Human Rights_ What

8/12/2019 Human Rights_ What

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10/7/13 Human Rights: What

www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/what.htm 1/8

WHAT AND WHEN

Focus: The responsibility of protecting human rights

The horror of Land Mines- the silent,

indiscriminate, remnants from a flare up ofMans' Inhumanity to Man, do not recognize

Uniforms or Cause, Age or Sex , Intent orHappenstance, Innocence or Guilt, nor do they

know when the hostilities are over; They waitsilent and lethal for the chance to cause pain,

anguish, and death year after year after yearafter year after year after ..

Warring groups callously leave these 'devices' of

destruction behind long after the conflict is overbecause it is too hard , dangerous, and

"expensive" to remove them. The toll oninnocent human lives in incalculable and

unconscionable.

Landmines International

Human rights are a modern concept, yet they are an

integral part of human history. Finding examples of human
http://www.engagedpage.com/landmines.htmlhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/students.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/resources.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/iyp.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/why.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/historic.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/nation.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/contemp.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/organ.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/teach.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/enter.htm


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rights abuses is easy throughout history, from the ancientworld to the modern one.

Characteristics of human rights

Human rights do not have to be bought, earned or

inherited; they belong to people simply because they arehuman. Human rights are inherent to each individual.

Human rights are the same for all human beings regardlessof race, sex, religion, political or other opinion, national orsocial origin. We are all born free, and equal in dignity and

rights human rights are universal.

Human rights cannot be taken away; no one has the rightto deprive another person of them for any reason. People

still have human rights even when the laws of their countriesdo not recognise them, or when they violate them - for

example, when slavery is practiced, slaves still have rightseven though these rights are being violated. Human rights

are inalienable.

To live in dignity, all human beings are entitled to freedom,security and decent standards of living concurrently. Human

rights are indivisible.

Categories of rights

Rights can be put into three categories:

1. Civil and political rights (also called firstgeneration rights). These are "liberty-orientated"

and include the rights to life, liberty and securityof the individual; freedom from torture and

slavery; political participation; freedom ofopinion, expression, thought, consc ience and

religion; freedom of association and assembly.

2.Economic and social rights (also called secondgeneration rights). These are "security-

orientated" rights, for example the rights towork; education; a reasonable standard of living;


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food; shelter and health care.

3. Environmental, cultural and developmentalrights (also called third generation rights). These

include the rights to live in an environment thatis clean and protected from destruction, and

rights to cultural, political and economicdevelopment.

When we say that each person has human rights, we arealso saying that each person has responsibilities to respectthe human rights of others.

Source: Human Rights Education

Human rights should be adopted and applied by all people

and nations always. However, to adopt andapply huamnrights we need to be aware of, and own the basic principles

of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

To do this we need to have a constant dialogue. Thedialogue is necessary because the way human rights issues

and abuses arise is ever changing. For example, the rise ofthe Internet has meant that the issues of freedoms,

especially freedom of speech, are being re-defined.

All thinking people abhor what the Nazi party did to manygroups of people in the concentration camps, their

censorship of thought and state control. Yet, under freedomof speech neo-Nazis and white supremacists are present on

the Internet. Should they be banned?

If your answer is yes, are you impinging on their basic humanright even though their actions and beliefs are outside the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Tolerance is a keyfactor to freedom of speech and therefore human rights.

It is constant dialogue that allows us to be aware of the

issues and abuses. It is constant dialogue that allows us toformulate and implement actions. It is constant dialogue

which allows us always to promote and protect human
http://sunsite.wits.ac.za/law/humanrts/education/pihre/


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rights.

What is a right?

1. Using the information you have gathered in the previous

work you have done on human rights, make a list of humanrights abuses and, issues.

2. From your list of human rights abuses, complete a table

as shown below:Abuse

examples

Country/

PeopleDate Key facts

Rape All

countries

All time Happens to men,

women and children.

Destroys the dignityand sense of worth

of the victim.

Theapartheid

system

SouthAfrica

1870 to1990s

Movements wererestricted because

of colour of aperson's skin or

religious beliefs.People were subject

to arbitrary arrest,

imprisonment andoften brutal deaths.

Has manyconsequences

including, economic,social, psychological

and political ones.

Germany1930s and

1940s

Restriction Australia ca. 1788- Aboriginal people


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ofmovement

1967 rest ric ted in theirmovements; many

confined to reservesor not allowed

access to publicplaces, such as

theatres orswimming pools.

Began to end withthe 1967referendum.

Has many

consequences,including economic,

social, psychologicaland political ones.

The volume of human rights abuses means students need to

be selective of the material they want to use in the abovetable.

3. Design an image which explains human rights.

Label the key points to describe why you have

incorporated the point. The image may be hand-drawn

or computer-generated. It may be animated or static.

In your own words explain human rights.

In about 400 words explain why it is important to

promote and protect human rights.

4. A c lear understanding

In the introduction you were given some words to make up

your own definition of a right. Here is one definition of aright:

A right protec ts individuals or groups from

injustice; it allows individuals to grow to their


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full potential as a positive and active member oftheir society; it is a responsibility that each

person or group has to others; and it is aboutrespect of oneself and others. A right creates a

moral and legal obligation that nations andpeople must fulfill.

In light of what you have learnt from this unit of work,

rewrite your definition of a right. You may use the one above

as the basis of your work.

5. When should human rights be promoted and protected by

people and nations?

The answer is always.

Every day, in countries all over the world, people live underdifficult, life-threatening circumstances caused by human

rights abuses, war, polluted environments, disease, famine,and poverty, to name a few.

For you to promote and protect human rights you need to

have commitment. Commitment is about giving. When itcomes to human rights, how much are you willing to give to

achieve the dialogue that is necessary to protect andpromote these rights. Without commitment you can not

protect your own human rights or bring about change.

Gandhi says, "You must be the change you wish to see inthe world." This commitment can be shown in a number of

ways, including attending meetings and rallies, designingInternet sites and joining human rights organisations.

Further, your commitment sows the seeds of peace in many

ways: by fighting ignorance, by increasing awareness ofwhat const itutes a human right and by promoting preventive

measures.

The goal is to help create a world all people have theopportunity to reach their full potential.

Using the evidence and information you have collected in


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this unit, design a campaign to promote human rights at yourschool.

It can be for International Human Rights Day, December 10,

orthe school can create a human rights day or(forAustralian schools) it can be part of NAIDOC week.

The campaign may include some or all of the following:

negotiations with the principal to run the campaign

lunch time or after school forums

address to the school assembly

posters

a school Internet site

visits to the school by people involved in the human

rights field including your local member of parliament or

congress, indigenous people or member of a human

rights organisation.

Keep a diary of the processes you go through.

After you have run the campaign:

Reflect on what you have learnt about other people's

values and beliefs.

Answer the question: When should human rights be

promoted and protected by people and nations?

Interpreting:

Using the information you have found from the aboveactivities, design a web page called Human Rights: What and

When.

Link this page to the Introduction page. Include a resourcelist and where possible images.


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Completed material should be posted on your school's website.

Please supply the project officer with:

URL

school name

country

E-mail addresscontact person

1-2 sentences about the work.

If you have any problems in doing this, please contact the

project officer.Project officer E-mail: [email protected]

introduction | teachers resources| organisations | contemporary issues| national

responses| historical developments| why need HR?| what are HR ?| Year of Pea ce|Pax Patter| Students Work

Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2000
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