Active Learning Exercises
Lesson 3: What are human rights?
The term human rights is widely discussed. Turn on the television or visit a news website, and the phrase is likely to be referenced. But what are human rights exactly? What is the origin and responsibilities of their inception? Watch the TedED video to help you gain a deeper understanding of what human rights are.
- When was the universal declaration of human rights adopted?
- Which world event prompted the creation and adoption of the universal declaration of human rights?
- In your own words, draft a new definition of what human rights are?
Read
Read this link and read Migration and the Lottery of Birth (scroll down the page).
The attached article clearly shows that not all citizenships and passports are created equal, which means certain citizenships. i.e., Canadian, grant the bearer the right to travel freely to most countries. By comparison, a citizen of Senegal like VaGa_Bon has limited mobility. He is required to have a visa to travel to Germany.
What Do You Think?
- Do some research to learn where a Senegalese citizen can travel without the requirement of a visa. What do you notice about most of these countries?
- What does this mean in terms of someone’s ability to migrate?
- In the story detailing the migration of VaGa_Bon from Senegal to Germany, he states: “The right to migrate is a human right.” Do you agree or disagree with his statement? Explain your thinking.