Social Justice And The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) It is therefore of paramount importance that a social work professional should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society. I very much recognize the contribution that social work brings to inclusion having worked alongside social workers during the course of my shadowing placement. I possess a real commitment to promote equality which I have had the pleasure of doing in a multitude of different roles. From academic journals as well as my lecture notes I now appreciate the central importance of using the fundamental principles of human rights and equality to underpin my practice, and the inherent need to promote justice in relation with the people I will work.

‘Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that everyone should look upon his neighbour as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity.’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1931).

There needs to be a flexible set of requirements regarding just social welfare and other issues that are linked to the poverty and inequality that most, if not all societies face. We are currently in what seems a globalized economy, where a simple economic action from one place in the world can affect all other countries in one way or another. It is important that we concentrate and deliberate on what is needed for social justice, human rights and equity to work properly in regards to every society’s main concern. Although these three concepts are hard to exercise in a way that no more issues can emerge from them it is possible to adjust them to alleviate the conditions and diminish the damages caused by the lack of

1. “ Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control” (United Nations, 2012).

Social justice is the fairness or reasonableness of proper and fair treatment, especially when it comes to the way people are treated or how decisions are made, with its major focus and concern for human well-being, which needs a thoughtful commitment to the public’s health. To assure that right actions and decisions are taken to protect, promote, and provide for the

The right of every human to a standard of living that ensures health and wellbeing independently of race, religion, geographic location, social status, and political views , is often viewed as a way of guaranteeing individual dignity and development (United Nations).

"Social justice is what faces you in the morning. It is awakening in a house with adequate water supply, cooking facilities and sanitation. It is the ability to nourish your children and send them to school where their education not only equips them for employment but reinforces their knowledge and understanding of their cultural inheritance. It is the prospect of genuine employment and good health: a life of choices and opportunity, free from discrimination" (Dodson, 1993).

A general definition of social justice is hard to arrive at and even harder to implement. In essence, social justice is concerned with equal justice, not just in the courts, but in all aspects of society. This “concept demands that people have equal rights and opportunities; everyone, from the poorest person on the margins of society to the wealthiest deserves an even playing field” (http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-social-justice.htm). Sturman (1997) notes that theorising about social justice is reflected in recent debates about equity and equality, adding ‘the concept of “social justice” ... is not clearly defined (in fact, the term is often used as a synonym for “equal” opportunities or “equity”)’ (p.1). Thus, the notion of equity often replaces politically motivated conceptions of equality, and social justice reframed in this way is deemed as necessary for democratic life (Theophanous, 1994). This element of social justice involves recognition that there will always be some people in society who will need a lot of support and assistance, no matter how much education, training, encouragement or coercion is provided. There are people who have severe difficulties in understanding or communicating or organising their daily lives. This includes many people with a mental illness, other disabilities, literacy problems and other learning difficulties

Fear and cruelty are the weapons of animals, not humanity, and social injustices derive from fear-the masked ego of one who has sustained through power: white power. It is only fair to continue to talk about social injustice by defining what is social justice. Social justice embodies a framework (and certainly not limited to) a community, a united nation, equitable in standing together in belief and acceptance of diversity; equality; freedom; and equal opportunity to income and its privileges. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States of America proclaims that "a house divided cannot stand." I believe President Lincoln is correct with his statement, if the "house" is not endowed in a universal cause and foundation, then the infrastructure is faulty and will collapse. Here is how this connects to social justice, if that same "house" is not socially just, separation will impel and will cause dilapidation within the foundation. This paper will implement foci on Michelle Alexander 's (The New Jim Crow) approach of the social issue of a "new Jim Crow" system of mass incarceration in a colorblind society, and Barbara Ehrenreich 's (Nickle and Dimed) notion to the social injustice that derives from a capitalistic driven society that undermines the working lower-class men and women. With the forth

The notion of justice is existence of proper balance of rights and its access under the laws of land. It refers to not depriving any person from availing privileges, opportunities etc. John Rawls writes, "Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override"It means that the interaction in a society must be free from any sort of discrimination such as religion, race, color, caste or sex. It ensures fair distribution of assets and equal opportunity. José P. Laurel defines Social Justice as “Social justice is neither communism, nor despotism, nor atomism, nor anarchy, but the humanization of laws and the equalization of social and economic forces by the state so that justice in its rational and objectively secular conception may at least be approximated.”

The concept that morals are not inherent or universal but are developed by the necessities of a given society at any certain time, as presented in William Graham Sumner’s Folkways, is inadequate and displeasing. While some moral practices are relative to particular cultures, that does not mean that there are no rights that belong to everyone, nor does it mean that just because an activity is practiced that it is morally justifiable. Each human being is entitled to a certain set of liberties, which are outlined in the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” All individuals are supposed to have equal access to these rights, but according to Sumner, all rights are cultural and none are universal.

In accordance with article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created in 1948, American citizens are entitled to, "the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services..." (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). This declaration also goes on to give a special mention to mothers and children, and their need for additional assistance. With this in mind, states commonly have many health policies to protect these human rights described in the above declaration. However, some states go against this declaration by restricting access to certain health services, namely abortion, on the basis of moral, political, or religious objection. In the following pages the topic of reproductive rights will be broached, and the associated cases that are centered on both sides of the issue will be discussed.

All human beings are born with rights no matter a person’s race, religion, or gender. There are 30 of rights found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Under the UDHR there are 30 rights given to humans that were created to stop war from happening among people. These rights should have the power to prevent war from happening by giving every human life importance. Everyone has the same human rights shows all lives matter and are important and should be respected. Three human rights as based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the right to life, freedom from slavery, and freedom from torture.

Having grown up in a developing country, and having lived in multiple countries as an immigrant and a visible minority, I have seen and experienced varying degrees of inequality first hand. My experiences as an immigrant and visible minority have transformed me into an advocate of social justice and made me keenly aware of the complex issues facing immigrants. These experiences have given me the desire to pursue a legal education, with a career goal of becoming a lawyer specializing in labor and international law. I intend to utilize the knowledge gained in helping new immigrants in my adopted country, Canada, gain a foothold in the Canadian job market.

The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights stands as the current gold standard for every individual’s rights. Focusing on culture, one may see that cultural rights are not clearly defined and are oftentimes in conflict with other types of rights. In this paper, I will first discuss the United Nations’ use of ‘cultural’ in its universal human rights in relation to the concept of cultural relativism. Then, using South African and American practices, such as virginity testing and discriminatory criminal justice system respectively, I will describe and analyze practices violate the UN’s universal human rights in addition to the practices’ use for the community or society as a whole. Lastly, I will compare the American Anthropological Association’s rights to culture to the UN’s universal human rights by analyzing the limitations of each.