Welcome To The Center For Civilization Website

We at the Center believe that while human beings have fundamental human rights as spelled out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, they also have fundamental duties and responsibilities.

It is the priority at The Center for Civilization to have the United Nations recognize fundamental human duties and responsibilities through a ‘Universal Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities’.

To that end, the following is a draft of a Universal Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities. This draft focuses on four areas of human responsibility: to our planet, our fellows, our offspring and ourselves. We need to face up to our responsibilities as a species if we are to overcome the many challenges we face today and in the future.

And we will never realize global adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights until we have a universal understanding and acceptance of our individual and collective duties and responsibilities.

How We Came To Be

While living in Paris the winter of 2007, Bruce Benson wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities (UDHDR), mainly because he was astounded the United Nations hadn't made such a declaration.

"In 1948, when the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, their very next action should have been to adopt a Universal Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities," said Benson. "Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. You can't truly have one without having the other."

Benson admits modelling the UDHDR on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights written by Eleanor Roosevelt.

"I plagiarised hugely," he said. "But I think Eleanor would forgive me."

In order to persuade the UN to adopt this declaration Benson went looking for an organization dedicated to the continuation of human civilization, as he thought the UDHRD as necessary if we are to prevent the fall of our civilization. He could not find such a body.

"I was surprised when I couldn't find a Center for Civilization. We know that every human civilization in the past has fallen. And what is the cost of that? Billions? Trillions? No, it is more. It is everything."

In June of 2007 Benson incorporated the Center for Civilization in Manitoba, Canada. There are three directors of the Center: Bruce Benson, Laurence Kramer and Giuseppe Dalzotto.

"I chose the American spelling for the word "center" in deference to former American president JFK," said Benson "because the Declaration is merely an extension of his words 'ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country.' What we are saying with the Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities is 'ask not what the world and other people can do for you-ask what you can do for the world and other people."