1981 Jimmy Carter - The Human Face of Democracy not the Mask of Order or Justice

In 1980, Jimmy Carter addressed the Organization of States General Assembly and delivered encouraging words for people struggling to overcome authoritarian and totalitarian governments. President Carter believed that human rights was and must be an integral part of US foreign policy and told the American states that the future of our world was not found in human face of Democracy, not the mask of order or justice worn by authoritarian and totalitarian governments.  

In Jimmy Carter's final State of the Union Address, he outlined his belief in the rule of law in international affairs and in self-determination for all. Carter wanted to use America's power sparingly but was determined to make human rights a key part of his foreign policy. In his state of the union address, he told Congress that a human rights policy would serve the nation by promoting our long-term interest in peace and security. Carter explained, that by expanding freedom around the world, we made our own freedom and our own nation more secure. Carter was not interested in spreading democracy, rather he wanted all governments throughout the world to recognize the human rights as defined by the members of the United Nations.

President Carter outlined five "positive developments in the ongoing struggle for fulfillment of human rights throughout the world" that happened in 1980.

1. Free elections around the world. For example, after 17 years of military rule, Peru held free elections for the first time since 1963. Carter also pointed to Jamaica where general elections were held but marred by significant violence.
2. "Charter of Conduct" - In September of 1980, the presidents of Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Peru met to discuss the signing of a Charter of Conduct that included principles of universal justice and human rights.  The Charter was also signed by Costa Rica, Panama and Spain. The charter was met with skepticism by conservatives in the United States who considered it an excuse to justify Soviet meddling in the region. 
3.  Human Rights resolution - At the 1980 annual General Assembly of the Organization of American States a resolution was adopted reporting on human rights in Chile, El Salvador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Haiti.
4. Nobel Peace Prize - Nobel Prize was awarded Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina for his opposition to Argentina’s last civil-military dictatorship.  Esquivel was detained, tortured and held without trial for 14 months.  
5. International Labor Organization - In 1980, America rejoined the International Labor Organization (ILO). In 1977 the United States withdrew from the ILO because of outside political issues and accusations that it was maintaining an anti-Israel attitude. The departure began with the Ford administration was continued by Carter under pressure from groups opposed to the ILO like the AFL-CIO and American Jewish groups.  

Carter did not try to take credit for an of these, but he used them to argue against his critics who saw a contradiction between security and our humanitarian interests. Carter saw human rights as a bond of trust between a government and its people and the foundation for a secure and stable society. Carter closed the 1981 SOTU section on human rights with words that he used in his remarks at the 10th Regular session of the General Assembly.

"the future of our world is not to be found in authoritarianism: that wears the mask of order, or totalitarianism that wears the mask of justice. Instead, let us find our future in the human face of democracy, the human voice of individual liberty, the human hand of economic development."

Here is the full excerpt of President Carter's 1981 State of the Union Address on human rights.

"The human rights policy of the United States has been an integral part of our overall foreign policy for the past several years. This policy serves the national interest of the United States in several important ways: by encouraging respect by governments for the basic rights of human beings, it promotes peaceful, constructive change, reduces the likelihood of internal pressures for violent change and for the exploitation of these by our adversaries, and thus directly serves our long-term interest in peace and stability; by matching espousal of fundamental American principles of freedom with specific foreign policy actions, we stand out in vivid contrast to our ideological adversaries; by our efforts to expand freedom elsewhere, we render our own freedom, and our own nation, more secure. Countries that respect human rights make stronger allies and better friends.

Rather than attempt to dictate what system of government or institutions other countries should have, the U.S. supports, throughout the world, the internationally recognized human rights which all members of the United Nations have pledged themselves to respect. There is more than one model that can satisfy the continuing human reach for freedom and justice:

1980 has been a year of some disappointments, but has also seen some positive developments in the ongoing struggle for fulfillment of human rights throughout the world. In the year we have seen:

• Free elections were held and democratic governments installed in Peru, Dominica, and Jamaica. Honduras held a free election for installation of a constituent assembly. An interim government was subsequently named pointing toward national presidential elections in 1981. Brazil continues on its course of political liberalization.

• The "Charter of Conduct" signed in Riobamba, Ecuador, by Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama and Spain, affirms the importance of democracy and human rights for the Andean countries.

• The Organization of American States, in its annual General Assembly, approved a resolution in support of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission's work. The resolution took note of the Commission's annual report, which described the status of human rights in Chile, El Salvador, Paraguay and Uruguay; and the special reports on Argentina and Haiti, which described human rights conditions as investigated during on-site inspections to these countries.

• The awarding of the Nobel Prize for Peace to Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina for his non-violent advocacy of human rights.

• The United States was able to rejoin the International Labor Organization after an absence of two years, as that UN body reformed its procedures to return to its original purpose of strengthening employer-employee-government relations to insure human rights for the working people of the world.

The United States, of course, cannot take credit for all these various developments. But we can take satisfaction in knowing that our policies encourage and perhaps influence them.

Those who see a contradiction between our security and our humanitarian interests forget that the basis for a secure and stable society is the bond of trust between a government and its people. I profoundly believe that the future of our world is not to be found in authoritarianism: that wears the mask of order, or totalitarianism that wears the mask of justice. Instead, let us find our future in the human face of democracy, the human voice of individual liberty, the human hand of economic development."

References

Presidency.ucsb.edu. 2020. The State Of The Union Annual Message To The Congress | The American Presidency Project. [online] Available at: <https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/the-state-the-union-annual-message-the-congress> [Accessed 17 September 2020].

Miller Center. 2020. Jimmy Carter: Foreign Affairs | Miller Center. [online] Available at: <https://millercenter.org/president/carter/foreign-affairs> [Accessed 17 September 2020].

Presidency.ucsb.edu. 2020. Organization Of American States Remarks At The 10Th Regular Session Of The General Assembly. | The American Presidency Project. [online] Available at: <https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/organization-american-states-remarks-the-10th-regular-session-the-general-assembly> [Accessed 17 September 2020].