...Universality of human rights By Maarten Hamming Introduction “Rights are either God-given as part of the divine plan, or they are granted by government as part of the political plan. If we accept the premise that human rights are granted by government, then we must be willing to accept the corollary that they can be denied by government.” – Ezra Taft Benson Despite having been an idea since 539 BC, when Cyrus the Great wrote the Cyrus Cylinder, which had the most basic of human rights, the official Declaration of Human Rights was not set up until after the second world war. The Romans had a concept called Natural Law, which is defined by rules, that are a naturally followed by people. The concept of Natural Law changed into Natural Rights, when the French set up their version of rights all men have. These Natural Rights became Human Rights1 after the second world war, when the allies wrote down the first four human rights: Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear and freedom from want, the last one being the right of well-being. The Declaration of Human Rights represents the rights all humans have when they are born without any distinctions. This declaration was written down by the UN and was adopted by 49 countries all over the world including countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. While counties outside of these 49 have not adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to the UN they still ought to live by them, because...
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...Extent Are Human Rights Universal? Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘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’ (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). This idea that human rights should be applicable and accessible to all, that they are, in all senses of the word, 'universal', is a topic of debate for many critics in all parts of the world (Tharoor, 1999: 5). The very concept of anything being universal is in itself controversial; can anything in our multicultural, multipolar world ever be ‘truly universal’? This essay aims to evaluate the extent to which human rights are universal, focusing on the imposition of Western norms on Non-Western countries, the cultural relativist view of universal human rights and the defence for human rights as a universal idea. The first hurdle that the idea of universal human rights faces is who defines human rights? Critics such as Michael Ignatieff argue that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a Western document, and that individuals from Non-Western countries are not given the same rights as those in the West (O’Connor, 2014). This is noticeable in the emphasis on individual rights as opposed to communal rights, which are commonly practiced in Non-Western countries. In addition, many of the rights stated are only accessible to the West, such as the right to paid...
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...distress that are hardly sufficient role models for young girls. Impressionable youth delve into these movies while their parents are unaware or uninterested of the implications these movies have. In some cases, one can find violations of women’s basic rights as human beings. These rights are outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and John Locke’s Of Civil Government. For example, Disney Princesses almost never have the right to their own property, much less ownership of their own bodies. They are also portrayed as obedient wives with offensive flaws that are later corrected by their husbands. Disney delineates a helpless, subservient role for women in society that undermines the work of feminists such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and all those involved with the Seneca Falls Convention; this portrayal encourages young women to put up with violations against their basic rights as human beings. In Disney Princess movies, women hardly ever have the right to their own property and in some cases, have no right to their own bodies. According to John Locke, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “One Woman, One Vote”, and the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, these conditions violate their basic right to their property as human beings. In the film Aladdin, all of Jasmine’s suitors were after her power and wealth. Then when she married, her kingdom and assets were given to her husband, Aladdin, who knew only of the glamorous details of royalty and...
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...Speech: Human Rights Violations in India One third of the world’s child brides originate from India; whose journalists are continuously shut down for revealing their political opinions. India’s culture has been having arranged underage marriage for many centuries, “Child marriage, which has existed for centuries, is a complex issue, rooted deeply in gender inequality, tradition and poverty” according to an article published by UNICEF. In an article published by the Library of Congress Jeanine Cali writes, during the 19th century, Britain placed a sedition law in its colonies of India; today, that law is being used to deny Indian citizens their freedom of speech and opinion. In India, underage and forced marriage and the freedom of expression of opinion are ongoing human rights abuses; they violate articles 16 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, also known as UDHR. Currently, in India, children of young ages are being forced into illegal marriages which all violate Article 16 of the UDHR. “Because the wedding was illegal and a secret, except to the invited guests, and because marriage rites in Rajasthan are often conducted late at night, it was well into the afternoon before the three girl brides in this dry farm settlement in the north of India began to prepare themselves for their sacred vows” (Gorney). Gorney explains that the three weddings were to occur during the night as all of the marriages were illegal under Indian marriage laws. Although underage,...
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...Globalization and Human Rights When faced with the need to balance justice against the world's many cultures, the world seems to be torn. Do we crush injustice wherever we find it throughout the world, no matter what traditions we have to topple in order to do so? More than that, do we have an obligation to do it? Some would say of course we do, that human rights are inalienable and it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. But can we make that call objectively, to tell someone else that our culture is right and their's is wrong? It is without a doubt a complex issue where each case is deserving of intense debate. There is, however, most certainly a middle ground that can be reached, balancing justice and cultural beliefs. To begin with, it is important to define the concept of justice. There has been much debate throughout history, but one aspect that is oft agreed upon is legal egalitarianism, or equality before the law. All people's are subject to the same law with same basic rights, and shall be treated fairly by the courts. Working with such a definition, a problem becomes clear immediately. All are treated equally and fairly by the law, but what happens when the law itself is not fair? Sharia law, for example, contains many rulings that a westerner would consider unjust. Having your hand cut off because you stole a trinket from a shop would be judged as a cruel and unnecessarily harsh punishment by western standards. Here it is apparent...
