Human Rights

Human rights are all rights related to guaranteeing a dignified life for all people. These are rights that are guaranteed to the person for the simple fact of being human.

Thus, the concept refers to all basic rights and freedoms considered fundamental to dignity. They must be guaranteed to all citizens, from any part of the world and without any type of discrimination, such as color, religion, nationality, gender, sexual and political orientation.

These are the set of guarantees and universal values ​​that seek to guarantee dignity, defined as a minimum set of conditions for a dignified life.

Examples:

• Right to life;
• right to health;
• right to education;
• right to work;
• right to housing;
• freedom of movement (right to come and go);
• freedom of expression;
• freedom of opinion;
• religious freedom.

According to the United Nations (UN), these aim to protect people against actions or lack of actions by governments that put human dignity at risk.

Origin

The concept has changed throughout history, but there are some events that were very important in the evolution of these rights.

The first historical record is approximately 500 years before Christ, when Cyrus, king of Persia, declared the freedom of slaves and some other rights of human equality. These rights were engraved on a piece called the Cyrus Cylinder.

Also important events in the protection of human rights are the creation of the Virginia Declaration of Rights in the United States (1776) and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in France (1789).

The creation of the United Nations in 1945 is also part of the history of the evolution of these. It is an important fact because one of the UN’s objectives is to work to guarantee the dignity of all peoples and to reduce world inequalities.

In 1948, the UN approved the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . In 1966, two more documents were created: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights .

Today there are several organizations and movements that aim to defend these, for example:

• Amnesty International,
• Peace and Justice Service in Latin America,
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
• Human Rights Watch,
• Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In 1948, the United Nations (UN) created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This document is one of the most important on the basis of these and contains the basic principles related to the guarantee of these rights.

The UDHR is important in the world because it is the document that marks the beginning of worldwide awareness and concern for the protection of human rights.

The UN General Assembly regards the Declaration as an ideal model for all peoples to achieve respect for these  rights and freedoms.

The UDHR affirms that all human beings are born free and that they are equal in dignity and rights. In addition, the adoption of the Declaration by the UN also aims to prevent wars between countries, promote world peace and strengthen the protection of humanitarian rights.

Characteristics 

Learn about the main characteristics are:

• its main function is to guarantee the dignity of all people,
• are universal: they are valid for all people, without any kind of discrimination or differentiation,
• are related to each other: these must be applied equally, the lack of one right can affect others,
• are unavailable: it means that a person cannot waive their rights,
• are imprescriptible: it means that these have no deadline and do not lose validity.

Human rights laws

These are addressed in various international laws, conventions, agreements and treaties. In addition to the existence of laws on the subject, it is the duty of each State to have its own laws that guarantee that human rights will be respected and put into practice.

Know some laws that deal with are:

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966).

Article 5 of the Federal Constitution of 1988 defines the fundamental rights and guarantees of citizens. See some:

• equal rights and duties between women and men,
• prohibition of torture and inhumane treatment,
• freedom of thought, belief and religion,
• prohibition of censorship,
• protection of intimacy, private life, honor and image,
• telephone and correspondence secrecy,
• freedom of choice of profession,
• freedom of movement within the country,
• right of property and inheritance,
• guaranteed access to justice,
• racism, torture and drug trafficking are non-bailable crimes,
• prohibition of the death penalty,
• no Brazilian can be extradited.

It is important to know that human rights are not limited to what is provided for by law. Other rights may be included over time and according to needs, social transformations and society’s way of life.

Human rights, citizenship and democracy

Citizenship is the exercise of civil, political and social rights and duties that are provided for in the Constitution. Exercising citizenship is being aware of your rights and obligations to be able to fight and demand that they be put into practice and guaranteed by the State.

For the full exercise of citizenship, members of a society must enjoy human rights and fundamental rights, both individually and collectively.

In turn, having full citizenship and equality among citizens is part of the concept of democracy, which provides for everyone’s participation in society on equal terms.

Thus, equality, the preservation of human rights, dignity and citizenship are fundamental to guarantee democracy in any nation.