Understanding Human Rights and Social Issues
Human Rights Principles
Focus on Freedom
- Right to life
- Right to freedom of thought and movement
- Rights of association and political participation
Defend Equality
It is necessary that access to assets is equal for everyone.
- Right to work
- Right to health
- Right to culture and education
Defend Solidarity
Promoting global human interests.
- Right to peace
- Right to a healthy and sustainable environment
Consequences of Human Rights Failure
- Discrimination: It ignores the principle that all are equal before the law, establishing the law of the jungle where the strongest prevails.
- Insecurity: Without the protection of law, one is at the mercy of the tyrant, who can get rid of enemies and act at will because nobody controls them.
- Poverty: Assets are distributed unfairly. There is exploitation of some countries by others.
- Violence and War: Failing to recognize the rights of others means the only solution provided to reduce conflicts is strength.
Key Citizen Features
- Responsibility: Acting consciously.
- Solidarity: Providing support and respect.
- Justice: Being fair, impartial, and objective.
- Participation: Actively engaging.
Understanding Prejudice
- The prejudice that women are intellectually inferior to men and unable to control their emotions, thus needing to be mentored by a father or husband.
- The prejudice that attributes to women a dangerous power of seduction that could awaken desire in men.
Ethical Challenges
- Relationship between Individual and Society: Society has been unfair to women regarding duties, such as being forced to marry against their will.
- The Right to Life: The life of a female child was valued less than that of a male child in some cultures.
- Conflict Resolution: A woman’s inability to become independent.
- The Relationship with Religion and the Afterlife: The diminished status of women.
- The Care of the Weak: Women, children, the elderly, and the sick are most vulnerable.
Legal and Ethical Solutions
- Legal: The first step was to recognize women as equal to men.
- Economic: One of the basic objectives of the feminist struggle has been to achieve economic empowerment of women through access to employment.
- Ethics: The final solution to problems of justice. Recognition of rights is not enough; they must be implemented, which requires all human beings to act.
Case Study: A Story of Resilience
A boy from a lower class who survived thanks to his self-love participates in the ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ competition to see his great love. When he enters the contest and begins to answer questions, he cannot believe his success, and they accuse him of cheating and investigate. He demonstrates that he knew the answers based on his life experiences and returns to the competition, where he is reunited with his beloved.
Analysis of Values
- Positive Values: Love and life
- Negative Values: Child trafficking and violence
Interpretation
The phrase “is not best that can but they want” is unclear. Rephrasing based on the story: This boy fought for a life of dignity and to be with the woman he loved.
Disturbing Scene
A disturbing scene describes blind children in a camp who were led to believe they were going to a “world of song.” Instead, their eyes were burned as punishment, and they were sent to beg for money on the streets.