In every society there have to be agreements to avoid total chaos. In thè Middle Ages, thè risk of thè powerfui abusing thè powerless led to thè establishment of social contracts.
One example is the Magna Carta, a charter written by a group of barons in 1215 in an attempt to curtail thè power of King John of England, guarantee-ing his subjects certain rights and freedoms.
The charter Itselt was regularly amended, but it remained a tempiale for thè dernocratit: Hystmn in ali its forms. Parts of it were adopted in the English DUI of Rights In 1KH9 and thè United States Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The Universul Declurntlon of Human Rights is also based on thè Magna Carta. The United Nations was founded In 1945 after thè Second World War.
Its 'ralson d'étre' whb to safeguard peace and protect thè righta nnd freedoms of every rnember ot the human race. To put thls into practlce thè Unllod Nations nee-ded a treaty. It come In 1948 in the shape of the UniversQl Declaration ol Human Rights, containing 30 artlcles onshrining thè basic rights of every hurnan belng. Those articles draw on a number of universal principles, such as freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for the environment and shared responsibility. The declaration is not binding, but it has gained great moral force over thè past six decades. In 2008 more than ever, it is an International standard on which every state governed by thè rule of law is built.
Text: Carine Boeykens
Philately has been considered as an "auxiliary science of history" because it is based on the general principles of other sciences, which in turn contribute to enrich it. It acquires knowledge of the sciences, of the arts, of languages and opens an immense road of social relations through all countries. This science broadens broad horizons of culture, discovers artistic temperaments and offers the interest of the new and the unknown, while performing a positive therapeutic wor.
