The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the world's best-known and most
translated documents. When it was presented to the UN General Assembly in December in 1948, Eleanor
Roosevelt, chair of the writing group, called it a "Magna Carta for all mankind". The passage of time has
shown Roosevelt to have been largely correct in her prediction as to the Declaration's importance. No
other document in the world today can claim a comparable standing in the international community. This
year is also the 70 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Roosevelt and French legal expert René Cassin have often been presented as the principal authors of the
UN Declaration. In fact, it resulted from a collaborative effort involving a number of individuals in
different capacities. One of its most important authors was Peng Chun Chang (1892-1957), a Chinese
diplomat and philosopher whose contribution has been the focus of growing attention in recent years.
Indeed, it is Chang who deserves the credit for the universality and religious ecumenism that are now
regarded as the Declaration's defining features. Despite this, Chang's extraordinary contribution was
overlooked for many years by historians of the Declaration.
Peng Chun Chang was a modern-day Renaissance man with many strings to his bow - teacher, scholar,
university chancellor, playwright, diplomat, and politician. A true cosmopolitan, he was deeply involved
in the cultural exchange between East and West, and the dramatic events of his life left a profound mark
upon his intellectual and political work. Chang's alma mater was Columbia University where he took his
PhD under the supervision of John Dewey in 1923.
The purpose of this seminar is to discuss the relevance of Peng Chun Chang's thoughts for the world
today and his important contributions to the Universal Declaration.
