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‡ Acknowledgement.

‡ What are Human rights.

‡ History of Human Rights.

‡ Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

‡ Violation of Human Rights.

‡ Champions of Human Rights.

‡ Organizations for Human Rights.

‡ Key Learning Synopsis.

 a
 

As I was contemplating on the topic of choice for

this project, a news article in today¶s news
papers opened my eyes to something which has
been close to my heart - Human Rights.

Human Rights evokes mixed emotions being a

topic of relevance as we the civilized society in
the 21st century with umpteen number of
resolutions, guidelines and governing bodies to
monitor and determine adherence of Human
Rights see around us instances as being
reported.

No, its not just today¶s news of Mr. Liu Xiaobo

winning of a Nobel prize when he is jailed in his
own country for 15 years for exercising his right
of freedom of expression, but more importantly
have we as a human race learned enough from
the previous world wars, bombing of Hiroshima,
loss of lives in Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan,
Palestine, starvation and genocide in countries
in Africa«and the list goes on.
 a
 

I thank my Parents, Teachers and the upbringing in

the school which imbibes a culture of kindness and
feeling for the well being of the human race.

Further I acknowledge the following websites -

http://www.humanrights.com/
http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights,

which offers a plethora of information on the subject

and has been used by me, in addition to yahoo
(http://www.yahoo.com/) for the images and pictures.

  

  
 a   

October 7, 2010.
 K 
 
  

Human rights refers to universal rights of human
beings regardless of jurisdiction or other factors,
such as ethnicity, nationality, or religion.

Every person is entitled to certain fundamental

rights, simply by the fact of being human. These are
called ³human rights´. They are ³rights´ because
they are things you are allowed to be, to do or to
have.

These rights are there for your protection against

people who might want to harm or hurt you. They
are also there to help us get along with each other
and live in peace. When human rights are not well
known by people, abuses such as discrimination,
intolerance, injustice, oppression and slavery can
arise.

Born out of the atrocities and enormous loss of life

during World War II, the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948 to
provide a common understanding of what
everyone¶s rights are. It forms the basis for a world
built on freedom, justice and peace.



 | 

Originally, people had rights only because of their
membership in a group, such as a family.

Then, in 539 BC, Cyrus the Great, after conquering

the city of Babylon, did something totally
unexpected²he freed all slaves to return home.
Moreover, he declared people should choose their
own religion. The Cyrus Cylinder, a clay tablet
containing his statements, is the first human rights
declaration in history.

The idea of human rights spread quickly to India,

Greece and eventually Rome. The most important
advances since then have included:

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In 1215, the subjects of King John of England

forced him to sign the Magna Carta. Widely
viewed as one of the most important legal
documents in the development of modern
democracy, the Magna Carta was a crucial turning
point in the struggle to establish freedom.

Some of the important changes it proposed

included:

1. the right of the church to be free from

governmental interference,
2. the rights of all free citizens to own and inherit
property and to be protected from excessive
taxes.
3. the right of widows who owned property to
choose not to remarry
4. Provisions forbidding bribery and official
misconduct.



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In 1628 the English Parliament sent this statement

of civil liberties to King Charles I. The Petition of
Right, initiated by Sir Edward Coke, was based
upon earlier statutes and charters and asserted
four principles:
1. No taxes may be levied without consent of
Parliament,
2. No subject may be imprisoned without cause
shown (reaffirmation of the right of habeas
corpus),
3. No soldiers may be quartered upon the
citizenry, and
4. Martial law may not be used in time of peace.

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On July 4, 1776, the United States Congress

approved the Declaration of Independence. Its
primary author, Thomas Jefferson and it
proclaimed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.



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In 1789 the people of France brought about the

abolishment of the absolute monarchy and set the
stage for the establishment of the first French
Republic. The Declaration proclaims that all
citizens are to be guaranteed the rights of ³liberty,
property, security, and resistance to oppression.´

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Lists 30 rights to which everyone is entitled. By

1948, the United Nations¶ new Human Rights
Commission had captured the world¶s attention.
Under the dynamic chairmanship of Eleanor
Roosevelt²President Franklin Roosevelt¶s widow,
a human rights champion in her own right and the
United States delegate to the UN²the Commission
set out to draft the document that became the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was
adopted by the United Nations on December 10,
1948.
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On October 24, 1945, in the aftermath of
World War II, the United Nations came into
being as an intergovernmental organization,
with the purpose of saving future generations
from the devastation of international conflict.

