Human Rights
Definition
Human rights are the inalienable and universal rights entitled to people by virtue of their humanity. Human rights can neither be established, nor abrogated by governments or other authorities. Despite universality, human rights have historically been subject to debate, regulated, or disregarded by nations throughout the world. The first attempt to create laws to protect global human rights was enacted by the United Nations (U.N.) in response to the atrocities inflicted on humans during World War II.
Human Rights Laws
In 1948, the U.N. adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in response to genocide committed by the Nazis during World War II and the United States (U.S.) atomic bombing of Japan in response to the Pearl Harbor attack. These events prompted a paradigm shift viewing human rights as a universal issue affecting humanity worldwide rather than an internal issue of sovereign governments. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created to serve as the...
Suggested Reading
- McFarland, S., Mathews, M. (2005). Who cares about human rights? Political Psychologist, 26(3), 365–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Donnelly, J. (2003). Universal human rights in theory and practice. New York: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Suggested Resources
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights—www.ohchr.org/english: This website is offered in several languages and provides updated news, reports, and human rights law information from around the world.
- Amnesty International—www.amnesty.org: Amnesty International aims to protect human rights. The website provides up-to-date news, information, educational materials, and provides visitors the opportunity to take action in helping its causes.
- Human Rights Watch—www.hrw.org: The Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting human right around the world. The website provides news and opportunities to help, as well as links to audio and video media.