Do You Know Your 30 Human Rights?

Nowadays, many people tend to get together to fight to protect their human rights and the rights of others, but not many actually know all of their rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enlists 30 inalienable rights.

On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adapted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all people and all nations. This document was the first to establish a set of rights that all humans are entitled to and must be enforced by all governments. Today, 193 countries form the U.N., which means that all 193 countries have agreed to take on this document and apply its words as law.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case since many governments violate human rights on a daily basis. Amnesty International is a global movement for human rights that focuses on bringing injustices to light and making sure that people’s rights are not being abused. They bring torturers to justice, change oppressive laws and free people who have been incarcerated for voicing their opinions. In 2014, Amnesty International investigated human rights abuses in 160 countries. They found the following:

• Almost three quarters of governments restricted freedom of expression;
• 58% of countries conducted unfair trials;
• 28 countries have laws that completely ban abortion;
• 78 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex relationships.

Recently, I found out about an organization that teaches human rights globally; their mission is to help educate and raise a society that understands, believes and respects human rights. The International Solidarity For Human Rights is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 and they encourage the diffusion of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a way of preventing violence, dehumanization and bullying while promoting equality, kindness and inclusion.

Here are the 30 articles listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

1. We are all born free and equal.
2. I have the right to freedom from discrimination.
3. I have the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4. I have the right to freedom from slavery.
5. I have the right to freedom from torture.
6. I have the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
7. I am entitled to equal protection before the law.
8. I have the right to justice.
9. I shall not be objected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
10. I am entitled to a fair and public hearing.
11. I am presumed innocent until proven guilty.
12. I have the right to privacy.
13. I have the right to freedom of movement.
14. I have the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
15. I have the right to a nationality.
16. I have the right to marry and to found a family.
17. I have the right to own private property.
18. I have the right to freedom of thought and religion.
19. I have the right to freedom of expression.
20. I have the right to freedom of assembly.
21. I have the right to participate in free and fair elections.
22. I have a right to social security.
23. I have the right to work.
24. I have the right to rest and leisure.
25. I have the right to health, food and shelter.
26. I have the right to education.
27. I have the right to cultural life and to protection of author’s rights.
28. I have the right to social and international order.
29. I have duties to the community.
30. No one can take away my rights.

Below is a simplified list provided by the ISHR Pocket Guide To Human Rights, which has been adapted from the original Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is important that we all know our rights because only then can we ensure that we are being treated fairly and that our government has kept its promise of delivering and protecting our human rights. We are all worthy of being respected and we all deserve to live in peace, so we mustn’t allow anyone to take away our human rights.