Mon, 27 Feb 2017 10:13:58 +0000
Mr. President, go back to the basics
By Donald Chanda
| Mr. President, during the campaigns, some unpleasant words you used against women caught up with you. That, I am sure, must have acted as a lesson to you that whatever one does in life, one day they will have to account for them. |
When you follow the historical accounts of civilization, which Western, including American societies are proud of today, it is traced back to the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates that Homo sapiens first developed an agricultural system that supported large scale population in one place. They did this by irrigation system, supervised by warrior kings who had developed among them. It was a much more superior system compared to hunter-gatherer life. More food meant that mouths could be fed. This remains a fact of our lives to this very day. This early farming led to a sedentary lifestyle based around homestead temple and storehouse. The Sumerians who developed this city living culture we call civilization today achieved one landmark, that is, for the first time human beings lived in an environment shaped entirely by their own hands and produced enough material resources to be spared the constant hunt for food.
City life demanded new and complex forms of organization, so invariably communication in language-oral and written-developed laws on how to relate to each other were developed, technologies and various symbols of common usage were developed, used and spread among groups. From the Sumerian civilization followed the Egyptian, East-Mediterranean, India, China, Greek, Roman civilizations.
Pax Romana brought ‘peace’ laws, fine roads, high personal codes of conduct and Government as we know it today, to most of Europe for 400years. Evidence is living with us, that the law of nearly all modern European countries has its origin in jurisprudence of Emperor Justinian’s Codex. The legal standing of the Roman citizen is the root of the present day political rights.
Although official Rome was hostile to Christianity, it is a matter of historical record that it was the straight roads of the Romans that enabled the good news to be spread throughout the Roman Empire. Eventually, under Constantine I 324, Christianity became the state religion of Rome. Christianity offered faith in one God, Christianity was not opposed to reason, Christianity put God and all people as father to all men and women, Jew and Gentile, that whoever repents, follows the commandments will have a compassionate good eternal life, here, now and forever even after death.
The modern American society was born out of this Western civilization. On arrival in America, in October 1492, Christopher Columbus echoed this. The United Nations Charter, which governs human conduct at international level, is a modern product of the civilization that has encompassed all nations. Needless to say, all nations are governed by the laws developed through a long human historical experience which I have summarized here above.
Mr. President, I want you to look at the basics of human existence for you to see that a human being anywhere is worth to you and to America. We should therefore treat each other as humans and respect each other as such, not only for the commonality of our being but through faith, beliefs, shared culture, shared principles, laws and traditions. That is what makes us human beings.
Article 2 of the charter of the United Nations 1945 as well as article 3, are worth restating. Article 2 says, “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace”. (It is interesting to note that in my first letter to you, Mr. President, I quoted from the speech of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America and he used the words-respect other nations.)
Article 3 says, “ to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human [rights and the fundamental freedoms for all without distinction to race, sex, language or religion.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adoped by the General Assembly of the United Nations on the night of 10th December 1948, without a single dissenting vote, has brought out the elements of human dignity and equal rights more forcefully to every nation. In its preamble, it says, “whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inaliable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind……………. Whereas, it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the charter re-affirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.
Articles 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6 are very specific, comparable only to the 10 commandments of the Bible.
Article 1: 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.
Article 2: everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration without distinction of any kind, such has race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3: everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4: no one shall be held in slavery or servitude, slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forums.
Article 5: no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6: Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Mr. President, even as I repeat these articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I know that Africa, as a continent, has been riddled with violations of human rights. It is now that Africa is frequently asserting itself against governments that violate human rights and we still have a high mountain ahead to climb in this regard. The USA, however, which you are privileged to lead as President, is key and important member of the United Nations, with capacity to implement these rights and even make other nations follow. You will be helping the whole world by keeping these articles close to your heart, in your actions and in your heart, in your actions and in your relations and communications to other nations.
I am a Christian and one of my regular readings in the Bible is the book of Ecclesiastes 12 verse 14 and 14 which says let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter;
“Fear God and keep his commandments for that is all for man. For God will bring every work we do on earth into judgement, including every secret thing whether good or evil”.
Donald Chanda -Lecturer,
University of Zambia (RTD),
P.O. Box 32379,
Lusaka
Tell: 0979-771803
Email: chakolongana@gmail.com