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...Leadership Defination of Leadership: Leadership has been described as "a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task".[1] For example, some understand a leader simply as somebody whom people follow, or as somebody who guides or directs others,[citation needed] while others define leadership as "organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal".[citation needed] different types of leadership: * Ambidextrous leadership * Democratic Leadership * Innovation leadership * Transactional leadership * Transformational leadership Innovation leadership involves synthesizing different leadership styles in organizations to influence employees to produce creative ideas, products, services and solutions. The key role in the practice of innovation leadership is the innovation leader.[1] Dr. David Gliddon (2006) developed the competency model of innovation leaders and established the concept of innovation leadership at Penn State University. As an approach to organization development, innovation leadership can be used to support the achievement of the mission or vision of an organization or group. In a world that is ever changing with new technologies and processes, it is becoming necessary for organizations to think innovatively in order to ensure their continued success and stay competitive.[2][3][4][5][6] In order to adapt to new changes, “the need for innovation in organizations...
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...extract information? According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, torture is considered as the ultimate violation of human being's individual rights and is the only crime that every state must punish. The Abu Ghraib torture and prison abuse case suffers the utmost unbearable torture implemented by the U.S military army on the innocent prisoners. The case also demonstrates the impact of the unfair use of power over the prisoners as the military uses restricted techniques of torture to humiliate the prisoners and gather information. In the summer of 2003, the Abu Ghraib case came to public attention shortly after the U.S military army committed human rights violations against the prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib Prison. They used unethical methods of physically and mentally torturing the prisoners as part of their interrogation techniques. Some of the harsher interrogation techniques forced upon the prisoners were engaging in sexual and homosexual behaviours and using opaque bags to cover their faces. The increasing pressure forced upon the U.S military army to determine the cause of the mortar attacks on the U.S eventually, led to many military personnel applying harsher interrogation techniques to procure more information from the prisoners. To protect the Americans from terrorism, the U.S started to control the bodies of prisoners in Iraq and threatened their ultimate human security by violating their fundamental human rights. The usage of inhumane torture authorized...
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...Human rights are moral principles that set out certain standards of human behaviour, and are regularly protected as legal rights in national and international law. They are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). The doctrine of human rights has been highly influential within international law, global and regional institutions. Policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations and have become a cornerstone of public policy around the world. The idea of human rights suggests, "if the public discourse of peacetime global society can be said to have a common moral language, it is that of human rights." The strong claims made by the doctrine of human rights continue to provoke considerable skepticism and debates about the content, nature and justifications of human rights to this day. Indeed, the question of what is meant by a "right" is itself controversial and the subject of continued philosophical debate.However, the aim of this essay is to explore the meaning of human rights and comment on human rights violation in Zambia since 1964. To begin with, it is worth mentioning that in order to gauge the future of human rights, it is vital to look at both the past and the present. In comparison to the early days of the 21st century, individuals are far...
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...Human Rights 1. The nature and Development of human rights The definition of human rights * Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) sets out the fundamental purpose for recognizing human rights * In the general sense, human rights refer to basic rights and freedoms that are believed to belong to all human beings * As stated in the UDHR, these rights differ from ordinary rights under domestic law as they are considered to be universal, inalienable (cannot be taken away) and inherent to all people. Developing recognition of human rights * The abolition of slavery * The campaign for universal suffrage * The trade union movement and labour rights * The right of a group to self-determination * Emerging environmental rights * The attempt to establish a right to peace The abolition of slavery * Slavery is a type of forced labour where a person is considered to be the legal property of another * Slavery was practiced legally until the 20th century * Common forms of slavery involved: debt slavery (forced to pay off a loan with labour), slavery as punishment for crime, prisoners of war committed to slavery * Moves to abolish slavery and slave trading began in the 12th century, e.g. Iceland abolished slavery in 1117 * During the 17th – 19th century, the transatlantic slave trade (the trading of African people by Europeans, transporting them as slaves from Africa to the colonies of the New World) was in action as Europeans...
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...Inalienability: Human rights are universal and inalienable. All people everywhere in the world are entitled to them. The universality of human rights is encompassed in the words of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Everyone is born with and possesses the same rights, regardless of where they live, their gender or race, or their religious, cultural or ethnic background. Inalienable: because people’s rights can never be taken away except in specific situations and according to due process. For example, the right to liberty may be restricted if a person is found guilty of a crime by a court of law. Indivisibility: Human rights are indivisible. Whether they relate to civil, cultural, economic, political or social issues, human rights are inherent to the dignity of every human person. Consequently, all human rights have equal status, and cannot be positioned in a hierarchical order. Denial of one right invariably impedes enjoyment of other rights. Thus, the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living cannot be compromised at the expense of other rights, such as the right to health or the right to education. First-generation human rights, often called "blue" rights, deal essentially with liberty and participation in political life. They are fundamentally civil and political in nature: They serve negatively to protect the individual from excesses of the state. First-generation rights include...
