U.H.Rights

Blog by Maci Bednar

Challenges Of Human Rights Organization

Human rights organizations have a direct involvement with the protection and upholding justice for the affected persons. They work hand in hand with the government institutions to ensure that matters of human rights are in order. However, their work is not ease as there are many things that hinder their work. Some are problems within the institutions while others are external. The external challenges come from institutions which do not believe...

Effects Of Discrimination on Human Rights

Discrimination is one of the barriers when it comes to implementing justice measures for human rights. It has various effects that it comes along with. The bad thing with these effects that arise from discrimination is that discrimination becomes a violation to human rights. All the things that associate with discrimination are by themselves inhuman. Some come from individuals and some are from organizations. It is also possible to find a whole...

Why should anyone “have” to respect “human rights”?

First of all, because human nature includes a moral component. Most people, if it is pointed out to them that they are infringing on someone's personal dignity, will try not to do so. As a rule, people do not want to hurt others. However, in addition to the moral sanctions of one's own or others' conscience, most countries now have laws that oblige governments to respect the basic rights of their citizens, even if they may not want to.

Why are we talking about people’s rights and not their responsibilities?

Although some philosophers and NGOs have put forward strong arguments in favor of defining the measure of people's responsibility and have even presented "codes" and "declarations" in defense of this argument, the human rights community as a whole has remained silent on this debate. The reason is that many governments make the "bestowal" of rights conditional on certain duties imposed on people by a government or ruler, making the very idea of...

Who monitors human rights?

We all have to monitor it. There are laws, both national and international, that limit the freedom of governments to act against their citizens, but if no one points out to them that they are violating international norms by their actions, governments can continue to violate with impunity. Each of us, as individuals, should not only respect the rights of others in our daily lives, but also keep a close eye on the actions of our governments and...

Why do some groups need special human rights?

Does it mean they have more rights than other people?No, it does not, but some groups, such as the Roma in Europe, the Dalits, and certain castes in India, have been discriminated against in one society or another for so long that special measures were needed to ensure that they have the same standard of human rights as other people. It would be ridiculous to think that after years of entrenched discrimination and stereotypes, outright hatred...

How do I apply to the European Court?

The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms defines the procedures for dealing with individual complaints. However, the acceptance of cases is subject to strict requirements. For example, before submitting a case to the European Court, you must confirm that your complaint has already been submitted to the national courts of your country (up to the highest instance!). If you want to try, and you believe...

Who do I claim my rights from?

Almost all of the basic human rights listed in international agreements should be enforced by your government, or by government officials. Human rights protect your interests from government infringement, so you must demand them from the government or its representatives. If you believe your rights are being violated by, for example, your employer or neighbor, you cannot directly invoke international human rights laws unless your government has...

Have we made progress in combating human rights violations?

Much progress - even if it sometimes seems like a drop in the ocean. Think of the abolition of slavery, the enfranchisement of women, the countries that abolished the death penalty, the release of prisoners of conscience as a result of international pressure, the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, the cases brought before the European Court and the laws changed as a result. Think about the fact that the gradual development of a culture of...