What are Human Rights?

Objectives

• Students will be…• introduced to the subject of human rights• move towards an understanding of the nature

and extent of human rights• understand the meaning of the term “human

rights” • introduced to the UDHR and other human

rights documents and to some of the Nuremberg Laws

Being Human?

• What does it mean to be human?

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets the standard for how human beings should behave towards one another so that everyone’s human dignity is respected.

Universal Declaration On Human Rights

• recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of the freedom, justice, and peace in the world…

• PreambleUniversal Declaration of Human Rights – All human beings are born free and equal in dignity

and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 1Universal Declaration of Human Rights

What are rights?

• Brainstorm definitions for the word right

Declaration of Human Rights

• Human rights belong to all people regardless of their sex, race, color, language, national origin, age, class, religion, or political beliefs. They are universal, inalienable, indivisible, and interdependent.

• What is meant by universality? By inalienable? By indivisible? By interdependent?

History of Human Rights

• After the horrors of WWI many countries felt that an international charter on human rights would reduce the chances that such atrocities would be repeated

• United Nations Commission on Human Rights was established– 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights

(UDHR) was drawn up

Legal vs. Moral Rights

• Legal Rights are laid down by law• Moral Rights are often taken to mean rights

which are not enshrined in any formal code but which nonetheless are held to be reasonable– Right to privacy– Right to confidentiality

Limits on Rights

• Human rights are not realized in some cases because of other interests of the state. Examples might include….– National security– Public health and morals– Need to respect rights of others

Where do you stand game?

• In Every Case• In Most Cases• In Some Cases

Comparing Nuremberg Laws With Human Rights

• Look at Nuremberg Laws passed between 1933 and 1935

• Do these violate human rights and if so, which ones?