WHat are Human Rights

What Are Human Rights?

Human Rights are the rights and freedoms every person is entitled to simply because they are human.
They are based on respect, dignity, and the idea that all people are moral, rational beings.

Human Rights are:

• Universal (they apply to everyone, everywhere)
  
  

• Egalitarian (they are the same for everyone)
  
  

• Moral principles often protected by law at national and international levels
  
  

Key Ideas:

• Human Rights include freedom, security, opportunity, and basic dignity.
  
  

• Before the idea of "human rights," people still fought and died for freedom, but the concept became more formal after World War II.
  
  

• 1948: The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
  
  

  • Although technically non-binding, it influences international laws and policies.
    
    

Challenges:

• Despite the Declaration, human rights violations (like torture, human trafficking, starvation, discrimination) still happen everywhere.
  
  

• Many victims don't even know about the UDHR.
  
  

• The main reason rights are violated: lack of enforcement — no one is making violators stop.
  
  

• Education is key to protecting and spreading awareness of human rights.
  
  

Important Quote from the UDHR:

"Recognition of the inherent dignity of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world."