Human Rights

“Constitutional rights” are rights that are given to you at birth by birthplace. “Human rights” are legal rights that allow people to have essential human worth and security. Humans are given these rights just by being born a human being. Our readings for week four described “human rights” differing from many others in the fact that the rights hold four main features: “inherent”, “universal”, “inalienable”, and “indivisible”. In having these main features these rights prove that they are rights of all born human despite religion, creed, or sex that human is. “Constitutional rights” instead are the rights that pertain to the rights given to a citizen. These rights are defined in the Constitution. Though someone’s race and sex cannot take away their constitutional rights, someone’s citizenship can. These two ideas intersect by giving people birth given rights and protection under the law.

After playing the victim of human rights violations “Against All Odds” I feel like there need to be more protections in place. More laws and alliances may help protect citizens of country’s who are violating “human rights”. Right now the UN often helps in human rights violations of universal law. The laws are stated in the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. Our protections are not effective because when there are human right violations it often goes unreported. Human rights violations often produce fear which can be another thing to overcome when reporting. An additional reason that makes it difficult to find human rights violations and stop them is that it is not the UN’s responsibility to uphold these rights. As week four readings state, “[t]he obligation to protect, promote and ensure the enjoyment of human rights is the prime responsibility of States, thereby”.

To assure peoples’ protection against human rights violations, there needs to be more ways to handle such violations. There need to be more people working on the inside, and giving information to the UN and peace keepers. It is also important that there is an understanding of human needs and interest, without this we will not know what the people need, in order to feel like their needs are met. We already have assemblies where leaders come and make treaties, and promise peace. We need more truth in these peace treaties, and more responsibility taken when peace is not accomplished and human rights are ignored.

The “human rights” game I played was a lot like the “road to citizenship” game played whereas both faced many difficulties that they had to surpass. Having to escape from persecution was difficult, and then having to come here as an outsider was even harder. The citizenship game was much the same when fighting for citizenship. I often did not know the answers too many of the questions, besides someone seeking citizenship, and hoping for a better life. In “Against All Odds” I had to get beaten, escape from being imprisoned, give up my rights, leave behind possessions, leave behind family, leave friends, pay for my deportation out of the country, and enter a country where I was labeled an outsider”.

Yes, it is a fair criticism to state that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is culture-bound and limited to the time of year in which it was written because as Doris Marie Provine (2010) states in _Perspectives on Justice_ the definition of human rights has changed over time. Therefore, it is not helpful to the people if these laws and declarations do not also evolve. Rights to having a job, a home, and to have a family do not define human rights to many anymore. What many define as human rights are now called “individual rights” (p. 66).

In my opinion a lot can be done to raise awareness for the issues dealing with injustices. Provine (2010) explains ways to raise awareness through “civil disobedience” and “using moral example to make a point” (p. 67). Often, through disobedience (as Rosa Park showed through sitting on a bus and refusing to be removed) the need for human rights protection can be pointed out. When people act out with non-violence they can point to atrocities, and can lead in awareness without violence.

REFERENCE
Provine, D, Chapple, R, Gray, K, Sefiha, O, & Walker, M. (2010). Perspectives on justice. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

IMAGE REFERENCE
Rhymes for rights. (2008). [Web]. Retrieved from http://wiki.provisionslibrary.org/blog/index.php/category/call-for-entries/