CBC Massey Lectures: Universal

Universality is the core promise of the human rights order born out of the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust: these rights extend to everyone, everywhere, at all times, without exception. But the cruel reality is that the word universal also screams of our profound failure to keep the promise. Too often, human rights are applied selectively, withdrawn on the whims of political leaders, or ignored altogether. 

This is not universality’s finest hour. But it can be.  

In the 2025 CBC Massey Lectures, human rights lawyer and former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada Alex Neve lays out his vision for renewing the promise of universal human rights — both at home and abroad.