December is Universal Human Rights Month

Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

December is Universal Human Rights Month, in honor of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was drafted in response to the horrors of World War II and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on December 10, 1948.

In recognition of this important month, the Wallace Librarians have gathered a collection of print and online materials from the Library’s collection to highlight the history, the successes, and the efforts of the campaign for international human rights.

The 1st Article in the Declaration states, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” We take this time celebrate this spirit, and learn how to insure these rights for all individuals.

There are a variety of books spanning many topics within the field of Human Rights, including reproductive rights, human rights within global workplaces, the history of the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights, as well as books on the Arab Spring and the reconstruction of Rwanda. In addition, Wheaton has a number of eBooks and databases which provided additional information and research, including, Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS), Social Sciences Full Text, and CQ Researcher. 

There are a variety of local and international organizations participating in these efforts, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Facing History and Ourselves, Human Rights Watch, and UNESCO.

This is just a small subset of the Library’s vast print and online collection. For more information on finding related works in the library, please contact one of our liaison librarians.