Assistance from the government is available for those who qualify (see above).
“Your intellectual property as an artist or scientist should be protected.” “Artist” or “scientist” defined as an employee of a corporation. Note that intellectual property created while in the employ of a corporation is the property of said corporation. See right to property above.
“We are all entitled to social order so we can enjoy these rights.” Within well established socially acceptable guidelines. The police are here for your safety.
Yes, I know, the USA is currently failing badly at almost every single point, but by and large, most countries are doing ok most of the time.
Why do Americans always forget that the rest of the world exists?
I want to know how to bring America to the ICC.
Lol, the duplicity of capitalism. These rights refer to restrictions on government, but private entities are still able to make sure you’re denied the opportunity to enjoy almost all these rights.
thanks! its very important! i need it in spanish ,its perfect for a school job
This is extremely ethnocentric!
In what way?
There’s one bit of ugliness in this one – the “Everyone has a right to belong to a religion.”
It was originally to have read “Everyone has a right to personal belief and to belong to the religion of their choosing, or none if they choose.”
That was stricken at the refusal of the Arab countries, who feared it would be used to go after their apostasy=death laws and to go after the laws in Arab countries that make second-class citizens out of anyone who isn’t a Muslim.
Bigotry is alive and well and even enshrined in this well-meaning document, sadly.
correction : everyone has a right to belong to a religion or none. because athiesm is not a religion. hope I’m right about this… 🙂
I would love to have a poster of this in my classroom!
Why is there no right of self-defense? The UN can’t do anything right, including Human Rights.
It’s funny, I study Law and I’ve come across and worked with the UDHR quite a lot. But seeing it put in this context, somehow made it inspirational only just now. Like a lot of the commentors say, most countries in the world violate multiple of these UNIVERSAL rights, but by and by most of the world manages quite alright. It’s something to look and work towards: a future where everyone abides these rules.
Hurray for human rights!
Unless we’re talking about the people making your shoes, your iPad, watching your kids, scrubbing your toilets so that you can wear shoulder pads and be so edgy. =^___^=
and the most important of all. The right to access the internet 24/7
Seeing Malala Yousufzai pictured next to “Everyone has the right to education” was the most beautiful light touches of humanity I’ve seen on this site so far. Thank you.
Actually there are so many loopholes in these ‘rights’.
For example, Article 16 which speaks about right to marriage doesn’t at all speak about sexuality, but most people misinterpret it, including the picture above.
This is what Article 16 says:
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
There has to be more clarity on what these rights actually mean.
It should be noted that the Declaration is merely that, a declaration. It does not have binding force although some of it´s articles are considered to embody so called customary international law.
If people want to find legally binding human rights treaties they should check out the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); The Convention for the Elimination of all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD); the Refugee Convention and many more.
Very strong human rights treaties include, but are not limited to the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and the American Convention of Human Rights (ACHR) which stout a court with jurisdiction over state actions in matters relating to human rigths listed in said treaties that have some enforcement powers.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is perhaps the most widely accepted list of human rights but it has no teeth. All the abovementioned treaties at least have some type of supervisory mechanism attached to them. For instance, the treaties mentioned in the first paragraph fall under the jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission, an independent UN body and also by proxy (if instigated by states) under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
The observance of the ECHR and the ACHR is enforced by influential courts in this region.
Although I like the poster, I regretfully must say that the UNCHR does not count for much at all since it is not a legally binding document.
good poster. Well done human Rights.
Hi gav, I would suggest to make this poster printed on T.shirt, I would be the first buyer!!
December 11,2013 at 20.46 greetings to all readers. Evo
I notice that in the lower left corner, “All adults have the right to marriage and to raise a family, ” you have an image of two men underneath! Bravo! A very clear allusion to, and support for, same sex marriage!
And yet all the people we expect to honor these ‘rules’, don’t.
Sad, sad world we live in.
good poster. Well done human Rights.
Hi gav, I would suggest to make this poster printed on T.shirt, I would be the first buyer!!
Is that Malala in the “education” part? She’s so inspirational, and I’d never even heard of her before your comic 🙂
In many cases these rights have been shown to not be protected when the US government is involved, whether for foreign citizens or it’s own
Article 29, subsection 3 states that “These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.”
That means the Security Council can undermine any of those articles at their whim, making them privileges, not rights.
“No one can take away any of your rights”, hm? Well, practice says, that anyone can take them away as soon, as that anyone have enough power to do so. UN proclaim a lot, but do little to back up its words.
I look at the declaration and see a long list of promises the leaders of every nation for the past sixty years have failed to uphold.
In many cases these rights have been shown to not be protected when the US government is involved, whether for foreign citizens or it’s own… http://www.fancycheckout.com/
Good poster 🙂
This is by far the most beautiful strip I’ve seen on Zen Pencils, and I’ve seen quite a few. I Can’t congratulate you enough!
good poster. Well done human Rights.
Hi gav, I would suggest to make this poster printed on T.shirt, I would be the first buyer!!
“No one can take away any of your rights”, hm? Well, practice says, that anyone can take them away as soon, as that anyone have enough power to do so. UN proclaim a lot, but do little to back up its words.
It seems that our human rights get eroded more each day in the name of security or something else. However, people just accept it.
Good poster, my only critic is the lack of gender mentioned. Seems pretty important, illustrations can’t represent every woman/man (or what other way people identify with gender) the added word “sex or gender” could have been more visually effective since it fills those gaps you have missed.
Yes, we should respect other people regard of where they are come from, what they are skin, language.
Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance.
Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression. The chasm is never completely bridged. We all have the conviction, perhaps illusory, that we have much more to say than appears on the paper.
And thus the literary man has two fires in his body: the strain of his mental work and the overmuch of blood in his head…. Man, so rich in knowledge, has also become rich in diseases, but poor in health and physical strength.
If they are given then they are privileges. There is no such thing as rights. Any one of these things can be revoked.
Human rights is just an airy term that means nothing without enforcement. So the only real law of existence is power, it makes everything else possible.
Thank you Gavin for your “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” comic post
http://vuelosdelalma.blogspot.com/2013/11/kampung-inggris-pare-kediri.html
Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment. Stephen Covey
If required we should fight for our Rights .
Very nice and inspirational Article
I Just Noticed that the area above and under the 2 people in the middle have rights ON THEM.
I learnt this by heart in Junior secondary school, it reminds of those days taking social studies. But then as kid we debated over it, you have the right doesn’t mean it is given to you.
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