human rights

Human Rights

Rights inherent to all human beings that we are equally entitled to without discrimination, that is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

Inalienable Rights

Rights that cannot be taken away.

Inherent Rights

Rights that are permanent and essential.

Indivisible Rights

Rights that cannot be split up - all rights belong together.

Universal Rights

Rights that apply to everyone.

Development of Human Rights

The evolution of human rights influenced by religion, democracy, the signing of the Magna Carta (1215), and various campaigns such as the abolition of slavery and trade unionism.

Magna Carta

The first document to put into writing the principle that King John of England and his government was not above the law.

World War II

The official start of human rights recognition, marking the origin of modern human rights as a response to the policies of the Axis powers.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

The document created in 1948 that incorporated earlier rights and established universal human rights.

Rights in Wartime

A category of rights that developed over time, particularly during conflicts.

Abolition of Slavery

A campaign that contributed to the development of human rights.

Trade Unionism

A movement that played a role in the evolution of human rights.

State Sovereignty

The role of a state in promoting and enforcing human rights.

International Responses

The effectiveness of global actions in promoting and enforcing human rights.

Australian Domestic Law

How human rights are incorporated into the legal framework of Australia.

Charter of Rights for Australia

A proposed framework for protecting human rights in Australia, with arguments for and against its implementation.

Discrimination Against Women

A contemporary human rights issue that requires evaluation of legal and non-legal responses.

Contemporary Human Rights Issue

An issue that is currently relevant and requires evaluation of responses.

Geneva Convention

Codified in 1864, it deals with rights in wartime.

Hague Conventions

Two conventions from 1899 and 1907 that follow the Geneva Convention.

Universal Rights

Rights that deal with peacetime, recognizing all people have human rights.

Abolition of Slavery

The movement to end the practice of slavery.

Trade Unionism

The advocacy for workers' rights and collective bargaining.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Peace Rights

Rights that ensure peace and security for individuals.

Environmental Rights

Rights that protect the environment and ensure sustainable development.

Educational Rights

Rights that guarantee access to education for all individuals.

Self-Determination

The right of a people to determine their own political status.

First Generation Rights

Blue rights that protect individuals from state excesses, including rights to religion, vote, life, and equality before the law.

Second Generation Rights

Red rights that are fundamentally social, cultural, and economic, including rights to employment, food, housing, and healthcare.

Third Generation Rights

Green rights that are international in scope and require global cooperation, including environmental and peace rights.

Slavery

The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner's control.

Debt Slavery

A form of slavery where individuals work to pay off debts.

Slavery as Punishment

A form of slavery where individuals are enslaved as a result of committing a crime.

Prisoners of War Slavery

A form of slavery where captured soldiers are forced into servitude.

Somersett V Stewart

A 1772 case that was catalytic in the abolishment of slavery in England.

Slavery Abolition Act 1883

Legislation that abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.

General Act of Brussels

The first major collaboration among international states to abolish European slavery in 1890.

Slavery Convention Act 1926

An act that aimed to combat slavery and slave trade.

UDHR 1948 Article 4

A declaration that prohibits slavery and servitude.

ICCPR 1966

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that includes provisions against slavery.

Modern Slavery

A contemporary issue affecting over 50 million people, primarily women, involving forced labor and forced marriages.

Forced Labor

A form of modern slavery affecting 26.7 million people.

Forced Marriages

A form of modern slavery affecting 22 million people.

Chattel slavery

Slaves exchanged for products or money, and expected to perform labour and sexual favours; their children are expected to do the same.

Forced labour

Lured by the promise of a good job but instead find themselves subject to slaving conditions, working without payment and enduring physical abuse.

Debt slavery / bondage

Extreme poverty forces parents to offer themselves or children as collateral against a loan, forced to work until debt paid off which is impossible due to inflation.

Sex slavery

Women and children are forced into prostitution; lured by false offers of a good job, then assaulted, drugged, and forced to work in brothels.

Trade unionism

Emergence of organizations to protect the rights of workers and demand improvement in working conditions.

Industrial revolution

Major changes in manufacturing, agriculture, and transport that redefined society and acted as a catalyst for changes to labour laws, beginning in England in the 18th century.

Combination Acts

Outlawed strikes and trade unionism in 1799 as the government saw them as a threat.

Trade Union Act 1871

Legalized trade unions in the UK.

Domestic recognition

Legalization of trade unions in Australia in 1881 and the formation of the Australian Labor Party in 1891 to advocate for labour rights.

Fair Work Act 2009

Protects the right to engage in industrial activities, be free from unlawful discrimination, and be free from undue influence in negotiating individual arrangements.

