{"id":588,"date":"2021-11-26T20:24:19","date_gmt":"2021-11-27T01:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/extraocadsmhr\/?post_type=chapter&p=588"},"modified":"2022-02-14T18:55:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T23:55:21","slug":"seventy-years-of-international-human-rights-short-introductory-article","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/extraocadsmhr\/chapter\/seventy-years-of-international-human-rights-short-introductory-article\/","title":{"raw":"1a. \"Seventy years of international human rights\" (Short news article)","rendered":"1a. “Seventy years of international human rights” (Short news article)"},"content":{"raw":"

Introduction to the article \"Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span>\"<\/strong><\/h1>\r\nInternational human rights have a relatively short history as compared to law as a whole. For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights only celebrated its 70th anniversary back in 2018.\r\n\r\nDespite this being only a short period, international human rights have truly had a global influence.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, as much as human rights are justifiably celebrated in some circles, others believe the opposite.\r\n\r\nIn her article, \"Seventy years of international human rights,\" author Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann chronicles the brief history of human rights across the world as well as its opposition.\r\n\r\nBy seeing multiple sides regarding the international human rights debate, ideally we can develop these right to be even more reflective of the diverse values and attitudes of people across the world.\r\n\r\n
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Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nRhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, The Conversation,\u00a0<\/em><\/span>Universal Declaration of Human Rights<\/span>,<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. Since then an enormous body of international human rights law has been developed.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSome people think that human rights should not be universal. And some critics believe that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>human rights are an example of Western cultural imperialism<\/a><\/span>. They claim that non-Western countries did not participate in drafting the Universal Declaration. Yet non-Western countries have been involved since the earliest stages in drawing up human rights documents.<\/span>\r\n\r\nHowever, all countries can be quite hypocritical when it comes to applying the laws they agree to.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOther critics argue that human rights promote selfish individualism. Instead of caring for the family or community, people only care for their own rights. But in countries like Canada where human rights are,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for the most part, legally respected<\/a><\/span>, citizens follow these laws because they do have a sense of community and care for each other. Housing advocates, food bank workers and millions of volunteers help make human rights \u201cwork\u201d on the ground.<\/span>\r\n\r\nYet others claim that as China and other non-democratic countries become more powerful, human rights will be less important internationally. It is true that such countries do work to undermine many human rights, at home and at the UN. But that makes human rights more relevant, not less. We all need protection against abusive governments.<\/span>\r\n\r\nHuman rights are still relevant and new rights are evolving.<\/span>\r\n
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Signs of progress<\/h2>\r\nOne sign of progress is in LGBTQ rights. This topic is difficult to discuss internationally, because some places, especially but not only Russia and countries in Africa and the Middle East, still have laws that prohibit homosexuality. Some religious groups, in the Western world as elsewhere, are also homophobic. We don\u2019t yet have an international declaration on LGBTQ rights, but the UN is paying more attention to them.\r\n
<\/figure>\r\nIn the last 20 years,\u00a0<\/span>much attention has been paid to \u201ccollective\u201d human rights<\/a><\/span>. These are rights than belong to groups of people and that one individual can\u2019t exercise if others can\u2019t also exercise them.\r\n\r\nIndigenous rights are collective rights. Indigenous ways of life, languages, religions, cultures and land bases are threatened. In 2007 the UN passed UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada voted against the Declaration, but\u00a0<\/span>later reversed its position<\/span><\/a>. By 2016 the government declared its full support for UNDRIP.\r\n

Clean environment is a right<\/h2>\r\nA collective right that affects everyone everywhere is the right to a clean and healthy environment. This includes the right to protection against climate changes that undermine our livelihoods and well-being.\r\n\r\nAnother collective right is the right to peace. Viewed narrowly, this is the right not to live in a state of war. In 2018, many people still live in war-torn countries, especially countries in the Middle East and parts of Africa. Others, in the Ukraine, live in fear of war. And we all live in fear of nuclear war.\r\n\r\nBoth climate change and war create huge refugee populations. By 2050, it\u2019s thought, there will be 200 million \u201cclimate refugees\u201d fleeing rising sea levels. Add to that the refugees who are fleeing large-scale crime, like the migrant \u201ccaravan\u201d currently trying to enter the United States.\r\n

Economic human rights<\/h2>\r\nThe UN recently agreed on a Global Compact for Migration, setting out voluntary principles meant to save lives and ensure successful migrant integration into new countries without unduly burdening social infrastructure such as health care. But the real challenge is to ensure people don\u2019t have to leave home at all.\r\n\r\nOne way to ensure more people can live in their homes is to develop economies. The right to economic development is a collective right. Development activists usually try to reduce both poverty and inequality. There\u2019s been an enormous reduction in world poverty over the last 25 years, even as inequality has been growing in most countries.\r\n\r\nThis means it\u2019s easier to fulfil what is known as economic human rights, such as rights to health, education and housing. Very little of this change results from foreign aid; most is a result of the spread of market economies.\r\n\r\nMany people in many countries have benefited from globalization, though others, such as industrial workers in Canada and the U.S., have lost their jobs. This is one of the reasons for the spread of anti-immigrant, xenophobic sentiments in the Western world.\r\n\r\nUnless we can figure out a way to control these sentiments and reduce the need for people to flee their own countries because of war, crime, economic challenges and climate change, we are facing an uneasy human rights future.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
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Quiz<\/h2>\r\nQuiz on \"Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span>\"<\/strong>:<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"35\"]<\/span>\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"33\"]<\/span>\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"34\"]<\/span>\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"36\"]<\/span>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nTopics\/Keywords\/Tags<\/strong>: <\/span>Universal Declaration of Human Rights<\/a><\/span>\r\n\r\nCitation<\/strong>: Howard-Hassmann, R. E. (2018, December 10). Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span>. <\/span>The Conversation<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

