ABSTRACT
Between 1940 and 1945, human rights emerged as a central component of the postwar-planned fellowship of nations, Americans referred to it as the One World Order. The objective of the One World idea was to establish shared universal liberal principles and values, end imperialism, constrain nationalism, uplift the world’s less fortunate, and create a universally accepted global bill of rights for humankind. All of this was to take place under the umbrella of the newly created United Nations. Within a few short years after the end of the Second World War, this idea fell victim to nationalistic and ideological ambitions. Even the much-hailed 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a step away from rather than toward a universal order that holds violators accountable. Exploring these developments, this chapter argues that present-day visions of global human rights now face growing challenges from resurgent nationalism on the political right and radical progressivism on the political left, both of which reject the idea of western universally applied principles. The chapter recommends that if international organizations are serious about solving questions of human inequality and human rights violations, they would do well to return to the One World ideals that emerged during the Second World War.
