The Tribune

By Canon S Sebastian Campbell

Shalom

‘Shalom’ is a word from the Hebrew language, the language of the people of Israel. It means freedom, peace, justice, health, having everything that you need to be the best that you can be. It means a time when God’s good news will be known to everyone.

Whole books have been written to explain Shalom. One way we can think about it is as a place where all the people know that they have and can use their human rights – those rights God meant them to have. It is a world that cooperates. It is a world that communicates. It is a world that is interdependent.

The United Nations was organised in 1945. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of US President Franklin D Roosevelt, was most interested in the issue of human rights and was appointed chairperson of the Human Rights Commission that was to write an International Bill of Rights. Finally in 1948, the United Nations passed a resolution proclaiming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration set a common standard for all people of the United Nations. Shalom, may be said, is implicit in every line of this Declaration of Human Rights. There are 30 articles in the declaration. Some are longer than some shown here. If you would like to read the entire Declaration, look for it online, at one of our book stores or libraries.

Declaration of Human

Rights

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…

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations…

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now therefore, the General Assembly proclaims this universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1 – 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.

Article 2 – 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. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3 – Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 6 – Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 12 – No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 15 – (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 20 – (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 23 – (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24 – Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25 – (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26 – (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

• Human Rights: All the conditions necessary so people can contribute to the communication, co-operation, and interdependence of the nations on the Spaceship Earth.

• Basic Rights: Those human rights necessary for survival: food, education, health care, and housing.

• Repression: When human rights are taken away by a government.

• Discrimination: When human rights are taken away from a group of people because of their sex, race or religion.

• Dictatorship: A form of government where one person has all the power.

• Justice: When persons are treated fairly and can use their human rights.

• United Nations: An organisation of nation on our Spaceship Earth to communicate, cooperate, and work on interdependence.

• World Council of Churches of Christ: Christian churches around the world who have chosen to work together to show God’s love by making sure all persons have their human rights.

We pray that you would find this article helpful and enlightening.