Human rights are all rights related to guaranteeing a decent life for all people. Human rights are rights that are guaranteed to the person by the simple fact of being human.
Thus, the concept of human rights refers to all basic rights and freedoms, considered fundamental for dignity. They must be guaranteed to all citizens, anywhere in the world and without any type of discrimination, such as color, religion, nationality, gender, sexual and political orientation.
Human rights is the set of guarantees and values universals which seeks to guarantee dignity, defined with a minimum set of conditions for a dignified life.
Examples of human rights:
- 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), human rights aim to protect people against actions or inactions of governments that put human dignity at risk.
Origin of human rights
The concept of human rights has changed throughout history, but there are some developments that have been very important in the evolution of these rights.
The first historical record of human rights is approximately 500 years before Christ, when Cyrus, king of Persia, declared the freedom of slaves and some other equal rights human. These rights were recorded in a piece called Cylinder de Ciro.
The creation of the Virginia Bill of Rights, in the United States (1776) and the Declaration of Human and Citizen's Rights in France (1789).
The creation of the United Nations in 1945 is also part of the history of the evolution of human rights. It is an important fact because one of the goals of the UN is to work to guarantee the dignity of all peoples and to reduce global inequalities.
In 1948, the UN approved the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1966, two more documents were created: o International Covenant on Civil Rightsand politicians it's the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Today there are several organizations and movements that aim to defend human rights, such as:
- Amnesty International,
- Peace and Justice Service in Latin America,
- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
- Human Rights Watch,
- Office of 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 human rights and contains the basic principles related to guaranteeing these rights.
The UDHR is important in the world for being the document that marks the beginning of awareness and worldwide concern with the protection of human rights.
The UN General Assembly considers the Declaration as a ideal model for all peoples to achieve respect for these human rights and freedoms.
The UDHR affirms that all human beings are born free and that they are equal in dignity and rights. Furthermore, the adoption of the Declaration by the UN is also aimed at preventing wars between countries, promoting world peace and strengthening the protection of humanitarian rights.
Learn more about Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Characteristics of human rights
Learn about the main characteristics of human rights:
- 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: all human rights must apply equally, the lack of one right can affect the others,
- are unavailable: it means that a person cannot give up their rights,
- they are imprescriptible: it means that human rights have no term and do not lose their validity.
Human Rights Laws
Human rights are covered 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 are respected and put into practice.
Get to know some laws that deal with human rights:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966).
The Federal Constitution of 1988, in Article 5, 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, privacy, honor and image,
- telephone and correspondence confidentiality,
- freedom of choice of profession,
- freedom of movement within the country,
- property and inheritance rights,
- guaranteed access to justice,
- racism, torture and drug trafficking are unbailable 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 by law. Other rights can 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 in order to fight and demand that they be put into practice and guaranteed by the State.
For the full exercise of citizenship, the 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 the participation of all in society under conditions of equality.
Thus, equality, the preservation of human rights, dignity and citizenship are fundamental to guaranteeing democracy in any nation.
Learn about the meanings of Citizenship it's from Social rights and also see some Ways to exercise citizenship.