JOHN HUMPHREY'S SCHOOLDAYS: THE INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ON THE CANADIAN WHO DRAFTED THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Abstract
ABSTRACT. John Peters Humphrey prepared the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was, for decades, one of the world's premier human rights advocates and activists. One of the great strengths of the Declaration was the decision to include social/economic rights, in addition to the more traditional civil/political ones, a duality that Humphrey had created in the first draft. Humphrey's difficult early life had given him unusual insights into suffering, powerlessness and the nature ofhuman dignity. After having one arm amputated when he was 6 and being orphaned when he was 11, he was faced with a new challenge when he was sent away to a boarding school in Rothesay, N.B., where he spent four unhappy years. This paper draws on a variety of sources, including letters and memoirs, to examine the influence of his school experience on his later life and work, especially as it affected his draft of the Declaration. LES ANNÉES D'ÉCOLE DE JOHN HUMPHREY: L'INflUENCE DE L'EXPÉRIENCE SCOLAIRE SUR LE CANADIEN QUI A RÉDIGÉ LA DÉCLARATION UNIVERSELLE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME RÉSUMÉ. John Peters Humphrey a rédigé la première version de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme et pendant des dizaines d'années a été l'un des plus grands défenseurs et activistes des droits de l'homme dans le monde. L'un des grands innovations de la Déclaration est la décision d'y incorporer les droits sociaux et économiques, en plus des droits civils et politiques plus traditionnels, dualité introduite par Humphrey dans cette première version. Les premières années difficiles de la vie de Humphrey lui ont donné une appréhension inhabituelle des souffrances, de l'impuissance et de la nature de la dignité humaine. Amputé d'un bras à l'âge de six ans, puis orphelin à l'âge de onze ans, Humphrey a dû faire face à un nouveau défi de taille lorsqu'on l'a envoyé en pensionnat à Rothesay (N.B.), où il a passé quatre années difficiles. Cet article s'inspire de diverses sources, notamment de lettres et mémoires, pour analyser l'impact de sa scolarité sur sa vie et sa profession ainsi que son influence sur la première version de la Déclaration.Downloads
Published
2002-04-01
How to Cite
Hobbins, A. (2002). JOHN HUMPHREY’S SCHOOLDAYS: THE INFLUENCE OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ON THE CANADIAN WHO DRAFTED THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 37(002). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/8618
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