European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

International Human Rights Day

by In Wales
Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 04:25:28 AM EST

Another International Day but this is one for everyone. Not just for people living in atrocious conditions in foreign countries, nor just for asylum seekers or for prisoners demanding something they have forfeited their right to enjoy - but human rights for you, me and everyone else we share our planet with.

Yes, everyone we share our planet with, and this point was made by Oxfam Cymru in Wales' national daily paper, the Western Mail:

By failing to tackle climate change, rich countries are effectively violating the human rights of millions of the world's poorest people. Centuries of human development will be halted and then reversed by climate change unless world leaders take major steps now towards agreeing a fair global deal at Poznan.
Continued excessive greenhouse-gas emissions primarily form industrialised nations are - with scientific certainty - creating floods, droughts, hurricanes, sea-level rises, water scarcity and deepening health crises.
These are, in turn, undermining millions of people's rights to life, security, food, water, health, shelter and culture.

That is the power of human rights, if these principles are respected and put at the heart of policymaking from local to international level.

Most of us take it for granted that we can go where we want to, meet whoever we want and enjoy peace and security on our streets and at home.
It’s a given for most of us that we are all born free and equal, and that we cannot be arrested, detained or exiled just on somebody’s whim.
But for millions of people around the world, human rights abuses including the above – and much, much worse – are a brutal everyday occurrence.

And relevant to much discussion on ET recently, form the Western Mail:

The UN General Assembly has created working groups and is active in monitoring treaties and reporting on human rights abuses. The declaration has created a platform for open dialogue among human rights organisations, the press and individuals about international standards
Alongside such extraordinary achievements, the past 60 years have also demonstrated that – in the absence of political will and resources – respect for human rights remains a pledge on paper.
Economic, social and cultural rights in particular are a perfect example of such a state of affairs. More recently, the fight against crime and terrorism has put a strain on fundamental rights such as the right to a fair trial and right to liberty and security of the individual.
There are also some who feel that mounting claims for respect of cultural specificity appear to challenge the very notion of the universality of human rights.

There's more to it than just this. Human Rights is about the relationship between the state and the individual, so each time you encounter the state in it's many forms, it is your right to be treated fairly, with respect and dignity. If you find yourself in hospital, when you leave you child in school, when you deal with the bureaucracy of benefits agencies, the state must respected your human rights, which goes further than just making an attempt to meet basic needs.

Are any Human Rights events taking place near you? Coverage in your local press?

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International Human Rights Day | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: International Human Rights Day (none / 1)

The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Wales have puiblished a series of short stories from Welsh authors:

We asked the authors to write short stories that show how they feel human rights are important to people's everyday lives in Wales. We are delighted with what they have come up with. There is something for everyone in the collection, no matter what your age or interests.

Ad astra per aspera

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 07:20:50 AM EST

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 (none / 1)

The 10th of December is Human Rights Day because it is the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, promulgated by the United Nations in Paris.

Today is the sixtieth anniversary of the declaration, drafted in the context of the recent end of WWII with the active aid of human rights apologists like René Cassin of France, Charles Malik of Lebanon, PC Chang of China, Eleanor Roosevelt of America. The UN conference was held at the Palais Chaillot, across the river from the Eiffel Tower.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (10 December 1948 at Palais de Chaillot, Paris). The Guinness Book of Records describes the UDHR as the "Most Translated Document"^[1] in the world. The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. It consists of 30 articles which have been elaborated in subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, national constitutions and laws. The International Bill of Human Rights consists of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols. In 1966 the General Assembly adopted the two detailed Covenants, which complete the International Bill of Human Rights; and in 1976, after the Covenants had been ratified by a sufficient number of individual nations, the Bill took on the force of international law.^[2]

Importance in international law:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

While not a treaty itself, the Declaration was explicitly adopted for the purpose of defining the meaning of the words "fundamental freedoms" and "human rights" appearing in the United Nations Charter, which is binding on all member states. For this reason the Universal Declaration is a fundamental constitutive document of the United Nations. Many international lawyers, in addition, believe that the Declaration forms part of customary international law and is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure to governments that violate any of its articles. The 1968 United Nations International Conference on Human Rights advised that it "constitutes an obligation for the members of the international community" to all persons. The declaration has served as the foundation for two binding UN human rights covenants, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the principles of the Declaration are elaborated in international treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the International Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention Against Torture and many more. The Declaration continues to be widely cited by governments, academics, advocates and constitutional courts and individual human beings who appeal to its principles for the protection of their recognised human rights.

When locusts move on, they leave nothing behind

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 07:55:59 AM EST

Re: International Human Rights Day (none / 0)

I had failed to realise this was human rights day. The guardian has only one mention of it today, an article by Nick Clegg (as good a way of burying the issue as any I guess).

Despite incorporating the european human rights charter into UK law, it's without doubt that the balance of power between the state and the citizen is tipping too far in favour of the Executive. The hoary question of "are we a nation governed by law or by men ?" is beginning to be heard. Never a good sign.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 08:42:17 AM EST

Re: International Human Rights Day (none / 1)

I'm afraid that the over two million people in America's prison system, the largest gulag of concentration camps the world has ever seen, will not be aware that this is human rights day. For them it will just be another day of being beaten, tortured, raped and abused. And no one, certainly not Obama, could care less about them, or even mentions them. The test for whether someone cares about human rights is whether they have the courage to stand up and defend the rights of people to use drugs. No nation that imprisons or persecutes people for smoking pot can claim to have human or civil rights.

by mikep on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 01:58:29 PM EST

Re: International Human Rights Day (none / 0)

well done.

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Wed Dec 10th, 2008 at 07:26:00 PM EST

International Human Rights Day | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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