This is the first podcast in a series to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It considers whether human rights have an ancient pedigree in law, ethics, politics and religion. Do the Code of Hammurabi and the Cyrus Cylinder offer any clues to the origins? What was the nature of rights in ancient Greece?

How important was the growth of the political influence of Christianity? What was the impact of Magna Carta?
This podcast considers these issues in the light of the political, social and cultural contexts out of which they arose, and the influence of people directly involved.

This is the first podcast in a series to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It considers whether human rights have an ancient pedigree in law, ethics, politics and religion. Do the Code of Hammurabi and the Cyrus Cylinder offer any clues to the origins? What was the nature of rights in ancient Greece?
How important was the growth of the political influence of Christianity? What was the impact of Magna Carta? This podcast considers these issues in the light of the political, social and cultural contexts out of which they arose, and the influence of people directly involved.

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Was it the
most important legal document of the 20th century, still hale and hearty in the 21st century,
or is it past its prime?

It has been surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. It has been misunderstood,
misquoted and sometimes mismanaged. It has been called racist and misogynistic. Yet it
remains a legal, social and cultural lodestone. How can this be?

This series of 7 podcasts looks into these questions, but rather than being simply a legalistic or philosophical discussion, it looks at the people behind the idea that has become human rights. How ancient are human rights? Are revolutions necessary to create human rights?

Is passion important? What happened in the 20 th century to provide the impulses towards
the Universal Declaration? How was it drafted in the United Nations in a Cold War climate? Is it still relevant today and how is it being used or misused?

The presenter, Dr Phillip Tahmindjis, is an Australian human rights lawyer and former Director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. In that capacity he has undertaken human rights training all over the world (including Libya, Nepal and Swaziland/Eswatini), undertaken human rights capacity building programs in Afghanistan and Myanmar, drafted guidelines for human rights fact-finding and reporting, and consults with governments and industry on implementation of human rights and anti-discrimination measures. In 2012 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the international community and human rights.

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Was it the most important legal document of the 20th century, still hale and hearty in the 21st century, or is it past its prime?
It has been surrounded by myth and misunderstanding. It has been misunderstood, misquoted and sometimes mismanaged. It has been called racist and misogynistic. Yet it remains a legal, social and cultural lodestone. How can this be?
This series of 7 podcasts looks into these questions, but rather than being simply a legalistic or philosophical discussion, it looks at the people behind the idea that has become human rights. How ancient are human rights? Are revolutions necessary to create human rights?
Is passion important? What happened in the 20 th century to provide the impulses towards the Universal Declaration? How was it drafted in the United Nations in a Cold War climate? Is it still relevant today and how is it being used or misused?
The presenter, Dr Phillip Tahmindjis, is an Australian human rights lawyer and former Director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. In that capacity he has undertaken human rights training all over the world (including Libya, Nepal and Swaziland/Eswatini), undertaken human rights capacity building programs in Afghanistan and Myanmar, drafted guidelines for human rights fact-finding and reporting, and consults with governments and industry on implementation of human rights and anti-discrimination measures. In 2012 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the international community and human rights.

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