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Why HUMAN RIGHTS EMPATHY?

Why does Empathy Surplus Network USA promote Rotary International? As you learned in the Anonymous Short Survey above, our founder is a Rotarian. Empathy Surplus is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, member-driven, science-based communication education collective. We encourage our members to partner with their centers of influence to help frame and reframe constant public discourse on any human rights issue through the lens of empathy. Specifically, we want our members to use three framing strategies: [a] REPEATEDLY, [b] FRAME what you want, [c] around their human rights empathy legacy.

WHY? Because repetition of ideas physically strengthens those ideas in the neural circuitry of the human brain, whether the hearer or reader agrees with them or not. Too few Rotarains and the general public know about Rotary’s United Nations human rights legacy and its focus on local and international friendship. Since the US Government has been corrupted and captured by billionaires and fascists, who are intent on destroying the United Nations and human rights, the Empathy Surplus founder is committed to recruiting US Rotarians and international Rotary allies to promote Rotary’s legacy. Non-Rotary members of Empathy Surplus may join this Rotary Action Group as long as they remain at 20 percent of the total membership.

How do Rotarians promote human rights, and how can they get better? As you learned in the Anonymous Short Survey above, Rotary and Rotaract Club members are uniquely qualified to physically strengthen the empathic brains of their fellow members and community stakeholders simply by framing their work around their human rights empathy legacy. Rotarians can improve at promoting human rights by incorporating their UN legacy and the term “human rights” into their conversations wherever possible.

For example, Article 14 of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution states that individual Rotarians talk about ANY SUBJECT concerning the welfare of their community, nation, or the world, including promoting candidates or ballot initiatives. What’s prohibited is a club itself endorsing candidates or ballot initiatives or lobbying governments. Consequently, club members should talk about The Rotary Foundation’s causes as human rights causes, which they are. Rotarians should tell prospective members about its human rights empahy legacy.

How do Rotarians promote empathy, and how can they get better? As you learned in the Anonymous Short Survey above, Rotary’s Guiding Principles, the United Nations, and the UDHR focus on friendship, which takes empathy for and responsibility to one’s friend. UDHR Article 1b, which states that “All human beings … should act towards one another in the spirit of brotherhood,” is rooted in the empathy of friendship. Rotarians can improve their promotion of empathy and friendship by reminding one another and their communities that everyone deserves a friend who has their back, and that no one should undermine friendship.

Since Rotarians have siloed human rights interests, as reflected in The Rotary Foundation’s seven human rights causes, we will serve as a community of practice for promoting the moral why of any human right outlined in the UDHR Preamble and Articles 1, 2, and 28-30. 

UDHR PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable 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, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed 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,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore, The General Assembly proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

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 as race, color, 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 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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