Inherent Dignity: The Essence of Human Rights (or How to Get from Dignity to Political Power)

Abstract

The UDHR posits a conjunction of dignity and rights as the basis of ‘‘freedom, justice and peace in the world’’. This paper distinguishes between the two, viewing human dignity itself as the ultimate - even though enigmatic - foundation of human rights. Although originally seen as under the purview of sovereign states (while still being international), human rights have travelled into the more amorphous territory of civil community. It is, indeed, now fashionable to address civil community (aka civil society) as both the locale for discussion of human rights and the provider of actors (aka NGOs) on the human rights stage. However, this well-meant move harbors a distancing from the centers of power, which should remain responsible and, more so, accountable for human rights. B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights organization, is used as a case study and illustration of this problematic relation between civil community and political power.