International Human Rights

What are human rights?

We have all heard of the fight for human rights and the importance of protecting them. From a young age we are reminded that each one of us is human and we deserve a chance to grow. Yet, what does that entail: what exactly are human rights? What is the history behind it? What historical figures helped aid this movement? Why is it so important?

Let’s start with a definition and break it down from here. Stated by the “Equality and Human Rights Commission”:

“Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life. They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security. These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. These values are defined and protected by law.” (Equality and Human Rights Commissions, 2019)

Where do we stand with this? While human rights are believed to be something that should be entitled to all individuals, some countries, working environments, and families disregard them with the belief that our basic human rights are “nonsense”, “ludicrous”, or that it’s essentially “normal” to be treated in unreasonable ways because it’s customary. We must break from these thoughts because they can harm us as well as future generations.

History

We all remember the horrors that were brought by World War II, yet something good that came out of it was the fight for respect and freedom of speech that catapulted the idea of human rights. As of this time period, the people who initiated the Holocaust were charged for commiting war crimes and “crimes against peace and humanity”.

After these trials were over, many governments banded together to form the United Nations, with the goal to maintain peace and prevent conflicts between nations. President Franklin Roosevelt spoke about the importance of said rights in 1941’s State of the Union Address where it was also spoken about the four freedoms including of speech and religion. Eventually, on December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed and adopted by the 56 members of the United nations. This declaration also known as the international Magna Carta ushered the importance on how each government is to treat their citizens (Flowers, 2021).

Important figures of the movement?

1. John Lewis (1940-2020) - “One of the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, John Lewis continued to fight for people's rights since joining Congress in 1987.” (Biography, 2018)

2. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) - “Martin Luther King Jr. was a scholar and minister who led the civil rights movement. After his assassination, he was memorialized by Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” (Biography, 2015)

3. Malcolm X (1929-1965) - “Malcolm X was an African American civil rights leader, prominent in the Nation of Islam. Until his 1965 assassination, he vigorously supported Black nationalism.” (Biography, 2015)

4. Frederick Douglass (c.1818-1895) - “Frederick Douglass was a leader in the abolitionist movement, an early champion of women’s rights and an author of ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.’” (Biography, 2017)

5. Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) - “Prolific author, Pearl S. Buck earned a Pulitzer Prize for her novel 'The Good Earth.' She was also the fourth female to win a Nobel Prize for Literature.” (Biography, 2017)

6. Ruby Bridges (1954--) - “Ruby Bridges was the first African American child to integrate an all-white public elementary school in the South. She later became a civil rights activist.” (Biography, 2017)

7. Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913) - “Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad.” (Biography, 2018)

8. Rosa Parks (1913-2005) - “Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her defiance sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in whichIts success launched nationwide efforts to end racial segregation of public facilities.” (Biography, 2018)

More information can be found here: https://www.biography.com/people/groups/civil-rights-activists

Importance

Human Rights are significant because they involve you. These rights include freedom of speech, religion, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also includes the right of not being discriminated, the right to have a personal life, the prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and most importantly the right to be yourself.

The world will try to efface you because of who you are whether it be your religion, gender, sexual orientation, religion and ethinicity. However, our natural rights can knock down any wall that society builds. Our past generations created the foundation of our rights, however it is our time to become it’s protectors (AgeUK, n.d.).

How do we celebrate?

Now the dessert of this article: how do we celebrate International Human Rights Day? Each year a new theme is chosen, however the theme for this year is “Article 1: EQUALITY”: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” This article is the heart and backbone of human rights (United Nations, 2021).

Here are 4 different ways to celebrate the day:

• Take the Human Rights Pledge here: https://www.standup4humanrights.org/en/pledge.html

• Watch Eleanor Roosevelt’s Human Rights Speech from 1948. It can be found on YouTube under the same name.

• Read the full Universal Declaration of Human Rights and understand each one of them, for this is important.

• Learn more about Peace Projects that promote human rights and start becoming activists. What I mean is that you don’t have to go and recite speeches, but by understanding and putting them into practice you are already an activist.

Sources:

Equality and Human Rights Commissions. (2019). What are human rights? | Equality and Human Rights Commission. Equalityhumanrights.com. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/what-are-human-rights

‌Flowers, N. (2021). A Short History of Human Rights. Umn.edu. http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/short-history.htm

‌Biography. (2018, January 19). John Lewis. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/political-figure/john-lewis

Biography. (2015, March 9). Martin Luther King Jr. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/martin-luther-king-jr

Biography. (2015, February 12). Malcolm X. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/malcolm-x

Biography. (2017, April 28). Frederick Douglass. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/frederick-douglass

Biography. (2017, April 28). Pearl S. Buck. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/writer/pearl-s-buck

Biography. (2017, April 28). Ruby Bridges. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/ruby-bridges

Biography. (2018, February 28). Harriet Tubman. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/harriet-tubman

Biography. (2018, February 27). Rosa Parks. Biography; Biography. https://www.biography.com/activist/rosa-parks

AgeUK. (n.d.). Age UK. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/work-learning/discrimination-rights/human-rights/

United Nations. (2021). Human Rights Day | United Nations. United Nations; United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day

5 Ways to Celebrate Human Rights Day - Rotarian Action Group for Peace. (2019, December 10). Rotarian Action Group for Peace. https://rotaryactiongroupforpeace.org/2019/12/10/5-ways-to-celebrate-human-rights-day/