HUMAN RIGHTS

Inalienable moral entitlements. . .

Attach to all persons equally. . .

Specify the minimum conditions for human dignity and a tolerable life. . .

Government and rights

“The AmericanDeclaration ofIndependence. . .is quiteclear that rights are notsecure without an actualgovernment to enforcethem.”

Jeremy A. Rabkin

WHAT HUMAN RIGHTS DO

Define government power

What government cannot do

What government must do

Challenge exercise of power

Contribute to government’s legitimacy and reputation

Human rights/civil rights

Human rights: human attributes

Civil rights: government-recognized

Constitutions

Statutes

How are human rights and civil rights linked?

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Catalogue of rights

Normative and prescriptive

Not legally binding

Not necessarily consistent with views/practices of nations

ACTIVITY I

Working in small groups, identify what you thinkare the eight most important rights in theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights andwhy. If you cannot agree on eight, list the candidates for inclusion and why you could notagree on them.

Assumptions

World is “human family”

Rights are foundation of freedom, justice, peace

Everyone has duty to teach, educate, promote human rights

Evaluating status of human rights

Local

State

National

International

Activity II

Reflecting first on your own, and using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as your guide, evaluate the state of human rights in Your town or city Your state The United States An area/nation of the world

Join in small groups. Compare your lists and discuss points of agreement/disagreement and why.

NGO’s and human rights

Long history

Dramatic growth since UN created

UN Declaration, Article 71, encourages

TODAY

INGO (international) BINGO (big/business) RINGO (religious) ENGO (environmental) TANGO (technical assistance)

WANGO: World Association of NGO’s!

Human rights NGO’s

Duke University web site:

http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_guide/ngo_links/rights.html

Where. . . do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. . . Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.

Eleanor Roosevelt