Learn more about Human Rights

What are human rights, anyway?

Human rights are the interconnected set of freedoms and rights common to all people. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, describes these fundamental rights, including:

• life, liberty, and security of person
• justice under the law
• freedom of speech and thought
• ability to own property
• fair working conditions
• enough food, water, and shelter
• access to quality healthcare and education
  
  

Human rights are independent of nationality, race, religion, gender, or background. The human rights of all people should be protected against violation without discrimination.

Watch this video, from The Human Rights Center, to learn more about The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Who is most affected?

When a group or a person represents a minority of a population, it is particularly important to make sure that their rights are being upheld. Serious human rights violations include genocide, the singling out of a group and the attempt to destroy it through violence, including murder.¹ Two large-scale cases of genocide occurred in the past twenty years: in Rwanda in 1994 and in Bosnia in 1995. In both of these cases, a group was deemed to be inferior, persecuted, and killed while the government and international community largely failed to act.

Indigenous peoples, those who are native to a particular area, also face human rights violations and marginalization. These peoples have a long cultural tradition distinct from the dominant society in which they live. Today, there are more than 370 million indigenous people in some 70 countries worldwide.²

Iroquois performing a traditional dance at a cultural fair.

Women are another group that faces human rights challenges due to religious and cultural traditions and beliefs that consider them inferior to men. As a result, women and girls do not have equal access to education, healthcare, wages, and legal protection. Worldwide, for every 100 boys who have dropped out or never attended school, there are 122 girls.³ In the workplace, women have more access to employment now than ever before, but they still earn one-third less than men.⁴

The opening of a women’s mosque and park in Afghanistan.

Where are the consequences felt?

Human rights violations can and do occur everywhere, but in countries that are closed to international organizations, watchdog groups, and independent reporting, human rights violations are more likely to occur and less likely to be addressed. Somalia, Libya, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, and Russia have refused the visits of United Nations Human Rights officials.⁵

Why are human rights important?

Because human rights are intrinsic to all people, they should be reflected in how governments and nations run. One of the major roles of a government is to protect its people, and to act as a mediator among different groups that have their own interests. Citizens should feel safe and be able to express a minority viewpoint or position without the threat of violence.

Citations

¹ http://www.un.org/preventgenocide/adviser/genocide.shtml

² http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/history.html

³ http://go.worldbank.org/1L4BH3TG20

⁴ http://www.mdgmonitor.org/goal3.cfm

⁵ http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2010