“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”
John F. Kennedy
One week after World War II began, Herbert George Wells, wrote to the Times of London, with “What are we fighting for?” The science fiction writer answered his own questions with, “The Rights of Man.” On the February 5th publication of the Daily Herald in 1940, Wells published his own “Declaration of Rights.” This article was well received and was later turned into a book.
The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945. The two main resolutions were; to prevent another world war and to attempt to make the world a better place for all the citizens of the world. The idea of the United Nations was suggested by the League of Nations, established in 1919 (post World War I). In 1878, Congress of Berlin was formed the same way the League of Nations was formed. Yet it wasn’t successful in avoiding World War I. UN was formed in hopes to rectify the shortcomings of the Congress of Berlin and the League of Nations.
On 10th December 1948, unanimously the General Assembly of the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The 30 articles and sub-clauses of the UDHR promotes and the UN and Human Rights Commission (HRC), oversee that “everyone is entitled to all of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declarations, 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.”
The UDHR comprises the basic human rights every person deserves, like the civil and political right to life, free speech, privacy, seeking asylum, freedom from torture, right to education and so much more.
Below I list every Article of the UDHR and an explanation.
“Article 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.”
Every person born into this world has equal worth and rights. Everyone should be kind and respectful of others.
“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. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.”
No matter a person’s, race, colour, sex, or any other difference, everyone is entitled to all the rights listed in this Declaration.
“Article 3:
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
Everyone has a right to live, freely and securely.
“Article 4:
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”
No one can be enslaved or punished for being alive.
“Article 5:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
No one deserves or should be tortured or subjected to cruelty, inhumanity, or degrading behavior.
“Article 6:
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.”
Everyone in this world has the right to be recognized everywhere as a person.
“Article 7:
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection….”
Everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to impartiality. And if anyone faces discrimination, they deserve equal protection.
“Article 8:
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.”
Everyone has the right to legal support if and when needed/
“Article 9:
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.”
No one, unless proven guilty, can be arrested or exiled.
“Article 10:
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.”
Everyone accused of a crime has a right to a fair and equal public trial. Subjective judgment is a violation of Human Rights.
“Article 11:
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a….”
Everyone accused of a crime has the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
“Article 12:
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.”
No one has the right to enter another persons’ house, mail, or intrude without a good reason. We have a right to be protected if that happens.
“Article 13:
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
Everyone has the right to move around one’s home country and travel abroad with proper documents.
“Article 14:
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of…..”
If a person is at risk of harm in one’s own country, one has the right to seek asylum in other nations.
“Article 15:
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”
Everyone has a right to be a citizen of a country, and no one or government can deny that without a justifiable reason.
“Article 16:
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during….”
Every one of the legal age has the right to marry and start a family without any limitation of any race, nationality, religion, or any other reason.
“Article 17:
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”
Everyone has the right to own a property, and anyone deprived of this right is a violation of Human Rights.
“Article 18:
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Everyone has a right to their thoughts, beliefs, and religion. Anyone wishing to change their religion is entitled to do so.
“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.”
Everyone has the right to express their thoughts and opinions freely with anyone.
“Article 20:
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.”
Everyone has the right to form groups and organize peaceful protests. Anyone denying a person or group of protesting peacefully is violating Human Rights.
“Article 21:
(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives……”
Everyone has the right to freely choose their political representative. Either by democracy or any other method. Any government or leader denying that right is violating Human Rights.
“Article 22:
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international…..”
“The society we live in should help every person develop to their best ability through access to work, involvement in cultural activity, and the right to social welfare. Every person in society should have the freedom to develop their personality with the support of the resources available in that country.”
“Article 23:
(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions……”
Everyone has the right to work and freely choose any occupation. Unless the person is underqualified, no one can be denied the position.
“Article 24:
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.”
Everyone has the right to work reasonable hours. Everyone holds the right to enjoy leisure time each week. Any overtime spent working needs to be compensated with additional holiday/vacation pay.
“Article 25:
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food…..”
Everyone has the right to adequate food, clothing, housing, and healthcare. Everyone who is unable to work, or work adequately is entitled to benefits. Every disabled person is entitled to services and benefits to make life easier.
“Article 26:
(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…….”
Everyone has the right to educations and elementary and primary education should be free for all. Education every child receives should include these rights and fundamental freedoms. Every parent has the right to choose the right kind of education for their children.
“Article 27:
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in…..”
Everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural activities of the community and also hold the right to reserve the copyright of one’s work.
“Article 28:
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.”
Everyone has the right to live peacefully at the local, national, and international order that this Declaration provides.
“Article 29:
(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible……”
“We have duties to the community we live in that should allow us to develop as fully as possible. The law should guarantee human rights and should allow everyone to enjoy the same mutual respect.”
“Article 30:
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.”
No person, group, or government holds the right to deny or destroy the rights and freedoms allocated by this Declaration.
Many countries, governments, and influenced groups are violating these basic Human Rights. A few examples of this are listed below:
- Landlords forcibly evicting tenants who are unable to pay rent amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Indian government detaining peaceful protestors during the anti-NRC and anti-CAA protests in 2019-20.
- Police Brutality in the form of custodial rapes, custodial torture, no-knock searches, wrongful imprisonment, denial of medical attention, excessive force, and more.
- Dictator rulers are violating human rights.
- Victims being denied justice.
- Systematic- Racism and Discrimination against African-American citizens in America.
- Chinese Political unjust towards Uighur Muslims.
- Civil War zones in Syria, Yemen, and other countries.
- Malnourished people being denied access to food and necessities,
- “Political prisoners” who spoke out against their government.
This is list can go on, so many people are being denied basic human rights.
Eduindex News 