International Labour Organisation

Formed in 1919 as a primary international organization for labour rights and became an agency of the UN after the disbandment of the League of Nations.

Article 23 and 24 of the UDHR (1948)

Outlines the right to join and form trade unions.

Article 7 and 8 of the ICESCR

Outlines the right to a just and safe work environment, fair wages, and the right to join a trade union and the right to strike.

Article 22 of the ICCPR

Outlines freedom of association.

Underpaying scandal of 2015

Incident where 7/11 were found to be grossly underpaying their staff.

Universal suffrage

The legal right to vote in political elections.

Democracy

All people are involved in governing a country, exercised through voting.

Suffrage

The right to vote, often restricted by age, status, gender, race, nationality, or beliefs.

Expansion of voting rights in the UK

Gradual inclusion of men who rented land of a certain value in 1832, eventually allowing all male householders by 1884, representing 60% of the adult male population.

Voting Rights in the UK

All men in the UK were granted voting rights in 1918, but women could not exercise that right until 1928.

Voting Rights in the US

Voting rights were granted to all men in the United States in 1870, regardless of race, before the 19th amendment allowed women to vote in 1920.

Voting Rights in Australia

Men could vote in Australia in 1901, and women could officially vote in federal elections in 1902; all indigenous Australians gained this right in 1962.

Voting Rights in Kuwait

Women in Kuwait were granted the right to vote in 2005.

Voting Rights in Saudi Arabia

Women in Saudi Arabia were granted the right to vote in 2015.

Suffragette Movement

A campaign during the late 19th and early 20th century advocating for women's right to vote, using tactics like peaceful protests and hunger strikes.

First Country to Grant Women's Vote

New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893.

Fully Recognised Democracies

There are only 24 fully recognised democracies in the world.

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

This act protects the right to vote for all Australian citizens aged 18 and over.

Compulsory Voting

A requirement for eligible citizens to enroll and vote in elections, reinforcing democratic participation.

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

The AEC manages elections in Australia, ensuring fairness and integrity.

Article 21 of the UDHR

Gives all people the right to take part in the government of their country through freely chosen representatives.

ICCPR (Article 25)

Recognises and protects the right of every citizen to participate in public affairs, the right to vote, and the right to access public service.

Peace Rights

The right to live free from conflict, war, or any form of oppression.

Article 1 of the UDHR

Outlines that all people have a sacred right to peace and that promoting peace is a fundamental obligation of states.

Sanctions Against Taliban

In 1999, sanctions were authorised against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for refusing to extradite Osama Bin Laden.

League of Nations

The first international organisation for world peace, established after WW1.

Hugo Grotius

A 17th-century jurist who produced 'On the Law of War and Peace,' one of the first texts on international law.

Paris Peace Talk

A conference held after WW1 that resulted in several treaties and the establishment of the League of Nations.

UN Formation Date

The UN was formed on October 25th, 1945, after WW2.

UN Charter

The foundational treaty of the UN, signed on June 26th, 1945, identifying peace as one of its main aims.

Article 39 of The UN Charter

Allows the Security Council to act against war if there is a threat to peace or an act of aggression.

UN Military Action

The UN has only waged war once, on the Korean Peninsula in 1950.

Non-Military Measures by the UN

Include interruption of economic relations and severing diplomatic relations.

Arms reduction treaties

Agreements between the US and Russia aimed at preventing potential nuclear war.

Declaration on the Rights of People to Peace

A declaration adopted by the UN in 1984.

Human Rights Council resolution 20/15

A resolution that established a working group to negotiate a draft declaration on the right to peace.

UN Charter

A document that declares states have an inherent right to individual or collective self-defense against unarmed attacks.

Iraq invasion 2003

An action by the US and coalition justified under General Assembly resolutions but argued illegal due to lack of Security Council approval.

Non-compliance

The principle that state sovereignty allows countries to make decisions without interference from others.

Current wars

There are currently 14 wars occurring that have killed over 1,000 people in the last 18 months.

Right to education

A concept that emerged as a right rather than a resource associated with wealth and social class.

Education Act 1870 (UK)

Legislation that made education compulsory for all children from the age of 5 to 10.

French education law 1880

A law requiring all children under the age of 15 to receive free and secular education.

Public Instruction Act 1880 (NSW)

An act that made education free, secular, and compulsory in Australia.

Education Act of NSW 1990

Legislation that made it compulsory for all children to attend school from ages six to 15.

Education age increase NSW 2010

The age for compulsory education in NSW was raised to 17 years old.