Introduction:
During the caveman age, people used to live lives that were indifferent to others. As years developed into decades, people started to become more and more aware about their surroundings, and most importantly, about themselves. Now, in the year 2006, life is different then it used to be. People are trying to develop this world called earth into a healthier, safe, and most importantly, an equal place to live in. once upon a time, people used to be confined to tribes. Over the years, these tribes have improvised into countries, continents, and now an international community.
The International Communities:
There are many forms of international communities now, but the most important communities, in my opinion, are the human rights communities. Amongst others, the United Nations Organization (UNO), Amnesty international (AI), Save the Children, International Criminal Court (ICC) and the MADRE Organization are prime, and the most active.
A Background on these organizations:
All of these organizations have the same, basic interest: they all want to make sure that we are having, equal and fair lives, in one-way or another. Save the Children works in various different countries to provide education, food, and shelter for children. International Criminal Court is a court that tries extremely serious cases based on international concern. The MADRE organization really goes out of the way for woman’s rights. Organizations like United Nations and Amnesty International, work on all sectors of human rights, all over the world. There are of course, countless other organizations that do similar things, such as the Handicap International, Human Rights Watch, Medico International, Freedom House, International Freedom of Expression Exchange, and Physicians for Human Rights.
Case Studies of Human rights:
What kinds of things have we been facing that have made it necessary for other people to make rules for us? People now have to have rights in order ensure that everyone will get a fair chance on all things. Over the past few decades, there have been many issues and problems that have kept these organizations very busy. Some examples of current issues could perhaps show us, what we can/need to improve about our current human rights.
Case Study #1- ‘Girls Education in Afghanistan’
The right to be equal and also the right to education was disregarded by the Afghanistan ruler, Taleban, until in 2001, the United States of America (UN and AI) went and took action in order to restore these two rights in their country. Taleban banned education for females, which was a serious breach of human rights. This shows that even now, countries are disregarding the importance of human rights, and the actions that were taken for the Afghanistan woman and children; aid is still possibly needed in other developing countries. Case Study #2- ‘World Conference against Racism’
In the world conference, it was agreed that the selling and buying of human beings throughout the centuries was against the whole philosophy of humanity. Thousands and been killed, millions had lived a fruitless and harsh life. The right for all people are entitled to rights without distinction based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, opinion, origin, property, birth or residency came centuries after, when the damage had been done, and blood had been spilt. Now reparations have been requested from countries that had benefited from these slaves, though this statement is arguable, because, the Africans who had sold these slaves had also benefited. Though this law has been established since 1973, internal racism (racism at heart), is something that has to be eradicated, because those who do have racial beliefs, are more then likely to be ignorant about many other issues related to humanity.
Case Study #3- ‘Campaign to Ban Landmines’
For the ‘betterment of the society’, thousands of men and children have died working in landmines, or have been maimed through the process. In 2002, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), decided to take action. Around one hundred and fifty countries have signed the Mine Ban Treaty which stated that all the stockpiles have to be destroyed within four years of the treaty’s enforcement, and that the mines should all be destroyed within ten years. Around fifty other countries have refused to sign this treaty, because they have too many mines, and too much profit in the stockpiles to do such a thing that would be such a loss for the country. The United States of America by itself is believed to have around 11.2 million dollars worth of stockpiles in landmines. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been provided for people, and it clearly states that people have the right to life liberty and security of person. By refusing to sign, these fifty counties are indirectly undermining the rights, because following them the whole way might be too much of a loss for them.
