I once heard Jimmy Carter say that there are no human rights in a war. With the fighting in Ukraine and Gaza front and center, that observation seems more profound than ever. Human rights as an issue may be on life support.
There are very few excellent examples of progress to pay attention to. Maybe just one: Northern Ireland, finally.
In addition to major war zones, human rights are being trampled in so many places that it requires an effort to keep up with the ravages. Old alliances are crumbling, if not broken. The displaced cry out for shelter and safety. The death toll is enormous, the disruption epic.
The Council on Foreign Relations maintains a conflict tracker – their orange markers dot the world. Wikipedia maps an even broader set of Armed conflicts. Hostile actions are killing people in Sudan and western New Guinea, Haiti is on the brink of collapse, criminal violence is spreading through Mexico, and thousands of people are dying in Syria year after year.
Some of the violence is especially barbaric, such as at the music festival in Israel on October 7. They are held hostage for long periods of time in Russia, China, Egypt and now Gaza. Nearly a million Palestinians are fleeing in every direction, seeking safety from the promised invasion of Rafah.
The consequences are obvious but difficult to understand. The old and the youngest die first. Hunger follows war; Disease follows famine, and young adults and middle-aged people also die. Women are especially vulnerable to sexual violence, the effects of which can last a lifetime. Dozens of people are left homeless.
Decency and sanity demand that we address these catastrophes, however massive and uncompromising they may be.
We can start by reminding ourselves of the objective. Reread the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, written under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt. It remains a clear call for how the world should treat its people. Or look at Pope Francis’ “Dignitas Infinita,” the Catholic Church’s call to “fight and pay personally, without fanfare, in concrete daily life, the price of defending the rights of those who do not count.”
But how? Support those who run into conflict and danger, those who document events, those who demand accountability: UN volunteers and workers, journalists on the ground and peace negotiators. Groups like Doctors Without Borders, World Kitchen, the Red Cross/Red Crescent, and Amnesty International, where I once worked. (Do your homework; not all groups have staying power.)
Find a part of the world you want to help and don't forget that it might be next door. Talk to people you disagree with. Look for things you can agree on.
Simply put, the world is shaking from violence. He needs to shake off his decency. We need to regain our hope and confidence for the future.
Is this nonsense, an impossibility given the metastasizing violence? I do not think so. Wherever you are, whatever your responsibilities and commitments, you can vote, meet, organize, listen, donate time and money.
We must take human rights out of intensive care and resurrect our commitment to them. We need him home safe to protect us all.
Jack Healey, former director of Amnesty International USA, is the founder of the Human Rights Action Center. He is the author of “Create Your Future: Lessons from a Lifetime in Civil and Human Rights.”
