Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world […]. (Preamble.1)

Okay, so normally you don't start a sentence with "whereas." This is merely a formal way to start off official documents. The "whereas" signals the purpose of the preamble, which is to give us the why. Why do we need a Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the first place?

These opening lines (and the ones that follow) answer that very question. In the minds of the drafting committee, the whole purpose of the U.N.—keeping peace, promoting good relations between countries—rested on recognizing human rights. Not on gigantic armies, the threat of force, or state institutions, but in the dignity of individuals.

The choice to describe a "human family" underscored the sense of global community that the U.N. was trying to establish. It was a direct response to the I-hate-you-you-hate-me type of politics that had plunged the world into World War II. If everyone could just treat each other like family, the world would probably be better off. Unless you're talking about dysfunctional families during the holidays.