Case Study #4- ‘Sharia Law’
Religion has been with us for centuries, and people have followed them. Over the years they have been misinterpreted and misused thousands of times. The Sharia Law, which is the traditional Islamic Law, ‘is a far-reaching moral code that prescribes how Muslims should best conduct their lives’. Some of the punishments that are applied because of this law are very extreme and painful. These include stoning, amputations of limbs, and lashing. The countries which view Islam as a political ideology as well as a personal faith are known to use these laws. Examples are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Taleban-era Afghanistan and Pakistan. The most alarming fact is that Sharia Law seems to be spreading. Nigeria is taking up the methods to add to their judicial system. My question is: ‘Should these heinous punishments be applied on humans?’ These are all permanent punishments and are likely to lead to death. Shouldn’t people be relieved from such torture? Case Study #5- ‘Slobodan Milosevic’s trial’
Slobodan Milosevic’s trial was the most demanding and serious trial in the history of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. He was charged by three rather imposing indictments, but he made the trial difficult to carry out for all those around him. He took sick leave twice during the trial, and as a competent lawyer, refused any other lawyer to represent him. He was charged with genocide, racial discrimination, crimes against humanity and war crimes. So far, he has used every opportunity to attack the legitimacy of the court, the prosecution, the NATO, as well as anyone against him in the case. The trial is still in progress, but one thing is for sure, the outcome will have an important impact in the history of humanity. People like Slobodan Milosevic will come across us from time to time, but we can prevent them from becoming like him, if proper awareness and equality of heart is spread to all parts of the world.
Case Study #6-Ecuador’s Trade Unions
The Ecuador is the largest banana exporter in Latin America, and is rather a tricky business to deal with if closely analysed. Short term contracts are given to workers, with no guarantee of extension. There is little job security and the plantation workers are subjected to hazardous working environments. If the workers are unionised, or if they do anything against this injustice, they are in danger of losing their jobs, and though Ecuadorian laws state that the workers have the right to freedom and to form trade unions, they do not discourage the employers against workers who organise these trade unions. This is an unfair for all the workers in Ecuador, and playing with the lives of workers should not be tolerated.
Something more close to home:
Cases that are much more familiar or closer geographically might also help us realize, what we need to improvise on in our human rights.
Case Study #1 - ‘Discrimination based on descent in India’
Even before the rights had been declared and had been part of the international law, discrimination based on descent had taken place for thousands of years. It is fact deeply embedded into the Hindu religion, and that makes things more complicated in terms of the relationships between law and religion. There is a possibility that people may have conflicting thoughts and opinions, as to what they should be following, the law or their religious beliefs. Habit, is also another thing that is responsible for this discrimination. Even though they are disregarding the right that states ‘all human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights’, people sometimes discriminate others in their unconscious minds. That is why people are still discriminating others because of their caste, and this takes place mostly in Asia and Africa. To eradicate discrimination, awareness at heart is necessary, not just awareness in mind. Case Study #2- ‘Forced Early Marriage’
Forced early marriage is an issue that is interrelated to many aspects of life: Politically, economically, socially, and religiously. It is now recognised as a human rights violation, even though there are alarming numbers who look upon it as a normal part of life. It is normally girls who are married off young to older men. Though some cases of marriages resemble to arranged marriages, the girl is often married off at a young age of eight or ten. Often, a girl is abducted at a young age by a man who is merely in need of a wife, and then the parents are forced by social and economic standards in their country or village, to let them marry. These cases lead to pregnancy related deaths, and domestic violence. Forced Early Marriage is a violation to two rights in total: the give free and full consent to marriage, and the right to education.
Case Study #3- ‘The Concept of Asian Values’
The ‘Concept of Asian Values’ is in my opinion, a spurious way of preventing modernisation and human rights from affecting the lives of Asians, by leaders and intellectuals who are in one way or another in danger of losing their position In one way or another. They state that human right are for westerns, and is not universal. Contradictions have been made within Asia, thankfully, by countries which have been benefited by human rights and values. People have to be open minded in order to grow, and if leaders and intellectuals have narrow minds, the world will have more difficulties in their path to prosper and build into a humane place.
