Human Rights League (Belgium)
Encyclopedia
The Human Rights League was founded in Belgium
on 8 May 1901, after the in 1898 established Ligue des Droits de l'Homme in France
. The Belgian initiative came from a professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
, Eugène Monseur.
In the First World War
, the organisation was dissolved. It reappeared several years after the war, as the Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen, or Belgian League for the Defense of Human and Civil Rights. In the 1930s, its president Emile Vandervelde
emphasized on concerting with both the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) at Paris
and the government at Brussels
.
The Nazi-German invaders put a halt to the organization's activities and ceased its archives in 1940. The German Occupation and the following Repression
claimed their toll in absence of a Belgian human rights
organisation. Not until 1954, the appearance of the Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LBDH), or Belgian League for the Defense of Human Rights, demonstrated emphasis on independence from government so as to allow protecting human rights of each and all individuals from totalitarianism
or society's contemporary whims.
In 1968 the Belgian League for the Defence of Human Rights officially became an 'Institution of Public Interest' by the names Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme and Belgische Liga voor de Verdediging van de Rechten van de Mens.
In 1978 as a practical internal reorganisation of the 'Institution', and since 1982 also officially, the national organisation was split into the Dutch-speaking
Liga voor Mensenrechten
and the French-speaking
Ligue des droits de l'homme
. (See their respective articles.).
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on 8 May 1901, after the in 1898 established Ligue des Droits de l'Homme in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The Belgian initiative came from a professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
Université Libre de Bruxelles
The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...
, Eugène Monseur.
In the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the organisation was dissolved. It reappeared several years after the war, as the Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen, or Belgian League for the Defense of Human and Civil Rights. In the 1930s, its president Emile Vandervelde
Emile Vandervelde
thumb|upright|Emile VanderveldeEmile Vandervelde was a Belgian statesman, born at Ixelles. He studied law at the Free University of Brussels and became doctor of laws in 1885 and doctor of social science in 1888.-Activities:Vandervelde became a member of the Parti Ouvrier...
emphasized on concerting with both the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the government at Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
The Nazi-German invaders put a halt to the organization's activities and ceased its archives in 1940. The German Occupation and the following Repression
Political repression
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take political life of society....
claimed their toll in absence of a Belgian human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organisation. Not until 1954, the appearance of the Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LBDH), or Belgian League for the Defense of Human Rights, demonstrated emphasis on independence from government so as to allow protecting human rights of each and all individuals from totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
or society's contemporary whims.
In 1968 the Belgian League for the Defence of Human Rights officially became an 'Institution of Public Interest' by the names Ligue Belge pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme and Belgische Liga voor de Verdediging van de Rechten van de Mens.
In 1978 as a practical internal reorganisation of the 'Institution', and since 1982 also officially, the national organisation was split into the Dutch-speaking
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
Liga voor Mensenrechten
Human Rights League (Dutch-speaking Belgium)
The Human Rights League for speakers of Dutch in Belgium is by them called Liga voor Mensenrechten.The in 1901 founded national organisation Ligue des Droits de l'Homme had been dissolved during World War I and its successor by World War II...
and the French-speaking
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Ligue des droits de l'homme
Human Rights League (French-speaking Belgium)
The Human Rights League for speakers of French in Belgium is by them called Ligue des droits de l'homme.The in 1901 founded national organisation Ligue des Droits de l'Homme had been dissolved during World War I and its successor by World War II...
. (See their respective articles.).
- The Dutch name still registered with the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, shows an obsolete spelling and is no longer used: 'Liga voor Menschenrechten'. This FIDH does however show the correct Dutch name in the contact information.
- The French name is identical to the one for the similar organisation in France, see Human Rights League (France)Human Rights League (France)The Human Rights League of France, is a Human Rights NGO founded on 4 June 1898 by the republican Ludovic Trarieux to defend captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew wrongly convicted for treason - this would be known as the Dreyfus Affair...