Tag Archives: human rights

05/10/11

What has changed?

Foner devotes a measly 2 paragraphs to “Human Rights.” During Clinton’s presidency human rights organizations gained influence throughout the world. Governments were now beginning to respond to crises in foreign nations both judicially and militarily. The idea that you were not to interfere in a sovereign nation’s internal affairs began to change with the growing Amnesty International organization, as well as the hundreds of other nongovernmental agencies that sought to protect human rights.

In modern day, we hear of reports of infractions upon human rights (although not frequently enough as news of Trump’s new escapades overshadow the suffering of peoples) in Syria, Lybia, Egypt, China, Sudan, and countless others. One begins to wonder, why do we get involved in conflicts so petty when, sadly, hundreds upon hundreds of undeniably justifiable reasons exist for aiding other countries in protecting humans. It seems that the influence of Human Rights organizations on foreign and even domestic policy has weakened unforgivably.

Below is a video regarding the UN conviction in the Rwandan Genocide case:

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/un-conviction-verdict-in-rwandan-genocide/XREMXGQxubS_KqWYRBjajA

Below is a video on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

 

 

 

04/4/11

Universal Human Rights

In 1948 Eleanor Roosevelt drafted the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which established the principle that a nation’s treatment of its own citizens should be subject to outside evaluation. Not only people respected her role as First Lady to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but she was one of the most influential member of the UN’s Commission on Human Rights. Article 1)All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2) Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of Article 3)Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person….Not only the American nation welcomed her policies, but it was adapted in most countries all over the world. Also still is being practice today.

04/3/11

To Secure These Rights

Postwar America saw a rising consciousness over the issue of racial inequality and universal human rights. In October 1947, a commission on Civil Rights issued a 178 page report called “To Secure These Rights,”  which prompted the federal Government to step up their actions against racial segregation and to assume responsibility in abolishing racial inequality. If these steps were not taken to secure the rights of non-whites, then our lives would be drastically different. We would be attending different schools (one for white and other for non-whites), different buses and job-opportunities for non-whites would be severely limited. We might have even had different blogs to post our assignments!!  The existence of racial segregation would undermine the very meaning of Freedom in America.