WHAT ARE HUMAN

RIGHTS???
M J Manyanya
ZIMRIGHTS
Goromonzi North

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Quite frequently issues of Human Rights bring

trepidations of uncertainty, fear, and withdrawal;

Because many think Human Rights is about

Politics;
And also because many politicians seem enjoy

talking about Human Rights- As if they know

anything about it!!

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Politics in Zimbabwe is still taboo, because many

people have been maimed, or have lost their lives,

because of POLITICS

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Politics in Zimbabwe is still taboo, because many

people in the country have been maimed, or have lost

their lives, because of POLITICS

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Politics in Zimbabwe is still taboo, because many

people have been maimed, or have lost their lives,

because of POLITICS

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
This presentation is not about POLITICS
Its about HUMAN RIGHTS

What exactly are

Human Rights?

What exactly
are Human Rights?
definitions
Protocols
National constitution

What exactly
are Human Rights?

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Some want to think about Human Rights in

terms of what we must get; or what we can

demand from others, or from the world;
Examples; my right to education, to water, to

health, my right to vote;

Yes the National Constitution is very explicit

about what Human Rights are.

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
a right that is believed to belong justifiably

to every person.

(https://www.google.com/search?

q=human+rights1)

Many official documents worldwide endorse that human

rights are about humans, i.e. Women, Men, Children,

Adults, Youth,

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
If you were to ask people in the street, What are

human rights? you would get many different

answers. Some would tell you the rights they know
about, but very few people know all their rights.
As covered in the definitions above, a right is a

freedom of some kind. It is something to which

you are entitled by virtue of being human

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Human: noun
A member of the Homo sapiens species; a man, woman or
child; a person.

Rights: noun
Things to which you are entitled or allowed; freedoms that
are guaranteed.

Human Rights: noun

The rights you have simply because you are human.

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Human rights are based on the

principle of respect for the individual.

Their fundamental assumption is that

each person is a moral and rational

being who deserves to be treated
with dignity.

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
They are called human rights because they

are universal. Whereas nations or

specialized groups enjoy specific rights that
apply only to them, human rights are the
rights to which everyone is entitledno
matter who they are or where they live
simply because they are alive.

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
When people are asked to name their rights, will probably list

only FREEDOM OF SPEECH and BELIEF and maybe one or

two others; Many dont understand the full scope of human
rights is very broad;
Human rights fundamentally mean choice and opportunity, the

right to LIFE, the right to a job, a career, and to select a partner

of choice and also to raise children, the right to HOME;
Human rights include the freedom to own a home, rights to

travel widely and the right to work gainfully without

harassment, abuse and threat of arbitrary dismissal. Human
rights also embrace the right to leisure.

WHAT EXACTLY
ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Yes, GLOBAL PROTOCOLS and THE

ZIMBABWE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION are all

very explicit about what Human Rights are;
The language is very clear

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Today we want to start with WHAT YOU GIVE,

not just what you can DEMAND, or GET;

What do we mean?

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Everyone has a right to LIVE;
Therefore everyone has a right to e.g. food,

shelter, water and clothing

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
If you can respect someones right to these basic

necessities, then YOU WILL UNDERSTAND what

it means to have those same basic necessities;
Then YOU WILL ALSO UNDERSTAND what it

means to ACCORD OTHERS the same privileges

and rights

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
It means LEARNING TO RECEIVE, because we

know WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE;

It means BEING ABLE TO DEMAND RIGHTS

, because we understand WHAT IT MEANS

TO GIVE THE SAME

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
The best source of everything good in life

is LOVE;
Because we have LOVE, we shall be able to

give or earn RESPECT and DIGNITY;

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
In Zimbabwe , the rights of young people

are often trampled on with impunity

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
But the mere fact that you are an elder,

a senior, a parent does not imply a

subtraction of privileges and human
rights of a junior

WHAT DO WE MEAN??
You dont have to report this. Otherwise I will

punish you for that. I am your uncle

I have the right to do whatever I want with you. I

carried you for 9 months

You dont ask questions in this house. My word is

final. I m the father of this house

WHY?
Because the best source of everything

good in life is LOVE;

Because when there is LOVE, there is also

be RESPECT and DIGNITY given and

earned;

A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Great NATIONS are founded on LOVE,

RESPECT and DIGNITY;

That is what shall always define ZIMBABWE

as a great nation