Human rights are principles and laws that protect all of us. These laws are not based on religion, culture or nation but on universal values. They are a foundation for peaceful co-existence and the basis for resolving conflicts.
The concept of human rights is relatively new, emerging after multiple World Wars, the founding of the United Nations and the adoption of its Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. It replaced the older phrase natural rights, which had fallen out of favor with the rise of legal positivism, a theory that all law should be founded on rationality and not morals.
This Declaration asserts that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. It also says that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It further states that people should have the right to freedom of movement and of association with others, including the right to form trade unions.
It says that all individuals have the right to a fair and public hearing when they are accused of a crime, as well as the right to access the courts and to a lawyer to defend them. It also stipulates that a person charged with a crime must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. It also prohibits racially discriminatory laws and practices, and it says that all persons have the right to privacy, family and correspondence.
People have a right to work and should be paid fairly for their labor. They have a right to food and clothing, as well as a safe, healthy environment in which to live. They have the right to medical care when necessary, and to education that is relevant to their job.
They have the right to a private life and to marry, as well as the right to a home and to raise children. They also have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and expression. They have the right to a free press and the right to express themselves freely without fear of reprisals, intimidation or imprisonment.
Unfortunately, human rights violations still occur on a large scale. We see it every day on television and in the news, with famine, wars and violence. We have a long way to go in creating a global community of respect and tolerance, and it will be up to each and every one of us to take action in our own communities to support and protect these rights. The first step is to recognize that these rights exist and respect them. If everyone did that, we would be closer to a world where all of these rights are guaranteed to each and every one of us. – Article 28