Introduction to the article “Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span>“<\/strong><\/h1>\n

International human rights have a relatively short history as compared to law as a whole. For example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights only celebrated its 70th anniversary back in 2018.<\/p>\n

Despite this being only a short period, international human rights have truly had a global influence.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, as much as human rights are justifiably celebrated in some circles, others believe the opposite.<\/p>\n

In her article, “Seventy years of international human rights,” author Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann chronicles the brief history of human rights across the world as well as its opposition.<\/p>\n

By seeing multiple sides regarding the international human rights debate, ideally we can develop these right to be even more reflective of the diverse values and attitudes of people across the world.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, The Conversation,\u00a0<\/em><\/span>

It\u2019s the 70th anniversary of the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Universal Declaration of Human Rights<\/span>,<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. Since then an enormous body of international human rights law has been developed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people think that human rights should not be universal. And some critics believe that<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>human rights are an example of Western cultural imperialism<\/a><\/span>. They claim that non-Western countries did not participate in drafting the Universal Declaration. Yet non-Western countries have been involved since the earliest stages in drawing up human rights documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, all countries can be quite hypocritical when it comes to applying the laws they agree to.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other critics argue that human rights promote selfish individualism. Instead of caring for the family or community, people only care for their own rights. But in countries like Canada where human rights are,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for the most part, legally respected<\/a><\/span>, citizens follow these laws because they do have a sense of community and care for each other. Housing advocates, food bank workers and millions of volunteers help make human rights \u201cwork\u201d on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet others claim that as China and other non-democratic countries become more powerful, human rights will be less important internationally. It is true that such countries do work to undermine many human rights, at home and at the UN. But that makes human rights more relevant, not less. We all need protection against abusive governments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human rights are still relevant and new rights are evolving.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Signs of progress<\/h2>\n

One sign of progress is in LGBTQ rights. This topic is difficult to discuss internationally, because some places, especially but not only Russia and countries in Africa and the Middle East, still have laws that prohibit homosexuality. Some religious groups, in the Western world as elsewhere, are also homophobic. We don\u2019t yet have an international declaration on LGBTQ rights, but the UN is paying more attention to them.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

In the last 20 years,\u00a0<\/span>much attention has been paid to \u201ccollective\u201d human rights<\/a><\/span>. These are rights than belong to groups of people and that one individual can\u2019t exercise if others can\u2019t also exercise them.<\/p>\n

Indigenous rights are collective rights. Indigenous ways of life, languages, religions, cultures and land bases are threatened. In 2007 the UN passed UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Canada voted against the Declaration, but\u00a0<\/span>later reversed its position<\/span><\/a>. By 2016 the government declared its full support for UNDRIP.<\/p>\n

Clean environment is a right<\/h2>\n

A collective right that affects everyone everywhere is the right to a clean and healthy environment. This includes the right to protection against climate changes that undermine our livelihoods and well-being.<\/p>\n

Another collective right is the right to peace. Viewed narrowly, this is the right not to live in a state of war. In 2018, many people still live in war-torn countries, especially countries in the Middle East and parts of Africa. Others, in the Ukraine, live in fear of war. And we all live in fear of nuclear war.<\/p>\n

Both climate change and war create huge refugee populations. By 2050, it\u2019s thought, there will be 200 million \u201cclimate refugees\u201d fleeing rising sea levels. Add to that the refugees who are fleeing large-scale crime, like the migrant \u201ccaravan\u201d currently trying to enter the United States.<\/p>\n

Economic human rights<\/h2>\n

The UN recently agreed on a Global Compact for Migration, setting out voluntary principles meant to save lives and ensure successful migrant integration into new countries without unduly burdening social infrastructure such as health care. But the real challenge is to ensure people don\u2019t have to leave home at all.<\/p>\n

One way to ensure more people can live in their homes is to develop economies. The right to economic development is a collective right. Development activists usually try to reduce both poverty and inequality. There\u2019s been an enormous reduction in world poverty over the last 25 years, even as inequality has been growing in most countries.<\/p>\n

This means it\u2019s easier to fulfil what is known as economic human rights, such as rights to health, education and housing. Very little of this change results from foreign aid; most is a result of the spread of market economies.<\/p>\n

Many people in many countries have benefited from globalization, though others, such as industrial workers in Canada and the U.S., have lost their jobs. This is one of the reasons for the spread of anti-immigrant, xenophobic sentiments in the Western world.<\/p>\n

Unless we can figure out a way to control these sentiments and reduce the need for people to flee their own countries because of war, crime, economic challenges and climate change, we are facing an uneasy human rights future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Quiz<\/h2>\n

Quiz on “Seventy years of international human rights<\/a><\/span><\/span>“<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/p>\n

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