Human Rights and Equality (Unit 2)

Question 1

What is a right?
(Intro to human rights and philosophical explorations)

Answer 1

A right is a (socially recognised) entitlement to do something

It typically involves that others have a duty NOT to prevent you from doing that something

E.g.: the right to free speech, the right to receive an education, the right to drive if you have a license, the right to apply for a job, etc

Question 2

1. What does it mean for a right to be ‘socially recognised’?
2. What are positive rights?
   (Intro to human rights and philosophical explorations)

Answer 2

Most rights: legal rights - you have them because they are codified in your country’s constitution / legal system, and the State enforces them

Positive Rights - rights that provide something that people need to secure their well being, such as a right to an education, the right to food, the right to medical care, the right to housing, or the right to a job.

Question 3

3. What are human rights?
   (Intro to human rights and philosophical explorations)

Answer 3

Human Rights - rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.

In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was put together

Objective: To set ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations’

Challenges: These are MORAL rights, not positive rights (unless specific States have decided to include them in their Constitution / legal system) They rely on the philosophical idea of the MORAL equality of ALL people.

Question 4

Nihilism
(2 Philosophical explorations and key points)

Answer 4

Nihilism - a philosophy that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence

Note: *Not a religion, a set of values, essentialy, nothing matters

Nihilistic approaches are out there in the media but we, at Mulgrave, are not validating or analyzing this viewpoint in our discussions.

Question 5

Position in human rights
(2 Philosophical explorations and key points)

Answer 5

• Whenever a country’s political system blocks or limits the rights of a particular group of people we must allow for all countries to progress to the UN’s Human Rights ideals. (Example - Treatment of women in Afghanistan.)
• Even though the international community may or may not decide to intervene to influence other countries’ political systems, our job, as global citizens, is to hold Canada to account in the pursuit of the UN’s ideals.

Question 6

What is Mills No Harm Principle?
(2 Philosophical explorations and key points)

Answer 6

• It wasn’t intended to be a regulation for people’s behaviours. John Stuart Mill came up with Relation to human rights: Can protest, as long as your
  fighting for human rights isn’t harming or violating someone else’s human rights

Quote: - “You’re right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins”

• Better to let people make their own mistakes. Favours free speech up till the point it enflames violence. Cencorship is the enemy of progress

Critiques: 1. Some speech causes deep psychological harm that is as dangerous as a fist in the face
2. Critcs counter harm principle is too vague and doesn’t catagorize harm.

Key Features (source):
1. central to the political philosophy of liberalism, which values individual rights and personal liberty.
2. “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” - Mill
3. Definition: the principle that only those actions that create harm should be prevented

Question 7

What is Equaldex?
How do you read one?
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 7

• Equaldex is a collaborative knowledge base for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement.
• The site aims to crowdsource every law related to LGBT rights to provide a comprehensive and global view of the LGBT rights movement.
• Planning and development of the site began in December of 2009. Equaldex launched to the public on February 25, 2014.
  Equaldex is run by Dan Leveille

How to read - Equality index and legal right shown out of 100 (ideal). Shows country’s position on homosexuality and gay marriage, red means banned/no protection, dark green means legal in some cases, bright green means always legal.

Question 8

What is ILGA World?
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 8

• ILGA World is a global federation of over 1,700 organizations from 160+ countries advocating for LGBTQI+ human rights.
• Founded in 1978, it envisions a world of equality and justice, free from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, or sex characteristics.
• ILGA World holds ECOSOC (economic and social council) consultative status at the United Nations.
• Summary: It is a collaborative knowledge base for the LGBTQ2+ movement. It provides a global view of all global laws that affect LGBTQ2+ people in the world.

Question 9

Pew Research Center
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 9

• Pew Research Center conducts nonpartisan research on global issues and public opinion.
• Uses methods like polling and data analysis.
• Does not advocate for specific policies.
• Findings show acceptance of homosexuality varies by country, region, and economic factors.

Question 10

Russia LGBTQ2+ Status
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 10

• In June 2013, Russia’s Duma passed a law banning the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” to minors. The federal law aligns with regional laws aimed at penalizing homosexuality propaganda, often to “protect” minors. Sochi, the Winter Olympics host city, has a regional law in place.
• Regional laws have vague definitions of propaganda, targeting the LGBT community. The law contrasts “non-traditional” sexual relationships with “traditional values” promoted by Russia at the UN to oppose LGBT human rights statements.
• Signed by President Putin on June 29, 2013, the law took effect on June 30, defining propaganda as the distribution of information that influences minors towards non-traditional sexual attitudes.

Question 11

Chechnya in Russia
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 11

• Gay people in the region are being forced to seek visas or secret ways out, as they are being tortured. Victims of torture want to go public to stop the abuse.
• Victims were targeted for amusement, dehumanized, and called animals. Some relatives turned against them.
• Toxic masculinity is promoted, with men encouraged to fight and use brute force. Over 200 men and women were rounded up and tortured in what’s known as the ‘gay purge’. They were beaten, electrocuted, threatened with guns, and forced to give names of other gay people.
• Families were told to “take away shame” if they returned their gay relatives. Victims were held in prison cells across the republic. General Apti Alaudinov stated that being gay is unnatural and denied its existence.

Question 12

Taiwan
(Status of LGBTQ2+ in Canada, Russia and Taiwan)

Answer 12

• Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, becoming Asia’s first. There were limits, only between Taiwanese and countries that recognize it.
• Taipei Pride is Asia’s largest, with growing international participation.
• LGBTQ people still lack full protections, like adoption rights. Cannot co - adopt, but can adopt children biologically related to one partner.
• Key political figures, like Tsai Ing-Wen, supported LGBTQ legislation.
• A 2017 court ruling led to the legalization of same-sex marriage.