Universality of human rights and cultural diversity: A Perspective

This speech is an attempt to offer á perspective, given the particular circumstances4 that moulded my thinking. I will sketch the background and confine myself to the unfolding South African scene. The problem, which I will not try and resolve today, is that the different regions in the world and some commentators, also in South Africa, hold firm views. Universal human rights imply inclusiveness because it reflects our “common humanity”.6 This is determined and refined through interpretation and application by humankind at particular moments in time and history. Universality is much more than the determination by a majority at a particular moment because universal human rights “are the rights of all persons in the world”.