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48
Human Rights
Where Do We Stand?
by NAHUM GOLDMANN
President, World Jewish Congress
During the year just past. 94 international agencies, repre
sented tens of millions of people throughout the earth, met
at Genera under the auspices of the United Nations Con
ference of Non-Governmental Organizations to consider
ways of eliminating prejudice and discrimination. This
unusual meeting had a deep significance for the Jewish
people, a fact noted by Dr. Nahum Goldmann. president of
the World Jewish Congress i
gation, in a major address to
address are reprinted below
special interest to world Jew
tain specific proposals in the
One of the main aims and values
of the United Nations when it was
established, was to serve as a great
instrument to give expression to
the urges, the demands, the com
plaints, of discriminated groups,
and to convince them that a se
rious effort would be made by the
United Nations to improve their
situation, to hear their complaints,
and to satisfy their just demands,
in an orderly constructive process.
This solemn obligation has not
been fulfilled.
After a decade of consistent and
unremitting effort, of great hopes,
but of bitter disappointments, no
International Bill of Human
Rights has come into existence.
There is not even a right or op
portunity for discriminated groups
or individuals to bring their com
plaints for hearing and examina
tion before an authorized organ
of the United Nations.
None of the Great Powers shows
any inclination, willingness or
readiness to fulfill their pledged
obligations "to take jo i n t and
separate actions to promote uni
versal respect and observance of
human rights and freedoms.”
The situation is worse today, in
many respects, than it was in the
days of the League of Nations
which did establish the right of
petition. At the League of Nations
there were notable cases in which
the World Jewish Congress was
concerned, where such petitions
brought about important and posi
tive results. Today, this is im
possible.
Where do we now stand? What
does the situation demand?
The experience of the Jewish
people, perhaps the most grievous
ly afflicted victim of racial and
religious prejudice, leads us to
the conviction that the battle
against discrimination and preju
dice cannot be won in the field
of generalized propaganda alone
or in an appeal only to good sense
and good will.
We believe that action to eradi
cate discrimination can be effect
ive only in the field of the law.
I'/to headed a large WJC dele-
the conference. Portions of his
not only because they are of
ry, but also because they con-
fight against bigotry.
—EDITOR'S NOTE
by legislative measures on the in
ternational and national planes.
To argue that adoption by law of
a new moral norm must await
prior acceptance by virtually the
whole population of a country
means its postponement indefin
itely. Nothing educates so much
as law and its operation will
create such acceptance.
Accordingly, we propose:
(1) That we address a solemn
and earnest appeal to the Powers
to revise their policy on human
rights, within the United Nations.
The time has come for a new
approach designed to create legal
ly binding instruments, to promote
respect for human rights and to
secure their observance;
(2) That it is indispensable that
the right of recognized non-gov
ernmental bodies to make repre
sentations to the UN on policies
and acts of discrimination and to
secure public examination of such
grievances, should be established
and accepted by the State Mem
bers of the UN; and
(3) That we urge Governments
to adopt legislation prohibiting and
penalizing discrimination in their
countries. Such legislation would
not only protect victims of dis
crimination and prejudice, but
would create new standards of
behavior and exercise a powerful
educational influence in their
elimination.
We should not rely exclusively
or primarily on an appeal to gov
ernments. We should not under
estimate our own strength. We sit
here representing many millions
of people. Never in history was
public opinion, if properly guided
and directed, as powerful as it is
today.
Governments will be the last
to follow. Politicians rarely create
new orders. What they do is to
crystallize, organize and legalize
them.
I speak here as a Jew repre
senting a people whose history is
perhaps the most dramatic and
tragic expression of racial and re
ligious discrimination and perse
cution, especially during the Nazi
The Southern Israelite