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...Many also object to specific rights which they say reflect Western cultural bias: the right, for instance, to political pluralism, the right to paid vacations (always good for a laugh in the sweatshops of the developing world) and, most troublesome of all, the rights of women. How can women's rights be universal in the face of widespread divergences of cultural practice, when in some societies marriage is seen not as a contract between two individuals but as an alliance between lineages, and when the permissible behaviour of womenfolk is central to the society's perception of its honour? In addition, some religious leaders argue that human rights can only be acceptable if they are founded on transcendent values of their faith, sanctioned by God. The Universal Declaration claims no such heritage - a draft reference to the Creator was consciously left out of the final text. There is a built-in conflict between the universality of human rights and the particularity of religious perspectives. How can one respond to these objections? Concepts of justice and law, the legitimacy of government, the dignity of the individual, protection from oppressive or arbitrary rule and participation in the affairs of the community are found in every society on the face of this earth. The challenge of human rights is to identify the common denominators rather than to throw up one's hands at the impossibility of universalism. The objections also reflect a false opposition between the primacy of the...
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...“The care of human life and happiness, and their destruction, is the first and only object of good government” Some people may think that human happiness to life is having a strong country and a powerful government; and to make the best possible lifestyle for everyone. Those people need to realise that “Human rights” is the most powerful source in our life. There are many types of human rights that our government put forth and came up with. Human Rights are one of the best things that could have happened in our human society. Not all people appreciate the human rights in our society which give us the freedom to do or say and not be endangered by corrupt governments’ torture, assault and many more. Our Australian government is great and has smart leaders that lead our nation and society, but without them making, enforcing and protecting our human rights we live with today, we would be living a lifestyle with problems and with governments that don’t believe in human rights; which different continents around the world are undergoing at the moment. The United Nations a group of 50 Nations are trying their hardest to make our whole world free and for people to have the right to live in a secure and independent lifestyle. There are different types of Human Rights in our nation, civil, political and social and economic rights these are some of the rights that our government came up with. Political rights are where a person may vote and have there say in what government they want...
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...EXAMPLE: Human Rights Discourse A prominent discourse that plays a pivotal role in both the field of political decision-making and academic debate is the human rights discourse. As outlined by Frow (2005), discourse ‘has to do with practices and configurations of power, often rooted in organisations which both control and are structured by distinct disciplinary knowledge’s’ (p. 93). In this sense we can see the embodiment of power in the human rights discourse through its governing of domestic and international law as well as the construction of institutions such as the United Nations and Amnesty International. The introduction of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which seeks to impose a ‘universal’ code of conduct on the treatment of human beings, exemplifies the notion that ‘truths’ are radically historicized (Hall 1997, p. 46). Constructs the topic: Foucault argues that discourse constructs the topic; with this in mind when focusing on human rights discourse we are able to see how the individual rights of humans are spoken about on a domestic and International level, and the particular rights enthroned upon them. In this context human rights are understood as setting out certain standards of human behaviour. They originated in the West and are based on Western values that claim universality as the ‘truth’ which is outlined in Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ (art 1). This notion...
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...The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article XXVI: Right to Education The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted in 1948 and one of the articles, article XXVI deals with protection of the fundamental rights, right to education: (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. The right to education is a universal right and is recognized as a human right. It includes the right to free, non biased and non political primary education for everyone, to make secondary education at least accessible to everyone and make access to higher education. The right to education also provides the obligation to avoid discrimination at all educational levels and to improve quality of education. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights defined „education...
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...of human rights expansion can be identified: First Wave: It took two world wars to make any real progresson human rights Important precursors to what the future of human rights would be came in 1941 when Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) made his famous FOUR freedoms speech: freedom of speech, of religion, from want and from fear. However, during WWII, these ideas were largely forgotten to secure victory over Germany and Japan—FDR, and subsequently, Truman, tried to pay attention to human rights issues from both a normative as from a realist viewpoint—what they were concerned with was stability or absence of major conflicts in the international system—they wanted to make sure that there would be no repeat of a world war—world peace was beneficial to everyone, including the great powers—however, for a variety of reasons, the real progress on human rights was slow—disagreements between Allied powers, disagreements within the US especially Congress etc. The central dilemma then and now remains the same—if a great power creates a strong international human rights regime so as to prevent human rights violations by other states to the extent of foreign interventions: It violates the sanctity of state sovereignty; and It makes itself answerable to the same international human rights regime and opens itself to scrutiny by other states. The UN Charter became the first ever international treaty to recognize universal human rights—in 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration...
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