The musical theatre 'We human rights. Representation of human dignity and peace' by Antonio Papisca is out

The musical theatre “Noi, diritti umani. Rappresentazione di dignità umana, et di pace/We, human rights. Representation of human  dignity and peace” by Antonio Papisca, is in the bookstores in its new Italian-English facing-page version. The book is published by Marsilio (Venice).

2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Charta, the progenitor of modern legislation on fundamental rights and freedoms. In the author’s imagination, the main actors are the international human rights Declarations and Conventions, each embodied as a human being, who meet at a worldwide birthday banquet in the historic water-meadow of Runnymede in 1215. Each participant, following the lead of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, converses with the others, flanked by human rights defenders. The celebration is marked by the debate between King John Lackland and Sundjata Keita, respectively on behalf of the Magna Carta and of its contemporary, the Charter of Kurukan Fuga from Africa; and between the Old Law and the New Law. At the close of the gathering, the Ode to Human Dignity is the canticle that the lover, Ius Novum, recites to his beloved Human Dignity herself.

Antonio Papisca is emeritus professor of the University of Padua, where he taught International Relations and International Protection of Human Rights. He is holder of the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, Democracy and Peace at Padua University and director of the “Italian Yearbook of Human Rights” (Marsilio Publishers). In 1982 he promoted the establishment of the Human Rights Centre at the University of Padua and, in 1997, the European Master’s Degree Programme in Human Rights and Democratization based in Venice, in which 41 European universities participate. Among his publications, “Il Diritto della dignità umana. Riflessioni sulla globalizzazione dei diritti umani”, Venice, Marsilio Publishers 2011.

Translated by Lorrain Buckley

List of Contents

12 Prologue
18 Scene i: Pugna inter Ius Novum et Ius Vetus
(A dispute between the New Law and the Old Law)
46 Scene ii: Plenitudo Iuris (The fullness of Law)
74 Scene iii: Mater Filiorum Laetans in Convivio
(The joyful mother at her children’s banquet)
96 Scene iv: Bonum Audere in Toto Orbe
(It is well to dare the world over)
134 Scene v: De Jure ad Pacem Liberando
(Why the Right to Peace must be liberated)
186 Apotheosis: Humana Dignitas Servanda Est
(Human Dignity must be respected) 

List of Characters

Narrator
Poet
Ius Vetus (the Old Law) (a man bearing arms)
Ius Novum (the New Law)
Chorus (Human Rights Defenders)
John Lackland
Sundjata Keita
The Magna Carta
The Charter of Kurukan Fuga
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The International Convention on the Rights of the Child
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
The International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The International Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
The United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Declaration on Human Rights Defenders)
Charter 77
Charter 08
(in gestation) The United Nations Declaration on the Right to Peace
Town Mayor
Young Astronaut
Maria Dolens, The Grieving Virgin Mary (War Memorial Peace Bell, Rovereto, Italy)

Prologue

It was the great philosopher Antonio Rosmini who had the inspirational insight “The human person is subsistent human right”.

International law implicitly adopted this stance in 1948 with Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

Hence: We, human rights.

Many years ago, in Siena, I enjoyed a splendid performance of the Rappresentazione di anima, et di corpo (The Representation of Soul and Body) by Emilio de’ Cavalieri.

I have used that memory in titling this music theatre, almost a structural homology: the reference in my case is to two universal values such as human dignity and peace.

My use of “et” in the Italian title (Noi, diritti umani. Rappresentazione di dignità umana, et di pace) may be aphilological foible and the form of theatre resemble recitar cantando and Baroque oratorio, comprising dialogue, concisenarrative and poetry.

The main actors are the sources of International Human Rights Law, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Conventions on the rights of the child, on the elimination of all forms of discriminations against women, on the rights of persons with disabilities, on the status of refugees, the United Nations Declaration on human rights defenders and the would-be Declaration on the right to peace. Each embodied as a human being, they meet at a worldwide banquet and testify that thanks to Ius Novum, international law has come to humancentric fullness. They are joined by two important ‘Charters’ drawn up by civil society leaders: Charter 77, due to the inspiration of Vaclav Havel in the former Czechoslovakia, and Charter 08, written in China by Liu Xiaobo in 2008.

The celebration is marked by two debates: the first between King John Lackland and Sundjata Keita, respectively on behalf of the Magna Carta Libertatum of 1215 and of its contemporary, the Charter of Kurukan Fuga from the peaceful empire of West Africa; and the second between Ius Vetus, the old law based on the sovereignty of the state in arms,

and Ius Novum, the new law of human dignity and peace.

Flanked by a group of human rights defenders, they talk to and encourage us as if we ourselves were human rights. Universal law takes on a human form.

This music theatre in the poetry and prose of law aims to impart a lesson in new international law, using simple language, from the mouths of its origins and validated by its witnesses on the ground, human rights defenders.

The roots of this law go back many centuries: well before the Magna Carta, mention is made of the Code of Hammurabi, the Cyrus Cylinder, the teachings of Confucius and Mencius on living together in harmony; of Greek and Roman Stoicism, of Avicenna and Averroes, and other extra-legal and pre-legal sources.

Along the course of sowing the universal thoughts of great minds from history, Giuseppe Capograssi’s words ring true:

“The effort of building history revealed itself as having the ultimate aim of bringing life to fulfilment in terms of its humanity [...] All our legislations, our legal and political organisations, are directed towards this end, despite the uncertainties and lack of awareness in their practice [...] It is not the States, but we ourselves who are responsible for History” We human rights, precisely.

The poetry of law does not exist as a specific sector of academic classifications: this is a liberty the author has taken, striving to make the sweet ontology of the rights inherent, in equal measure, to all members of the human family palpable, through simple and tentatively poetic language. Closing the performance, the Ode to Human Dignity represents the canticle of love that Ius Novum, the lover, recites to Human Dignity, his sweetheart.

Music has an important part to play throughout, and is not merely the backdrop to certain moments in the recital.

While humbly awaiting original compositions, I would suggest using music by Rachmaninov (Vespers), Fauré (Requiem), Mahler (the final chorus of the ResurrectionSymphony), Arvo Pärt (Fratres), Britten (War Requiem), as well as African, Iranian and Chinese music.

An unusual sound role is assigned to Maria Dolens, the War Memorial Bell in Rovereto, to remind us of what we never want to happen again and to renew our commitment to building true peace.

To those who may lend their voices to the characters, a quiet word of advice: only take it on if you really believe in it.

Borrowing the words of Albert Einstein: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest.

Padua, spring 2015

Last update

9/3/2016