Topic 2 - Rights And Responsibilities Flashcards
What is the definition of Human Rights ?
Human rights are basic rights and freedoms which are universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent
What is the purpose of human rights?
- Their purpose is to enable humans to survive, develop, be protected and participate fully in society
- Protect people from challenges such as racism, discrimination and sexual abuse
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ?
- The universal declaration of Human Rights was drawn up by the United Nations in 1948 in order to prevent the kind of suffering which had taken place in WW2
- Was signed by 48 governments who made a promise to protect people’s rights
- However, it is not legally binding. Rights are not legally binding until made into the laws of each country
Are human rights legally binding ?
No, rights are not legally binding until made into the laws of each country
Name 4 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
- The right to democracy
- The right to education
- Freedom from discrimination
- The right to work with equal pay for equal work
How does the government work to protect Human Rights ?
- By passing laws protecting human rights e.g. Human Rights Act
- By communicating with the public e.g information campaigns to inform and advise citizens about rights and responsibilities
- By educating young people to promote awareness of and respect for human rights
- By working through various organisations to help protect Human Rights e.g
° The Northern Ireland Human Rights commission which advises on human rights issues
° The PSNI which can pursue and arrest those who break humans rights laws
° The court system which makes judgements about whether individuals rights have been violated
Give 4 examples of the UDHR articles and explain each one and state how this is achieved in Northern Ireland
- Freedom against discrimination - this means you should never be discriminated against for any reason, whether it be race, religion, disability or gender. This is achieved in Northern Ireland by The equality commission and anti-discrimination laws like the Sex discrimination Act 1975 which made it illegal to discriminate on the ground of sex when offering employment for example.
- Right to education - This means every child has the right to go to school and primary education should be free. This is achieved in Northern Ireland by having free and compulsory education until 16 years of age.
- Right to work with equal pay for equal work - this means all citizens should have the right to work and that women should be treated equally to men in the workplace. This is achieved in Northern Ireland by the Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the advisory work of the Equality Commission
- The right to democracy - this means everyone has the right to take part in government by choosing politicians to act for you. This is achieved in Northern Ireland by regular elections, secret voting and equal voting rights
Name 4 examples of articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
- The right to life
- The right to education
- The right to play
- The right to parents/ family or those who care for them best
- The right to express their opinions and have these listened to and where appropriate acted upon
What are the UNCRC articles focused on
These rights are focused on a child’s survival, development, protection and participation
What is Child Labour ?
Child labour refers to the employment of children in work which deprived them of their childhood by
- interfering with their ability to attend regular school
- being mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous or harmful
- In most extreme forms may involve children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities often at a very young age
Name the 3 examples of Human rights abuses in children ?
- child labour
- child soldiers
- child sexual exploitation
What are child soldiers, what are they used for and where does this occur ?
- A child soldiers a person under 18 who is part of an armed force, whether a rebel or government force
- Children are often kidnapped from their homes and forced to be soldiers
- Some children are used as cooks or porters or even spies; girls may be used for sexual purposes e.g in Colombia, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq
What is Child Sexual Exploitation?
- Children in situations of exploitation may receive gifts, money or affection in return for sexual activities.
- Sexual Exploitation can happen in gangs or through online grooming
- Some children are trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation
What is the responsibility of an individual regarding rights ?
There is a responsibility for individuals to protect the rights of others
What are examples of rights and responsibilities?
- Right to education : individuals have the responsibility not to prevent others from learning
- Right to live in safety : individuals have the responsibility not to harm others
- Right to privacy: individuals have the responsibility not to interfere with others privacy
Human rights are not absolute. They can be limited by the governments on what grounds ?
- Public Interest
- National security interests
- Preserving public order
- Preserving public health - e.g COVID 19 quarantine, freedom to move was limited
- Respecting the rights of others
Why may the rights of individuals be limited?
Sometimes the rights of the individual may be limited in order to protect the rights of society
What are some examples of the rights of individuals being limited in order to protect the rights of society ?
- The individuals right to freedom could be limited in order to keep society safe (anti-terrorism laws)
- The right to an individuals privacy could be limited to ensure public safety (the use of CCTV cameras to monitor individuals behaviour)
- The rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly may be limited to prevent public disorder or danger to life ( e.g. the policing or banning of marches or protests)
- The individual right to travel freely may be limited to protect public safety (e.g. quarantine in the case of an infectious disease like COVID-19)
Name 2 human rights from the UDHR ?
- Freedom from discrimination
- Right to education
