Subject Specialist:
Law, Political Science, International Affairs
814-863-1347
e-mail: hms2@psu.edu
Helen Sheehy
Title: Head Social Sciences Library
Subject Specialist:
Law, Political Science, International Affairs
814-863-1347
e-mail: hms2@psu.edu
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world ... Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere."
— Eleanor Roosevelt (on the 10th Anniversary of the UDHR)
"Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in."
— Martin Luther King, Jr., April 18, 1959,Youth March for Integrated Schools, Washington, D.C.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Other Human Rights Instruments
International Bill of Human Rights Fact Sheet
The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 60
A seminar held at the United Nations University. Watch video of the seminar.
Human Rights publications list
From the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe
Eleanor Roosevelt
Mrs. Roosevelt was Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights during the drafting of the declaration.
The Promise of Human Rights
Foreign Affairs Magazine, April 1948
The Struggle for Human Rights
At the Sorbonne, September 28, 1948
Statement to the United Nations General Assembly
Paris, December 9, 1948
Listen to the speech from the Web site American Rhetoric
Note: links to the newspaper and journal articles listed below are available to researchers with a Penn State Access Account. Visitors to the University Libraries at any campus can also access these materials. Ask at your local library service desk.
Kenton, John. "Preamble Backed in Rights Charter: 'Universal Declaration' Is to Be Name of Document - New Study to Be Made"
New York Times, 1 Dec. 1948, p. 9.
"Russia Would Bar Charter on Rights"
New York Times, 10 Dec. 1948, p. 13.
Leviero, Anthony. "Truman Proclaims Human Rights Day. Ask Observance Every December 10th of the Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration"
New York Times, 9 Nov. 1949, p. 20
Gendon, Mary Ann. "The Rule of Law in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights"
Northwestern University Journal of International Human Rights, vol. 2 (April 2004), p. 5.
Henkin, Louis. "The Universality of Human Rights"
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 506 (Nov. 1989), pp. 10-16.
Sengupta, Arjun. "Right to Development as a Human Right"
Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 36, no. 27 (July 7-13, 2001), pp. 2527-2536.
Roosevelt, Eleanor. The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers
Contains many of Mrs. Roosevelt's writings and speeches related to the Declaration
Glendon, Mary Ann. A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Morsink, Johannes. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Origins, Drafting, and Intent
Eide, Asbjørn, Theresa Swinehart, and United Nations. General Assembly. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Commentary
Lyons, Gene Martin, and James Mayall. International Human Rights in the 21st Century: Protecting the Rights of Groups
Butler,Clark. Human Rights Ethics : A Rational Approach
Griffin, James. On Human Rights
United Nations. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations. General Assembly. ABC : Teaching Human Rights : Practical Activities for Primary and Secondary Schools
Normand, Roger and Sarah Zaidi. Human Rights at the UN : the Political History of Universal Justice
"Human Rights Questions at the Third Regular Session of the General Assembly: The United States Position [PDF]"
Foreign Relations of the United States (1948) v. 1, pt. 1, p. 289-306
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
annual State Department reports
