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Selassie's speech on Human Rights

From Wikisource
Human Rights
by Haile Selassie, translated by Haile Selassie I Press

undated speech

142763Human RightsHaile Selassie I PressHaile Selassie

Colonialism and the policy of racism impose soul searching questions of human rights, weighing equally on the conscience of all men and nations of good-will. History amply shows that the freedom enjoyed by the many becomes fragile when the denial, even to the few, of basic human rights is tolerated.

Our efforts as free men must be to establish new relationships, devoid of any resentment and hostility, restored to our belief and faith in ourselves as individuals, dealing on a basis of equality with other equally free people.

We believe in cooperation and collaboration to promote the cause of international security, the equality of man and the welfare of mankind.

We believe in the peaceful settlement of all disputes without resorting to force.

All well ordered and modern states can only base themselves upon Courts of Justice and Conduct of Laws which are just, correct and geared towards the protection of the rights of individuals.

Justice is a product of education.

Man's ingratitude to man is often manifested in willingness to relegate human beings to the scrapheaps of life when they enter the twilight of their careers and younger brains and stronger arms are found to replace them.

 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was first published in Ethiopia, which is not a participant in the Berne Convention or any other treaty on copyright with the United States, and was not simultaneously published in another country.

This work is also in the public domain in Ethiopia if it meets one of the following criteria:

  • It is an anonymous, pseudonymous or posthumous work and 50 years have passed since the date of its publication.
  • It is a collective or audiovisual work and 50 years have passed since the date of its publication.
  • It is a photographic work, and 25 years have passed since the date of its creation (or publication, whatever date is the latest).
  • It is another kind of work, and 50 years have passed since the year of death of the author (or last-surviving author).
  • It is "any official text of a legislative, administrative or of legal nature, as well as official translations thereof".

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the copyright holder.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse