Thought Leaderships Details

From The Quicksand Of Discrimination To The Solid Rock Of Freedom

Human rights: their fundamental assumption is that each person is a moral and rational being who deserves to be treated with dignity. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. This in my opinion is the most important article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10th December, 1948 in Paris. The Declaration arose directly from the horrors of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. I believe this was one of the most significant events to take place in history and something that made a huge difference to the way the morals of each individual in terms of opinions and rights have developed in a positive and less toxic sense and the understanding to what is okay and what is not okay to do has grown more whole.

The declaration of human rights universally was built on the ‘Four Freedoms’ – freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want. The Declaration has also served as the foundation for an ever-increasing number of national laws, international laws, and treaties, and is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure to governments that violate any of its articles.

Human rights entail both rights and obligations. Someone who tries to impose their view on human rights on other societies fails to realize how diverse the world today is and how much culture and tradition has an impact on the views of different people and societies. The challenge we face today is to work towards the indigenization of human rights and the assertion within each country's traditions and history.

As an individual in today’s society, I see a huge difference between what it was before and what it is like now. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has positively impacted society and it gives us the right to love who we choose, protect ourselves, and gives us the right to stand up for ourselves.

Although human rights abuses did not end when the Universal Declaration was adopted, the Declaration has helped countless people to gain greater freedom and security. In conclusion, we must understand that human rights are not optional and we must as a society understand that and learn to establish equality.

As John F. Kennedy says,“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”

Check out some of our other articles here!