Basic Information
Name: Peng Chun Chang
Nicknames: P. C., the Chinese Father of Human Rights
Born: April 22nd, 1892
Died: July 19th, 1957
Nationality: Chinese
Hometown: Tianjin, China
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: academic, playwright, and diplomat
Education: Columbia University
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: Zhang Yun-Zao and Yang Shi
Siblings: Chang Po-ling
Spouse: Sieu Tsu Ts'a Chang
Children: Ming Ming Chang and Chen Chung Chang
Friends: Mei Lanfang, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Charles Malik
Foes: Empire of Japan
Analysis
Drama and War
A majority of the people on the drafting committee of the UDHR were white Western political operatives. Peng Chun Chang brought a different perspective to the table, and not just because he was Chinese.
"P. C." Chang was essentially a drama kid who got into government.
As a student at Columbia University in the 1920s, the Chinese-born Chang didn't study law, business, or economics. He studied literature and theater. He produced a number of plays while at school, including the original version of Mulan. Yep, that Mulan. After graduating, he taught and performed theater in China. His students included some of the country's most famous modern playwrights (source).
How does a lit nerd end up with a huge role at the United Nations? Like pretty much everything about the United Nations, it all started with World War II. Actually, in this case, it started a few years before the official start of the war.
In 1937, Japan invaded China and occupied much of the eastern part of the country. The Sino-Japanese War dragged on until 1945, when Japan was defeated by the U.S. at the end of World War II. During the Japanese occupation, Chang traveled the world to drum up support for his country. Since he had an American education, he became an important instrument for the Chinese government in international relations (source).
Confucianism and Human Rights
Along with Charles Malik, Chang was considered one of the philosophical leaders of the UDHR drafting committee. His most important contribution was trying to prevent the declaration from becoming a document based only on the ideals of the European West.
In U.N. meetings, Chang would frequently quote the Chinese philosophers Confucius and Mencius, arguing that their ideas were just as universal as those of Western philosophers. You can see one concrete example in the very first article of the text: "[all human beings] are endowed with reason and conscience." It was Chang's suggestion to add "conscience," his translation for a Confucian concept about compassion for other people (source).
Even more important were Chang's arguments for self-determination. Chang opposed the colonial idea that some people were "uncivilized" and had to be governed from the outside. Check out Article 2, which states that human rights belong just as much to people who live in countries with limited sovereignty (i.e., colonies and territories).
Chang obviously added some much-needed diversity to the drafting committee, but his role was large enough that he was far from being a token member. Despite the fact that when you search for info about him, Google invariably thinks you're looking for the restaurant menu of PF Chang's.