HUMAN RIGHTS

HUMAN RIGHTS

What are Human Rights?Human rights recognise the fact that all people throughout the world should be treated fairly. Regardless of their race, age, gender or religion people should be able to live with respect and dignity. They should have the freedom to make choices about their own lives but at the same time they have the responsibility to respect the rights of others. Affirming the worth of all people and promoting equality provides the foundation for peace and security.The modern human rights movement has its origin in the League of Nations, which was established in 1919 after the atrocities of the First World War.

After the Second World War the United Nations (UN) was established to replace the League of Nations and to promote world peace in the hope that the horrors of that war would never be repeated. Their first aim was to develop friendly relations between countries, based on respect for the principle of equal rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. It sets out 30 articles that declare what every individuals rights should be.

Human RightsSELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTSArticle 1 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.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.Article 3 Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.Article 19 Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.Article 24 Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.Article 25 Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services ...Article 26 Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.

More here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTlrSYbCbHE

Types of Human Rights

Civil and Political Rights• The right to choose how a country is

run• No wrongful arrest• The right to a fair trial• The right to own property• The right to work• The right to freedom of thought and

religion• The right to leave and return to your

country• The right to freedom of opinion and

expression• The right to hold meetings• The right to join groups• The right to life• Freedom from slavery

Social, Economic and Cultural Rights

• The right to have enough food, clothing, medical care, welfare or social security, education and housing

• The right to enjoy the culture of one’s people.

Human rights are divided into two main types: • Social, economic and cultural rights, which are concerned with the

quality of life and having a decent standard of living• Civil and political rights, which cover the right to choose how one’s

country is run and to choose how one’s country is run and to conduct one’s life free from interference.

Discussion Point……….

Break into pairs or table groups and consider the following. Come up with answers for this and write them in your notebook.

How much freedom should we be given?

Should others be able to make choices for you, or should you be given the freedom to make your own choices?

Should everyone have the same rights?

In a small group create a collage of media headlines and images relevant to human rights. Present these in a digital format.

Activity

Abuse of Human Rights: Australia and the Global Community

Amnesty International Amnesty International, a worldwide movement of 2.2 million

people in 151 countries, publishes a report each year on human rights abuses around the world. The 2008 report noted torture occurred in 81 countries and unfair trials were held in 54 countries. These abuses occurred despite the Declaration of Human Rights Article 5, stating ‘torture is forbidden at all times’, and Article 10 stating ‘everyone has the right to a fair trial’. Instead of being tortured or killed, people are taken hostage or simply ‘disappear’. About 30 years ago, 30 000 people disappeared in Argentina. In 2008, hundreds of Tamils disappeared in Sri Lanka as did thousands of Falun Gong followers in China.

Human rights organisations focus on countries like Myanmar and Zimbabwe, but less well known abuses occur in El Salvador and Saudi Arabia.

WATCH THIS FILM CLIP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX-WnlOCvXw

Amnesty International works to reduce human rights abuses by placing pressure on governments, political groups and companies via demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns, awareness-raising concerts and email petitions. It supports human rights groups such as the Buddhist monks in Myanmar, lawyers in Pakistan and women activists in Iran. Amnesty International challenges China to allow free speech and Australia to close immigration detention centres and reduce the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.Another Amnesty International campaign demanded the closure of the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, where people were illegally detained, tortured and denied the right to a fair trial.

Human Rights Case Studies1. IranChallenge: Amnesty International says Iran is second only to China in the number of executions recorded annually, including those of children. After elections in June 2009, the right of free expression by dissenters was brutally squashed. Demonstrators were arrested and killed. The regime attempted to shut down communications but many examples of abuse were transmitted via the internet all around the world.

Strategy: The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, based in the US, is documenting the abuses. Its goal is to encourage informed dialogue among scholars and the general public both in Iran and abroad.

2. ZimbabweChallenge: Human rights defenders and political dissidents were attacked, tortured and thrown into prison without a fair trial. ZANU-PF members set up torture camps for people suspected of voting against President Mugabe in the 2008 election.

Strategy: Amnesty International calls on governments to use their influence to bring an end to the violations. The UN imposed sanctions on anti-human rights activists by freezing their assets.

Human Rights Case Studies3. TibetChallenge: In 1951, the Chinese government occupied Tibet. In 1959 after a failed uprising, the Dalai Lama fled to India. In 1991 he alleged that Chinese settlers in Tibet were creating Chinese apartheid, which the Chinese call segregation and assimilation. He believes the Chinese government denies Tibetans equal social and economic status and their human rights are violated by discrimination.Strategy: Pressure on China from individuals, groups and governments. For example global protests during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.4. China

Challenge: Human rights issues include the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, capital punishment, one-child policy, policies in Tibet and Sudan, and restrictions on Chinese journalists and internet users.Strategy: As the 2008 Olympic flame travelled around the world, strategy included global protests (sometimes violent) and media coverage over China's human rights abuses.

Global Overview of Human Rights Abuses

Global Overview of Human Rights Abuses

Forms of human rights abuse:a) torture or ill-treatment

by security forces, police and other authorities

b) detention without charge or trial people sentenced to death

c) human rights violations such as killing of civilians, torture and hostage-taking by armed opposition groups.

d) people sentenced to death

ACTIVITIES

Study the map on the previous page.• How many human rights

abuses has Australia been reported as having?

• Looking at the list to the left, which of these abuses to you think Australia would be reported on?

• Did it surprise you that Australia had been reported for Human Rights abuse?

Overview of Human Rights in Australia

Human rights are an important part of our lives; yet in Australia, we often take them for granted. Consider how often you eat good food, drink clean water, and speak or write what you think. All these everyday activities depend on the protection of our human rights. The rights of individuals in Australia are promoted and protected by instruments including the Australian Constitution, an independent judiciary, democratically elected governments, a free and questioning media, a strong civil society, non-government organisations such as Amnesty International, and common and statute laws. The laws protecting our rights include the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act 1986, the Workplace Relations Act 1996, the Public Service Act 1999 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1987.

Overview of Human Rights in Australia

WHERE HAVE WE GONE WRONG?Australia has a good — but not perfect — human rights record; the mandatory detention of asylum seekers and their children, and the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are two examples of areas we can improve. An outcome of Australia's 2020 Summit was a push to improve the rights of Indigenous and disabled people, and to establish a federal charter of rights to incorporate international agreements into Australian law. The case for a charter has accelerated with the creation of charters of rights in the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Some argue that a charter of rights does not guarantee against human rights abuses. For example, the USSR's 1977 Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of expression and worship and the preservation of the cultures of ethnic minorities. All these rights were later abused.

Targeted Human Rights Strategies for the Future of Australia –

SOURCE: Epoch Times.

Active Citizenship

Every person has rights — but with them come responsibilities.Governments have a responsibility to ratify the signed human rights agreements and implement basic rights within the country, such as access to clean water.Non-government organisations have a responsibility to ensure governments abide by their agreements, and to conduct public awareness campaigns to inform citizens of human rights abuses.Individuals have a responsibility to express factual, current and unbiased opinions. Informed, responsible active citizens can express their views in the media or by contacting politicians by phone, email or letter.

Children's physical and intellectual immaturity makes them particularly vulnerable to human rights violations. It is the responsibility of adults, groups and governments to implement strategies for a better future for children.