Freedom of faith ... freedom of the mind.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18

Fifty years ago, a group of ambitious minds collaborated to create a document that would set a standard for guaranteeing individual human rights. This document emerged as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The American delegate, Eleanor Roosevelt, brought the American heritage of the Bill of Rights and blended it with the complex and diverse ideas brought by drafters from around the world. One of the most fundamental human rights addressed in both documents is tile freedom of religion. It is addressed in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights and in Article 18 of the Declaration. The underlying principle of both documents is that no Government should be allowed to infringe on the thoughts and beliefs of an individual. Perhaps the most significant difference between the Bill of Rights and the Declaration is that the Bill of Rights carries the force and penalties of law. The courts must first determine if the threatened religious belief is "sincerely held", and, if so, balance the burden on the individual with the interest of the State.

Article 18 of the Declaration promotes freedom of religion in a different way, protecting religious freedoms through the power of world opinion and moral persuasion, setting a standard for the United Nations and other organizations.

In 1993, the United Nations Human Rights Committee completed a General Comment which specifically recognizes the application of Article 18 to new religions. The Committee found that: "Article 18 is not limited in its application to traditional religions or to religions and beliefs with institutional characteristics or practices analogous to those of traditional religions." The 1981 resolution on the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination based on Religion or Belief establishes a Special Rapporteur to act against religious discrimination; to communicate with the State concerning the religious violation; to visit countries with alleged problems and analyze the situation; and to work toward the definitive goal of religious tolerance.

Communication is achieved through correspondence. Thus it is a nation's responsibility to reply and negotiate a solution. If no reply is received, the Rapporteur makes the violation public and the weight of public opinion is applied. The Rapporteur's second responsibility is to visit countries with violations claimed, and submit follow-up reports. The Rapporteur gathers opinions on all alleged incidents and governments action incompatible with the Declaration. Lastly, efforts are made toward universal acceptance of religious diversity. Believing that education is the prime means of combating religious intolerance, the Special Rapporteur conducted a survey in 1996. Using a questionnaire, inquiries were made on freedom of religion and belief in the curricula and textbooks used in schools throughout the world. The results of this survey will help shape an international educational strategy on religious tolerance.

The Declaration of Human Rights has also supplied protagonists of human rights with a basis for advancement. An example of a remarkably successful organization using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to guard freedom of religion is Amnesty International. Amnesty uses the Universal Declaration to increase public awareness. Each year, it effects the release of hundreds of "prisoners of conscience" held by Governments around the world. Amnesty International is a good example of the way in which "the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has worked its way into the consciousness of the world", as Adlai Stevenson wrote in 1961, "and has influenced the consciences of nations".

Freedom of religion signifies the development of an individual's ethical and spiritual thought. If it is suppressed, the result is the suppression of the human mind. In this way, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Bill of Rights work not only toward the equality of the human race, but the advancement of the human mind, reflecting the spirit of individual right of worship and belief and, as Thomas Jefferson put k, the "wall of separation between church and State" - a right that requires to be protected and continually renewed.

* Grade 11 at Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. First place winner of the 1998 National High School Essay Contest on the theme "The United Nations and Human Rights", co-sponsored by UNA-USA, the United Nations Development Programme and the Dailey Family Foundation. These excerpts are from her essay.