December is recognized as Human Rights Month, with the theme of this year’s Human Rights Day on December 10 being “Our Rights, Our Future, Right now.” According to the United Nations, this year’s theme calls us to “acknowledge the importance of human rights in our everyday lives.” Using the Michigan eLibrary (MeL), we can learn more about our human rights and how they are impacted by some of the biggest issues in the news today.
The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 and many current laws and treaties are based on the document. Its creation took the work of dedicated people including the chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Eleanor Roosevelt. In "Eleanor Roosevelt in the UN Chronicle (1946-1949): On the Making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," available in Academic Search Complete, Meghan Lynn provides a brief history of the work that went into the drafting of the document and its significance.
As we reflect on this document, there is still work to be done. "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Our Shared Values and Path to Solutions" by Volker Turk in United Nations Chronicle (Online) details current areas of concern regarding human rights such as inequity and polarization among people, conflict around the world, environmental issues, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Spring 2024 issue of the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, available in Legal Source, is focused on the impact of climate change throughout the world, including peer-reviewed articles about environmental concerns in Ukraine, Japan, Brazil, and the United States. They address the important issues of Article 3: right to life, liberty and the security of person.
With the introduction of AI, there are concerns about privacy as set forth in Article 12. "Don’t Let Governments Buy AI Systems That Ignore Human Rights" by Merve Hickok and Evanna Hu in Issues Science and Technology from Science Reference Source points out that facial recognition software can be wildly inaccurate and lead to unjust arrest and incarceration. The authors suggest that any procurement of AI by a government entity should be screened for adherence to human rights not only for privacy, but also to ensure “equal protection against any discrimination, access to social security, and access to effective remedies.”
As the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrates its 76th anniversary, MeL offers eResources that can help us think about human rights and our impact on the world around us.
If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact melerhelp@mcls.org for help.
Brought to you by Laura Warren-Gross from the MeL Team.
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MeL eResources are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only.
This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.
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