Protecting all members of our human family

I am a great champion of the power of youth to change the world, but this week I celebrate a 64-year old responsible for ushering in momentous progress. Not a person, but a document that was born in December 1948 and forever altered the view of how we treat members of our human family. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights triggered a fundamental shift in global thinking by affirming that all human beings - not some, not most, but all - are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

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Highs and lows of US diplomacy

With US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making it clear that she will retire from politics despite Barack Obama's re-election as president, it is the right time to review her performance vis-a-vis China and the US diplomatic gains and losses during Obama's four years in office.

Europe has nothing to fear but fear itself

The eurozone will not break up. The price of departure is simply too high for any one country. Indeed, when European Central Bank President Mario Draghi announced on Sept 6 that the ECB would buy unlimited government bonds, the continent crossed the bridge to its future.

Public role vital in building green society

Chinese people have become increasingly aware of the environment's importance and stepped up their environmental protection efforts in recent years, as were displayed by protests against environment-concerned projects and conservation of endangered wildlife, among other things.

Good neighborly cooperation

China and India will continue to work together to narrow differences and expand common ground for development

Lessons of Japan's atrocities

Thursday's official ceremony in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, was the focal point for remembrance of the 1937 massacre, unleashed when the Japanese Imperial Army entered what had been the Chinese capital.

US two-faced toward Syria

The United States recognized the Syrian Opposition Council, Syria's newly formed main opposition group, as the sole "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people on Tuesday. It is evident that the US-led Western countries are determined to push their own agenda on the Syria crisis.

The changing ground of human rights

Editor's note: Experts from across the world were invited to present papers at the Fifth Beijing Forum on Human Rights, which focused on Science and Technology, Environment and Human Rights, in Beijing from Dec 12 to 14. Excerpts from some of experts' papers follow:

Promoting human rights

It is meaningful for specialists and officials on human rights from around the world to attend the Fifth Beijing Forum on Human Rights, co-hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, to promote international cooperation and communication on human rights issues.

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Premature sex education cause for concern

The other day I heard an 8-year-old boy say that he had "a small crush" on a girl in his class. I asked for the difference between a big crush and a small crush. A big crush, he said, is when you go "mmmmmoooch", demonstrating a kiss. I sighed out of relief. "A small crush," he explained, "is when you stare at somebody and think peaceful thoughts." That is just so beautifully naive.