Human Rights

A Definition HUMAN RIGHTS are rights to which all human beings are entitled just because they are human, regardless of the society, the culture, or the times in which they live.

A Very Old Idea Where do these rights come from? from God, or Philosophers in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, in the Middle Ages, and in the Age of Enlightenment were all familiar with the belief that human beings have certain natural or human rights. Where do these rights come from? from God, or from nature, or they are just self- evident

Human Rights ≠ Civil Rights Civil Rights are established by law, and there is a means of enforcement. Human Rights are ideals that people agree to, but there are limited means to enforce them. Human Rights give powerful “moral authority” to our arguments and our political actions.

Examples of “human rights” thinking US Declaration Of Independence 1776 “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness…Whenever Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it.” French Declaration of the Rights of Man 1789 “The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties…”

Examples of “human rights” thinking United Nations Charter 1945 WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to affirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

Human Rights Documents IF there are human rights, THEN we should be able to identify them, write them down, and agree on them.

Countries on the Committee that Drafted the UDHR Australia Belgium Belarus Chile China Egypt France India Iran Philippines Panama Lebanon United Kingdom United States Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Uruguay Yugoslavia

Human Rights Statements The U.N Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (1990)

Converting principles into a treaty 1948 UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1966 UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Ratified the treaty Signed but did not ratify the treaty Neither signed nor ratified the treaty

The ICCPR Treaty as of 2010 Antigua and Barbuda; Bhutan Brunei Signed, not ratified Not signed, Not Ratified China Comoros Cuba Guinea-Bissau Laos Nauru Pakistan São Tomé and Príncipe Antigua and Barbuda; Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Fiji Kiribati Micronesia Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Singapore Solomon Islands Tonga United Arab Emirates Vanuatu Vatican City

How can the world respond to human rights violations? Talk privately to the nation? Publicly criticize the nation? Adopt a UN resolution condemning the nation? Impose trade penalties on the nation? Boycott all business and travel with the nation? Support insurrections within the nation? Take military action against the nation?

Human Rights Monitoring/Advocacy Groups Amnesty International Human Rights Watch

U.N. arguments for “human rights” Because recognizing the natural value and the equal and permanent rights of all members of the human family is the basis of freedom, justice and peace in the world; Because ignoring and despising human rights resulted in barbarous acts which outraged mankind; Because the greatest hope of the common people is the creation of a world in which human beings will have freedom of speech and belief, and freedom from fear and want; Because it is essential to develop friendly relations between nations; Because Member States, in co-operation with the United Nations, have promised to achieve the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; And because a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge:

Arguments against “human rights” Iran's President Ali Khamene'i "When we want to find out what is right and what is wrong, we do not go to the United Nations; we go to the Holy Koran (Qur'an). For us, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is nothing but a collection of mumbo-jumbo by disciples of Satan." So, in 1990, a number of Islamic nations meeting in Cairo, Egypt, crafted their own Islamic version of a human rights statement. Rights are culturally relative Philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) said that the very idea of natural rights was pure nonsense, in fact “nonsense on stilts”. Where do these rights come from? Who says they are rights? Jeane Kirkpatrick, US ambassador to the United Nations during the President Ronald Reagan years, called the Universal Declaration on Human Rights “ a letter to Santa Claus”. Human rights are unrealistic, cost too much, require very high taxation

Structure of the United Nations

UN Security Council Members 2013 Permanent China France Russia United Kingdom United States Revolving Argentina (2014) Australia (2014) Azerbaijan (2013) Guatemala (2013) Luxembourg (2014) Morocco (2013) Pakistan (2013) Republic of Korea (2014) Rwanda (2014) Togo (2013)

Let’s Apply Human Rights Some Current Issues ?

Slavery: Is it okay ever? anywhere? (U.N. Declaration, Article 4) Human Trafficking in sex slaves, domestic slaves, and factory slaves is common across the world, including in the U.S.

Does this present a “human rights” issue?

No Women Allowed! Are these open to criticism? Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. U.S. Combat Forces

No Women Allowed! Are these open to criticism? Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Agusta National Golf Club Men-Only Membership

No Women Allowed! Are these open to criticism? Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Roman Catholic Priesthood

Child Labor (U.N. Art. 26) Is there a minimum age for sending kids to work? Or, is this something that different cultures determine their own way?

Torture UN Declaration Article 5. “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

1987 U.N. Convention Against Torture Article I: For the purposes of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.

Marriage Article 16. (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

Freedom of Expression and Assembly Is the freedom to connect to the internet without government restrictions a new Human Right? Hillary Clinton Speech 2012

U.S. as Human Rights Watchdog Should the U.S. government take it upon itself to issue annual reports on the human rights conditions in all the countries of the world? U.S. Department of State Diplomacy in Action Human Rights Reports

Final Report

Political Project Progress Reports Your Group Your Progress Researching the issue? Setting a political goal? Carrying out a political action? Evaluating your results? Planning a multimedia class presentation? Writing the final report? Political Project Progress Reports