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The Relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Human Services

            Human services professionals are experts holding paraprofessional and skilled occupations in various settings, including scholarly handicap and community mental health facilities, among others (Alfreðsson & Eide, 1999). These professionals assist people, groups, or societies in working effectively within the environment. Reportedly, human service specialists must be ready to help others by treating them in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) standards. This paper examines the relevance of UDHR to human services professionals, specifically, veteran affairs experts. It also outlines changes that human service professionals require to comply with UDHR standards.

The Relevance of the UDHR to Veteran Affairs

            The UDHR is relevance to veteran affairs professionals because it assists these experts in understanding and inculcating dignity and justice in their works and various societies. Justice and dignity of every person is the promise of the UDHR and are regarded as the core of every human right (Stamatopoulou, 1998). Among the rights that a person is entitled to, dignity is the most challenging to express. Thus, UDHR helps these professionals to treat everyone with respect, tolerance, and understanding. Moreover, it allows specialists to formulate laws and practices that ensure patience, respect, and knowledge to those constituting societies, communities, and nations.

            Poverty is a critical factor that hinders people and societies from achieving their full potentials.  As such, the UDHR provides veteran affairs professionals with a clear understanding of the universe to ensure that everyone regardless of his or her social, political, and geographical locations has equal chance to develop freely and equally to his or her full potential. It also reminds these experts about their roles and the need to help people and communities through collective actions to establish social and global order to enable people to achieve economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights (Stamatopoulou, 1998).

            Although UDHR hardly addresses the environment directly, Alfreðsson and Eide (1999) state that it informs professionals about the need to avoid dumping harmful waste substances in the environment and unreasonably exploiting existing natural resources without consulting and compensating the members of the society involved. UDHR helps veteran affairs professionals recognize the benefits of conserving the environment to ensure that people continue to enjoy their human rights. Similarly, Stamatopoulou (1998) noted that UDHR helps veteran affair specialists to ensure gender equality by giving women and men similar opportunities. Through this, specialists can provide equal rights, opportunities, and responsibilities to everyone in society.

            Regardless of where or the nature of society one lives, one fundamental right is to allow them to participate fully in making critical decisions in their community. Without any form of participation, one is unable to experience and enjoy various freedoms and rights that UDHR seeks to guarantee. Therefore, the relevance of UDHR to the veteran affairs professionals is that it ensures that the participation of professional is active, meaningful and free. Further, it helps them understand people’s views to enhance their community and lives are heard and answered correctly. Intuitively, people have a say in every decision made regarding affairs within their local communities and nation at large (Reichert, 2007). As stipulated in Article 21, everybody has a right to engage in government and elections. Participation also implies that the views and opinions of minority groups are listened to and considered when critical decisions are made. Therefore, UDHR assists veteran affair professionals to understand that they should influence the destiny of the people they work with and participate in making decisions that affect such persons.

Changes That Human Service Professionals Require To Comply With UDHR

            The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has various standards that human service professionals, especially veteran affairs professionals require to comply with. First, the professionals should improve the quality of services they offer to customers and communities. In case it is anticipated that there is an imminent threat to customers, the professionals are required to act appropriately and professionally to safeguard the wellbeing of such persons. Secondly, the specialists should avoid sexual or intimate relationships with their customers. Before engaging in any sexual or intimate relationships with customers, their friends or relatives, the professionals should comprehensively examine the potential consequences of engaging in such relationships.

            Another requirement that human service professionals need to comply with UDHR standards is that they should offer services, help or administration without discriminating customers or people based on their culture, age, ethnicity, sex, capacity, religion, dialect inclination, nationality and financial status among others (Wark, 2010). The professionals should also stay updated regarding contemporary social issues that affect communities and customers. If possible, these professionals should share this information with communities, customers or other groups. Human service professionals should also recognize customer resources and needs and formulate ways in which the identified needs can be met.

            In conclusion, human service professionals help people and community groups work effectively in the environment. A desire to assist others to grow, develop, gain justice and dignity among others are critical ways in which UDHR is relevant to human service professionals. Thus, to continue enjoying these benefits, human service professionals should strive to adhere to UDHR standards discussed herein.