“Human rights are not privilege conferred by government. They are every human being’s entitlement by virtue of his humanity”. – Mother Teresa
Human rights are inherent rights that every human being is entitled to simply by virtue of being human. These rights, bestowed by nature, are not limited by age and are universally applicable.
Human rights are universal and inalienable, applying to all individuals without exception. It is essential to recognize this fact: without humans, the concept of rights would cease to exist, and conversely, the absence of rights would jeopardize the very existence of humans.
The grant of human rights to individuals serves the purpose of safeguarding peace and upholding the dignity of all humans. These rights empower individuals to explore and realize their inherent potential as human beings.
Human rights encompass a range of essential entitlements such as the right to life, the right to freedom of religion, the right to freedom of expression, the prohibition of torture and slavery, the right to be free from discrimination, and numerous other rights that ensure the well-being and dignity of individuals.
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The rights protected in documents include civil liberties, political liberties and economic and social rights. Civil liberties protect the individual privacy that they have and political rights protects individual freedom of political choices like right to vote, individuals have social, economic rights as well which maintain the balance of whole society. Human rights provide every right that has necessity in one’s life, that govern their life and help them to improve their individuality and dignity.
What are our Rights?
We know that we are entitled to have all human rights respected. The UDHR, the ECHR and other treaties cover a wide range of different rights, so we shall look at them in the order in which they were developed and were recognised regionally or by the international community. The most established way of classifying these rights is into ‘first, second and third generation’ rights, so we shall follow this for the time being but, as we shall see, such a classification has limited use and can even be misleading at times. These categories, after all, are not clear-cut. They simply constitute one way – amongst many – of classifying the different rights. Most rights fall under more than one category. The right to express one’s opinion, for example, is both a civil and a political right. It is essential to participation in political life as well as being fundamental to our personal liberty.
Human Rights Get Global Recognition After World War-II
Germany was governed by Nazi’s party and Hitler.
During the Nazi regime, Jews and other targeted groups endured immense suffering, including torture, starvation, and brutal medical experiments. Their money and property were confiscated, leaving them in dire conditions. The cruelty inflicted upon them shattered the human spirit. In the aftermath of World War II, the world pledged to restore faith and dignity to humanity. The United Nations took the initiative to establish human rights, aiming to prevent harm to individuals and ensure that no one could exploit their potential. The goal was to safeguard dignity and freedom for all.
United Nation made a human rights commission and documented their words in Universal Declaration Of Human Rights.
In Universal declaration of human rights there are preamble and 30 articles which defines the fundamentals of human rights.
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Human Rights And India
Human rights get its recognition in India after the formation of National human rights commission which was result of Human right protection act 1993 but this act get enforced very late in the year 2006, this act provided the state human rights commission and also human rights courts.
In India the human rights got the acknowledgment very late after the independence of the India so basically, we can say that Indian were not much aware of their basic rights.
This act was the major decision taken by the government to improve the human conditions and reaffirm their faith in the governments. Under this act the national human rights commission was set up which acts as a watchdog.
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Way Forward
Having established that human rights are fundamental rights that individuals possess from birth, it is crucial for us to be conscious of our rights and exercise them responsibly, ensuring that we do not infringe upon the human rights of others. Any violation of human rights can be recognized and documented as a violation of these inherent rights.
Human rights have been interpreted by different communities and countries in different ways. As history took form over time, human rights have also gained new meanings and definitions. The notion of human rights has also been challenged at times. Major incidents have given rise to big debates surrounding the rights.
One significant recent development is the revocation of the Right to Abortion, which had been guaranteed to American women until the Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organization case in 2022.
There is no saying what will be the future of human rights, but we can’t deny the fact that safeguarding. These vital rights can help establish peace and restore people’s faith in humanity for sure.
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Evolution of Human Rights, Evolution of Human Rights, Evolution of Human Rights