Human Rights

What are Human Rights?

Human rights are the rights and freedoms we all have..

• Some human rights are based on our physical needs- The right to life, food, shelter
• Other human rights protect us- The right to be free from torture, cruel treatment and abuse
• Human rights are also there to ensure we develop to our fullest potential- The right to education, work, participate in your community

Everybody has human rights, it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, what you speak or what religion you belong to. You have a duty to respect the rights of others, have a duty to respect yourself. Nobody can take your rights away.

Why do human rights matter to me?

Human rights matter to us all.

In the UK:

• One in three children are poor
• One in four children are physically abused
• One in seven children does not have a proper home

Where do rights come from?

Human rights are based on the values of:

• Dignity (self respect)
• Justice (fairness/legal system)
• Respect (for others)
• Equality (equal treatment/justice)

Human rights were officially recognised as values by the world when the United Nations was set up.

What is the United Nations?

• The United Nations is an international organisation that was establishedn in 1945, the year the Second World War ended.
• Its founders hoped it would be able to prevent catastrophes like the Holocaust from happening in the future.
• So promoting human rights became an aim of the UN, along with maintaining international peace and reducing poverty.
• The UN base is in New York on neutral soil

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the most famous human rights agreement in the world. It contains 30 human rights.

Who wrote the UDHR?

The people who wrote the UDHR came from: Australia, Chile, China, France, Lebanon, the former sSoviet Union, the UK and the US