“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected,” New Brunswicker John Peters Humphrey, the principal drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, wrote. When the declaration passed unanimously as a United Nations resolution on December 10, 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt called it, the “Magna Carta of all mankind.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered the foundation of international human rights law. As the UN states, “It represents the universal recognition that basic rights and fundamental freedoms are inherent to all human beings, inalienable and equally applicable to everyone, and that every one of us is born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Humphrey, who was born in Hampton in 1905 and went to school in Rothesay, did not have an easy childhood. His father died when he was a baby, and because of a severe burn, his left arm was amputated when he was six. When he was 11, his mother died. Undeterred, he attended Mount Allison University and McGill, where he earned four degrees and, later, became dean of law.
In 1946, President Harry S. Truman appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as the United States representative to the UN’s Commission on Human Rights. That same year, Humphrey was asked to set up the UN’s Division for Human Rights and become its director. For two years, Roosevelt and Humphrey collaborated to create the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and, in 1947, Humphrey wrote the first draft. After further drafts and revisions by various UN officials and committees, the declaration was adopted.
It’s autumn, 2019, on the Bay of Fundy, and I am thinking about John Peters Humphrey and Eleanor Roosevelt as I lean on the railing of the summer ferry that runs from Deer Island to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, where FDR, Eleanor and their family spent their summers.
During my tour of the Roosevelt Cottage, part of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, I learned how Humphrey and Roosevelt’s love of the issue of human rights brought them together. As I watch the gulls circling above, I can’t help but wonder if, during their work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they ever shared stories about New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy. They must have.
Here’s an idea. In honour of John Peters Humphrey, his relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let’s connect Campobello Island and the New Brunswick mainland with a permanent ferry. Let’s call that ferry, The John Peters Humphrey.
Considering all that’s going on with human rights abuses around the world, the John Peters Humphrey would make a powerful symbol, not only of the value and significance of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also of the connection between New Brunswick and the Roosevelt family. It would also link the remarkable Fundy Trail Parkway with Roosevelt Campobello International Park and the United States. Many Americans visit the park every summer, and I bet if they could get on a ferry dedicated to the creation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and head to mainland New Brunswick, they would.
The idea of connecting Campobello to the mainland has been around for years. It’s currently being pushed by Accessible Campobello, a group on the island committed to securing reliable year-round access with the New Brunswick mainland. They want to see a ferry link between Campobello and L’Etete, which is where you catch the ferry to Deer Island. That makes sense because the infrastructure for docking large vessels is already there.
COVID-19 has highlighted shortcomings in just about every aspect of our lives. For the 870 residents of Campobello, however, those shortcomings are more acute. Imagine having to cross an international border, drive 60 kilometres through Maine, and then cross another international border to gas up your car, visit family and friends or go to an appointment. This situation is patently unfair.
Despite the challenging economic times that are no doubt heading our way as a result of the pandemic, as a province, let’s not forget about the power of big ideas and how they can inspire people. The Fundy Trail Parkway is an excellent example. We haven’t exactly been living on easy street in this province for the last 25 years, but we made that happen. We can also make the idea of a permanent ferry between Campobello and the New Brunswick mainland happen. The good people of Campobello deserve it.
Let’s also not forget about what an amazing province we live in, and the remarkable contributions that New Brunswickers have made to the world, including those of John Peters Humphrey, about whom Nelson Mandela wrote, “John Humphrey is the father of the modern human rights system.”
Dare to dream, New Brunswick. This is not a time for thinking small. John Peters Humphrey would agree. So would Eleanor Roosevelt.