The Declaration was drafted by

representatives of all regions of the world
and encompassed all legal traditions.
Formally adopted by the United Nations on
December 10, 1948, it is the most universal
human rights document in existence,
delineating the thirty fundamental rights that
form the basis for a democratic society

Today, the Declaration is a living document

that has been accepted as a contract
between a government and its people
throughout the world. According to the
Guinness Book of World Records, it is the
most translated document in the world.
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This simplified version of the 30 Articles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights is as follows:

 K a a  ) *  We are all born

free. We all have our own thoughts and ideas. We
should all be treated in the same way.
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 These rights belong to
everybody, whatever our differences.
,   | 

 -  We all have the right to life,
and to live in freedom and safety.
(  . Nobody has any right to make us a
slave. We cannot make anyone our slave.
  
 Nobody has any right to hurt us or
to torture us.
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am a person just like you!
# K+ a  
 - The law is the
same for everyone. It must treat us all fairly.
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We can all ask for the law to help us when we are
not treated fairly.
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 Nobody has the right to
put us in prison without good reason and keep us
there, or to send us away from our country.
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   If we are put on trial this
should be in public. The people who try us
should not let anyone tell them what to do.
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Nobody should be blamed for doing something
until it is proven. When people say we did a bad
thing we have the right to show it is not true.
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   Nobody should try to
harm our good name. Nobody has the right to
come into our home, open our letters, or bother
us or our family without a good reason.
, )
  We all have the right to
go where we want in our own country and to
travel as we wish.
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 -  If
we are frightened of being badly treated in our
own country, we all have the right to run away to
another country to be safe.
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 We all have the right
to belong to a country.
!    )  Every grown-up has
the right to marry and have a family if they want
to. Men and women have the same rights when
they are married, and when they are separated.
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 .    Everyone has
the right to own things or share them. Nobody
should take our things from us without a good
reason.
" )   
 We all have the right to
believe in what we want to believe, to have a
religion, or to change it if we want.
' )  &  We all have the right
to make up our own minds, to think what we like, to
say what we think, and to share our ideas with other
people.
0   | 


/ a / We all have
the right to meet our friends and to work together in
peace to defend our rights. Nobody can make us
join a group if we don¶t want to.
   | 

 %   . We all have the right
to take part in the government of our country. Every
grown-up should be allowed to choose their own
leaders.
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 Every grown-up has the right to
do a job, to a fair wage for their work, and to join a
trade union.
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 We all have the right to rest
from work and to relax.
 )   
  a We all have the right to
a good life. Mothers and children, people who are
old, unemployed or disabled, and all people have
the right to be cared for.
!   | 

  
 Education is a right.
Primary school should be free. We should learn
about the United Nations and how to get on with
others. Our parents can choose what we learn.
# & 
 Copyright is a special law that
protects one¶s own artistic creations and writings;
others cannot make copies without permission. We
all have the right to our own way of life and to enjoy
the good things that art, science and learning bring.
" a )   ) K There must be proper
order so we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in
our own country and all over the world.
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 We have a duty to other people,
and we should protect their rights and freedoms.
30    
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Human rights Violation is abuse of people in a way
that it abuses any fundamental human rights.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, fundamental human rights are violated
when, among other things:

1. Men and women are not treated as equal.

2. Different racial or religious groups are not
treated as equal.
3. Life, liberty or security of person are threatened.
4. A person is sold as or used as a slave.
5. Cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment such
as torture or executions is used.
6. Victims of abuse are denied an effective judicial
remedy.
7. Punishments are dealt arbitrarily or unilaterally,
without a proper and fair trial.
8. Arbitrary interference into personal, or private
lives by agents of the state.
9. Citizens are forbidden to leave or return to their
country.
10.Freedom of speech or religion are denied.
11.Education is denied.

 | 
 


Human rights advocates agree that, sixty years

after its issue, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, violations exist in every part of the world.

Amnesty International¶s 2009 World Report and

other sources show that individuals are:
‡ Tortured or abused in at least 81 countries
‡ Face unfair trials in at least 54 countries
‡ Restricted in their freedom of expression in at
least 77 countries

Some Examples of violations :

a|- ,  
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An estimated 6,500 people were killed in 2007 in

armed conflict in Afghanistan²nearly half being
noncombatant civilian deaths. Hundreds of civilians
were also killed in suicide attacks by armed groups.

In Uganda, 1,500 people die each week in the

internally displaced person camps. According to the
World Health Organization, 500,000 have died in these
camps.

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In northern Uganda, the LRA (Lord¶s Resistance Army)

guerrillas have kidnapped 20,000 children over the
past twenty years and forced them into service as
soldiers or slaves for the army.

In Guinea-Bissau, children as young as five are

trafficked out of the country to work in cotton fields in
southern Senegal or as beggars in the capital city.
a|-    |$|

In 2008, US authorities continued to hold 270

prisoners in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, without charge
or trial, subjecting them to ³water-boarding,´ torture
that simulates drowning.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, acts of

torture and ill treatment are routinely committed by
government security services and armed groups,
including sustained beatings, and stabbings of
those in custody.