Case Study #4- ‘AIDS/HIV Rates and Updates around Asia’
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the first attack of HIV, affected 49, 00,000 people all around the world, of which 7, 00,000 was children. Statistics showed that two thirds of them lived in Sub Sahara. In 2005, 24, 00,000 people died in Sub Sahara alone, leaving another 32, 00,000 affected behind them. Keeping that in mind, alarming news has come to light, when researchers have found out that there are around a million people are now affected in Bangladesh alone. 60% of the affected are female. It is known that HIV was first transmitted by males, before females can be affected. These females are mainly affected because they are uneducated, they are religiously dominated (Forced Sex), the men are more physically powerful. The children, who are born from an HIV positive female, are also likely to be affected by AIDS. This epidemic that is being spread across the world in large numbers not only shows that awareness is not reaching all the places it is needed in, but also that people who are aware of it are not applying precautions in their everyday lives. Is there any way to improve (the current) human rights?
The human rights that we now have are all equal to one another and are called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
1 All Human beings are free and equal in dignity and rights.
2 All people are entitled to rights without distinction based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, opinion, origin, property, birth or residency.
3 Right to life liberty and security of person.
4 Freedom from slavery.
5 Freedom from torture.
6 Right to be treated equally by the law.
7 Right to equal protection by the law.
8 Right for all to effective remedy by competent tribunal.
9 Freedom from arbitrary arrest.
10 Right to fair public hearing by Independent tribunal.
11 Right to presumption of innocence until proven guilty at public trial with all guarantees necessary for defence.
12 Right to privacy in home, family and correspondence.
13 Freedom of movement in your own country and the right to leave and return to any countries.
14 Right to political asylum in other countries.
15 Right to nationality.
16 Right to marriage and family and to equal right of men and women during and after marriage.
17 Right to own property.
18 Freedom of thought and conscience and religion. 19 Freedom of opinion and expression and to seek, receive and impart information.
20 Freedom of Association and assembly.
21 Right to take part in and select government.
22 Right to social security and realization of economic, social and cultural rights.
23 Right to work, to equal pay for equal work and to form and join trade unions.
24 Right to reasonable hours of work and paid holidays.
25 Right to adequate living standard for self and family, including food, housing, clothing, medical care and social security.
26 Right to education.
27 Right to participate in cultural life and to protect intellectual property rights.
28 Right to social and international order permitting these freedoms to be realized.
29 Each person has responsibilities to the community and others as essential for a democratic society.
30 Repression in the name of rights is unacceptable.
To improve our human rights we have to think beyond today, and at the same time, look back to correct and prevent the mistakes that have occurred in the past. Now that there are solid rights for people to enforce and save each other, we have to build awareness about and bonding for each other, so that these rights an active role in our lives.
Conclusion:
It is important to ensure the safety of all those who are in this world, and those who make an effort to do so, have to continue in their path. The one obstacle that is the main concern at present in all things is the human mind, our conscious mind. There are those who are reluctant to accept that anything against their opinion is correct, and there are those who deliberately evade the rules. Human rights may focus on the individual, but separate individuals come together to make communities and to make a strong community, the individuals have to be safe and strong. Even though the universal declaration of human rights have been established since 1948, there are only six countries (Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, and Bosnia) which are following it in 2006. To improve human rights, we have to try and get more people involved, and most importantly, aware about their surroundings, their rights and the rights of others.
^^^ Work Cited ^^^
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/time_95.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations\ http://www.icc-cpi.int/about/ataglance/establishment.html http://www.icc-cpi.int/about.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/news/asylumday/case1decision.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/all_rights.sht ml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t01.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t02.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t03.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t07.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t06.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t16.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t23.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t25.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t30.shtml http://www.banglarights.net/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty_International http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-061206-news-eng http://web.amnesty.org/actforwomen/shelters-251106-index-eng?open&day14 http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/asia/bangladesh.html http://www.madre.org/programs/index.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_ar t22.shtml Newspaper clippings and information taken Jai Jai Din, a daily newspaper of Bangladesh, 10th December, 2006.