HUMAN RIGHTS What are they? Unit 4.4

Human Rights are Democratic societies protect and maintain rights and freedoms. These include: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the right to life, liberty and security of each person regardless of ethnic minority, race, culture, sex, sexual orientation, religion, lifestyle, income, mental or physical disability, gender, or age, Some democratic societies include economic, cultural and social rights – right to leisure and rest, right to social security such as unemployment insurance and health care

Essential Rights Human rights are essential to individual growth and to the growth of the global community. The respect for human rights and human dignity provides the overall foundation for freedom, equality, justice and peace.

The role of governments in democratic society To enact laws and develop organizations to protect all human rights and freedoms and to apply the laws of the region equally to all citizens

United Nations Leading organization designed to protect and promote human rights internationally Established after WWII to promote international cooperation among all nations and to get all governments to agree that each person in the world has worth and deserves the same rights and opportunities Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 in response for the need of global set of human rights In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was established The focus is of these declarations: tolerance, respect for human dignity and understanding for all peoples

Amnesty International Founded in 1961 – human rights organization founded by British Lawyer Peter Berensen AI is a Nobel Peace Prize winning orgranization that attempts to use non-violent strategies, such as letter writing campaigns to free “political prisoners” Many persons have been detained in jails simply because of their ethnic origin, gender, race, or language. The “political prisoners” have not broken any “laws” and have not resorted to “violence” to have their voices heard to enact change of the good of society.

Amnesty International (con’t) AI lobbies governments and pushes for fast and fair trials for the prisoners AI focuses on ending the death penalty and the torture of political prisoners AI investigates and campaigns for the end to arbitrary executions and “disappearances” of people presumed murdered by brutal and anti- democratic governments. AI promotes education and awareness of issues to try to create a global “outcry” to embarrass governments to release prisoners and make reforms

Women’s Rights Women in our global society are especially vulnerable to human rights violations Some cultures view women as less “valuable” that men Women are often not paid the same wages for doing the same jobs as men Women are not given the same opportunities to participate equally in education and politics

Women’s Rights (con’t) In some cultures women are physically beaten and harmed if they do no have sufficient “dowries” – the money or property they bring to their husbands upon marriage Organizations – both governmental and NGOs work to change the “sexist” attitudes to ensure all men and women have the same rights, protections and opportunities