A call to eliminate all forms of discrimination

World Human Rights Day inspires everyone to speak up and take action to end discrimination in all forms, whenever and wherever it happens. This, in a nutshell, is what World Human Rights Day is all about. Every year on 10 December, the world celebrates Human Rights Day, the very day when, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles that set out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all of us, everywhere around the world, are entitled. It guarantees our rights without distinction of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status. The formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day. The Declaration was drafted by representatives of all regions and legal traditions. It has over time been accepted as a contract between Governments and their peoples. Virtually all States have accepted the Declaration. It has since served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants.

Human Rights are a crucial part of our modern world and students should be familiar with what they are and the values that underpin them. If you are confused about human rights then ask your class if they can offer a definition of what a human right is. Human Rights are universal rights that all humans are supposedly entitled to. It’s helpful here to list specific rights such as the right to education or the right to free speech.

You could get into more detail by explaining how there are rights to things such as shelter, food or water as well as rights that protect us from things such as persecution, torture or slavery.  Discuss with your class about the values and intentions behind human rights. These rights are intended to encapsulate the rules that, if followed, allow any person to live a healthy, happy life. They also make clear that it is everyone’s responsibility to uphold human rights, especially nation-states and large organisations. Ask your students: why did people want to have a Universal Declaration of Human Rights at all? What purpose does it serve? Answers may include; so that we can hold governments to account, so there is a universally recognised standard of government or so people everywhere can hope to live good lives. For more advanced students, introduce a critical element to these discussions. Human rights describe extremely important rules, but they are often not respected. This is because it’s still difficult to enforce them at an international level or even be aware that they are happening at all. An interesting discussion to have here is: how can we have a world that respects human rights more? What needs to change? This year UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, before concluding her four-day visit to Bangladesh, made some pithy observations about the country's rights situation although, earlier, she had hinted that she wasn't here to criticise but to discuss. We're glad that she chose to do both, in her own way of course. In so doing, she added moral weight to the fight against the widespread human rights abuse in Bangladesh that has become something of a norm over the past decade. What we find particularly relatable is her position on the continued and alarming allegations of enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killing and torture against state security agencies.

Bachelet spoke of her deep concerns over these allegations as well as the lack of due process  and judicial safeguards, which she said she conveyed to the government.She also mentioned how successive UN human rights reports have documented a narrowing civic space, increased surveillance, intimidation and reprisals often leading to self-censorship. She spoke of the Digital Security Act, and how laws and policies are restricting the freedom of expression and effective operation of NGOs. She also stressed the importance of managing  protests without resorting to excessive force and also protecting minority groups and indigenous peoples from violence.The question is, will the government listen? So far, in public comments at least, government ministers have steadfastly ignored the elephant in the room: the very existence of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing. Nothing from their reaction betrayed any willingness to acknowledge them, let alone undertake impartial investigations, although sometimes they did vaguely mention taking action if such allegations were raised. Why coy about this if they have nothing to hide? What do they fear will come out if such investigations are carried out? Even Bachelet has urged the government to acknowledge these allegations, which is the least it can do given the mounting evidence of abuse. Bangladesh is a multi-ethnic and cultural country. One estimate suggests that there are, at least, 34 ethnic communities spread over the plain lands of the country. In the broader sense, a minority can be characterised as a group with characteristics like being numerically smaller than the rest of population of the state; not being in a dominant position; adheres to a culture, a language, a religion, a race, etc.

What is the international law in this regard? Did any UN organisations assign them to this job. But the question remains.

Are they themselves free of the charge of human rights violations. According to the reports of the Western media like The Guardian and BBC, there are cases of gross human rights violations in the USA. The way George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man was murdered in broad daylight by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin was horrific. After Floyd was arrested on mere suspicion of using a 20-dollar counterfeit note, the policeman knelt on his neck while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face-down in the street. With the policeman’s knee on his neck, Floyd complained about having claustrophobia, breathing difficulties and fear of imminent death, but to no avail. After a few minutes, he lay motionless and was found with no pulse. But the policeman did not lift his knee from Floyd’s neck despite repeated pleas from bystanders.Though the white murderer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5-year imprisonment because of the popular uprising called Black Lives Matter, it could hardly reduce cases of human rights violations in the US. If the American themselves say that they get justice very seldom, then should these self-proclaimed custodians of justice poke their nose into other people’s business? Practise before you preach. Civil rights are legal protections of individuals or groups from certain forms of oppression that gained widespread acceptance throughout the world in the last half of the twentieth century and continuing into the twenty-first century. The origins of civil rights can be found in practices of governments or powerful individuals or institutions that came to be viewed as oppressive, although these are often obscured in foundational or origin stories that take on an abstract, timeless quality.

The most common civil rights are prohibition of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, and gender; the right to personal security, including protections for persons accused or suspected of crimes; the right to vote and to participate in democratic political processes; and freedom of expression, association, and religion.

Civil rights lose their significance if they are not available to all people, but the failure to acknowledge conflicting rights and the interconnectedness of rights, interests, privileges, and expectations has made acceptance of civil rights advances more difficult than it has to be, particularly in countries where rights tend to be articulated in absolutist terms. The most troubling questions about civil rights have centered on which rights are protected, their content and formulation, and their enforcement.

Preventing access to education or adequate healthcare also constitutes a violation of human rights. Many people around the world live and work in conditions that do not allow them to enjoy their human rights.

The writer is an independent researcher based in the UK. He can be contacted at [email protected]