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In Myanmar, thousands of citizens were detained,
most notably Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi. She has been imprisoned or under house
arrest for twelve years.

In Kenya, authorities violated international refugee

law when they closed the border to thousands of
people fleeing armed conflict in Somalia.

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In Myanmar, the military junta crushed peaceful

demonstrations led by monks, raided and closed
monasteries, confiscated and destroyed property
of the protesters.

In Kazakhstan, local authorities in a community

authorized the destruction of homes belonging to
members of the Hare Krishna community.

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In Sudan, dozens of human rights defenders

were arrested and tortured by national
intelligence and security forces.

In Somalia, a prominent human rights defender

was murdered.
   & 
 
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We can draw inspiration from those who made a
difference and helped create the human rights
we have today. These humanitarians stood up
for human rights because they recognized that
peace and progress can never be achieved
without them. Each, in a significant way,
changed the world.

Some of our leaders who have been powerful

and effective and an inspiration to cause of
Human rights making a difference and changed
our world include :

1.Mahatma Gandhi (1869±1948)

2.Eleanor Roosevelt (1884±1962)
3.Nelson Mandela (b. 1918)
4.Martin Luther King Jr. (1929±1968)
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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is widely

recognized as one of the twentieth century¶s
greatest political and spiritual leaders. Honored
in India as the father of the nation, he pioneered
and practiced the principle of Satyagraha²
resistance to tyranny through mass nonviolent
civil disobedience.

While leading nationwide campaigns to ease

poverty, expand women¶s rights, build religious
and ethnic harmony and eliminate the injustices
of the caste system, Gandhi supremely applied
the principles of nonviolent civil disobedience to
free India from foreign domination.
   & 
 
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As the chair of the United Nations Human Rights

Commission, Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving
force in creating the 1948 charter of liberties
which will always be her legacy: The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

Eleanor was the wife of President Franklin

Delano Roosevelt and the First lady. She was
deeply involved in human rights and social
justice issues. She advocated equal rights for
women, African-Americans and Depression-era
workers.

In 1946, Roosevelt was appointed as a delegate

to the United Nations. As head of the Human
Rights Commission, she was instrumental in
formulating the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
   & 
 
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Nelson Mandela, one of the most recognizable

human rights symbols of the twentieth century.

Sentenced to life imprisonment, Mandela

became a powerful symbol of resistance for the
rising anti-apartheid movement, repeatedly
refusing to compromise his political position to
obtain his freedom. Finally released in February
1990, he intensified the battle against
oppression to attain the goals.

In May 1994, Mandela was inaugurated as

South Africa¶s first black president, a position he
held until 1999.
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Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the twentieth

century¶s best-known advocates for nonviolent
social change. He first attracted national attention
protesting against nonwhites to surrender their
seats to whites and stand or sit at the back of the
bus.

King wrote, spoke and organized various nonviolent

protests and mass demonstrations to draw attention
to racial discrimination and to demand civil rights
legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans.

King¶s famous speech ³I have a dream´ envisioned

a world where people were no longer divided by
race. So powerful was the movement King inspired,
Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the
same year he was honored with the Nobel Peace
Prize.
  
 
| 

A United Nations¶ Report of 26 May 2005,
presents causes of human rights violations. The
challenges included therein:

  | 
  

Poverty and global inequities

Discrimination
Armed conflict and violence
Impunity
Democracy deficits
Weak institutions

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The knowledge gap

The capacity gap
The commitment gap
The security gap
 
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Many organizations around the world dedicate their efforts
to protecting human rights and ending human rights
abuses. Below are some examples of such groups.

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How important are human rights? Long before the
phrase ³human rights´ came into existence, men
and women fought and died for basic human
freedoms. In fact, this struggle has lasted thousands
of years and still continues today.

Ultimately, human rights are the basis of everything

people cherish about their way of life. In their
absence, lasting happiness is impossible, because
there is no personal security, no freedom and no
opportunity. Thus, all peoples have long recognized
their fundamental importance and have sought to
articulate and defend them.

Yet it took a world war and the deaths of tens of

millions of people to bring the leading nations
together to create a truly universal charter of rights.

Today, Human rights exist, as embodied in the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
entire body of international human rights law. They
are recognized²at least in principle²by most
nations and form the heart of many national
constitutions. Yet the actual situation in the world
may be distant from the ideals envisioned in the
Declaration.
 3- & 

To some, the full realization of human rights

is still a remote and unattainable goal. Even
international human rights laws are difficult to
enforce and pursuing a complaint can take
years and a great deal of money.
Discrimination is rampant throughout the
world. Thousands are in prison for speaking
their minds. Torture and politically motivated
imprisonment, often without trial, are
commonplace, condoned and practiced²
even in some democratic countries.

But you can make a difference. Become

informed on human rights issues around the
world and be a part of the change for a better
world for generations to come.

Thank You.