Μάθημα : ENGLISH A CLASS

What Are Human Rights?

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.  Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted by the United Nations in 1948, the UDHR is a milestone document that proclaims the inalienable rights of all human beings. It includes rights like the right to life, liberty, and security, freedom of thought, and the right to work and education.

In 1215, the English barons forced the King of England to sign Magna Carta (which is Latin for ‘the Great Charter’). Magna Carta was the first document to place limits on the absolute power of the king and make him accountable to his subjects. It also laid out some basic rights for the protection of citizens, such as the right to a trial. The American Declaration of Independence (1776) was based on the understanding that certain rights, such as ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', were fundamental to all people. Similarly, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789) challenged the authority of the aristocracy and recognised the ‘liberty, equality and fraternity' of individuals. These values were also echoed in the United States’ Bill of Rights (1791), which recognised freedom of speech, religion and the press, as well as the right to ‘peaceable' assembly, private property and a fair trial.

A new organisation, the United Nations, known as the UN, came into existence in 1945. As the war drew to a close, the victorious powers decided to establish a world organisation that would prevent further conflict and help build a better world.