The Importance Of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights

Roughly 600 years ago, Columbus came and “discovered” America although there were people currently living there. Europeans soon claimed the land as theirs and called themselves Americans. Today, although people have made a living in the United States, they are being sent back because of their race and where they came from. The ban of people from the Middle East entering the United States took the world by shock although Donald Trump has talked about it before his presidency. Many people believed that he was not going to be able to do it since it violates the United States Constitution. It also infringes with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and managed to still get away with it.

Imagine a dog who is ill and suffering, they don’t speak nor do they voice their opinions yet you can tell that there in a world of pain and misery. You decide to put them down, put them at rest; knowing their not in pain and suffering. How can this be justified when a person who is terminally ill can’t make the decision on how they end their life. Through countless surgeries, chemotherapy and many vital medical treatments that were vital once in their life, that can now no longer be beneficial, a person cannot simply decide his or her fate.

The Universal Declaration Of Human rights is intended to guide and protect people of different race, gender, sexuality, and religion. Yet, many religious people are being discriminated against, especially Muslims. Many of these people are completely innocent, and they are trying to maintain their traditions, but because of terrorist many people fail to see the good in them and discriminate against them. Non-Muslims also question their values and customs: Is Islam compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Are the teachings of Islam good? Does the Quran promote violence? Is every Muslim a terrorist?

Throughout the evolution of history in the United States many of our ancestors made it a priority to fight for their rights and the rights of future generations to come. Blood, sweat, and tears were poured out just to have the ability to speak their mind without being punished, to gain respect for themselves as human being, and so much more. It is thought by many that by gaining these rights in society the world will be a better place, in many ways that is true, but on a global scale there are several reasons why that may not be the case. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to set a generalized form of human rights to all people in the word and is respected by many but unfortunately many countries fail to recognize it simply because of their beliefs and rulings.

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.

Rich or poor, black or white, basic human rights are something that everyone deserves and are needed to keep human life fair and just. Fortunately, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was published. This set of laws provides and describes every single right each human is entitled to. All countries are supposed to follow these laws for the integrity and health of their people, but sadly some don’t. The laws around child labor, slavery, and other parts of the declaration are ignored in certain countries. Even in our own country, the rights have been broken, for example, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK was an intense and horrid group whose purpose was to fight for white supremacy.

The mistreatment of women in the Middle East desecrates the human rights Americans claim all should have. In the second article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” 203 countries around the world recognize the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are apart of the United Nations organization itself, if 203 countries agree to govern and provide the rights the Declaration states, then why must women in certain regions receive permission

In 2013, the parents of an Amish girl with leukemia decided to refuse further chemotherapy for her and rely on “natural remedies” instead. The state of Ohio responded by taking the family to court to attempt to force the girl into chemotherapy, which they argued was necessary to save her life. The court ruled in favor of the government, and in response the family fled the country, arguing that the treatment violated their cultural and religious norms, and there was no assurance that it would be effective. This case brings up several complicated issues of human rights that implicate principles from the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Declaration of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, Convention on the Rights of a Child, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The situation of the Ohio Amish family spotlights a potential for conflict between the principles of protecting religious and cultural minorities, allowing for freedom of belief and autonomy over one’s own body, and the rights of a child to both her own religion and culture and to access the same standard of healthcare available to others in her country. In this particular situation, resolving the conflict is a matter of life and death: is it more important to be surrounded by one’s own culture and religion, or to have potentially life saving health care treatment? While I

All around the world, basic human rights, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are being violated. As Thomas Pogge argues, these violations contribute to the rise of poverty in multiple nations. The global rate of death caused by poverty is astounding, “…360 million human beings have died prematurely from poverty related causes, with some 18 million more added each year”, and unfortunately these figures are substantially larger than the death count of many wars (Pogge, p.50). The concept of globalization should, in theory, propose solutions to this depressing yet preventable issue. However, due to the power of corporations and the lack of incentive for affluent citizens to change their own spending habits, it only leads to a vicious cycle masked by "solutions" that end up propagating human rights violations.

Implemented in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) delineates the basic rights and freedoms entitled to all humans. The freedom of speech and the right to express beliefs freely is a universal human right protected by Article 19 of the UDHR. It declares that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression” and can “hold opinions without interference”. The regional agreements of Iran, China and Bahrain are in accordance with the Universal Declaration and are fully dedicated to upholding the rights of the citizens, the government, and the overall welfare of their nation. While the government is often dealt a difficult hand with defining the boundaries of censorship, the idea of censorship is impermissible. The line between restricting and not restricting opinions becomes unclear when the universal right to free speech coincides with the basic rights of other citizens or openly threatens the balance of the state. Opinions contrary to that of the government do not justify refusing citizens their basic rights, like in the case of Iran, China and Bahrain. It is essential to protect free speech as a universal law for the benefit of society as a whole. The government of Iran, China, and Bahrain clearly violated the fundamental rights listed under the international human rights law. Therefore, they should be scrutinized for refusing citizens the ability to express their opinions.

According to the Universal Declaration of Human rights there are rights that apply to all human beings: such as a right to life, liberty and security of person, the right to protection against discrimination, and the right to public service and medical care (General Assembly Resolution 217A). Article 25 specifically states:

In 10 December 1948 “The Universal declaration of human rights” was declared to protect the freedom of every human being of the planet. These human rights were declared as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. After World War II, a committee heated by Mrs. Roosevelt wrote a special document and its main purpose was to bring peace around the world. Although human rights was declared to give freedom and rights to every living being in the planet, I claim that not all of the human right is protected, one of which I believe is violation of women’s right because of gender discrimination, education and increasing women poverty and violence against women.

Human rigths is an essential component of a tolerant and individually satisfied society. They are created to defend people’s dignity, equality and liberty. However, for thousands of years people lived with no garanteed rights, until 1948, when United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But is the Universal Declaration of Human Rigths really universal to all states and humans living in them? I am going to argue if Human Rights should or should not be unically adapted to different cultures, religions and beliefs.

Freedom from discrimination is a basic human right. Human rights means, all human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. These rights are inalienable to all individuals, since they come from nature or from God. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in article seven establish that, “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”1 This means that all human beings deserve equal rights and should not be prejudiced by other. These rights are protected in order for anyone to violate them. This is important because this law for human rights promotes the security and well-being of all people in the United States and if these rights are protected, individuals can have a fulfilled life. However, though laws prohibit discrimination, nowadays, this problem remains pervasive in the United States. Race, color, gender, religion, national origin, or sex are subject to unjust discrimination in this country every day of their lives.

In the depths of shadows, in where no one dares to look, there often occurs some of the most unspeakable inhumane acts that could ever be possibly conceived. Perhaps, even more alarming, the shadows in which these atrocities occur are often cast by those institutions who have sworn to govern and protect the lives of people all across the globe. Yet, despite these oaths, governments have repeatedly justified their own shameless acts of cruelty in the name of security. Torture, under the guise of politics, essentially occurs when an individual is subjected to severe pain and suffering by the hands of someone in a position of authority. It, like shadows under a candlelight, can take on various forms: it can be either physical, psychological, or a mixture of both. Since the United Nations publication of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) torture has been internationally outlawed by over 156 countries (“Torture,” 2016, paragraph 3. This proclamation lists thirty articles regarding human rights and asserts that the underlying duty of all governmental bodies is to respect, protect, and promote the interests of these rights. However, regardless of this triumph, states continue to brutally disregard these moral rights, in particular, the prohibition against torture. It is here in where Amnesty International (AI), a non-governmental organization with global influence, comes into the fray by taking the initiative in investigating, exposing, and confronting governments on