HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRACY AND DISCRIMINATION

Re-purposed by
Joané Botes
DEFINITIONS
HUMAN RIGHTS
•Human rights are rights
inherent to all human beings,
whatever our nationality, place
of residence, sex, national or
ethnic origin, colour, religion,
language, or any other status

DISCRIMINATION
• the unjust or DEMOCRACY
prejudicial treatment of •Democracy is a form of
different categories of government in which the
people, especially on rulers are elected by the
the grounds of race, people.
age, or sex
HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights PROVIDE a
STANDARD for how the HELPING EVERYONE TO
Government SHOULD TREAT LIVE TOGETHER
its CITIZENS and they are
SOMETIMES your human
there to PROTECT
rights MIGHT CONFLICT
INDIVIDUALS.
with ANOTHER person’s
However, because SOME human RIGHTS and may
CAN be LIMITED in CERTAIN need to be BALANCED.
CIRCUMSTANCES it means
When EVERYONE’S human
people can DISAGREE about
rights are BALANCED and
HOW and WHEN they
PROTECTED, it can HELP
should be LIMITED or
everyone to GET ALONG
EXERCISED.
and LIVE together
But HUMAN RIGHTS provide HAPPILY.
a FRAMEWORK that can be
USED to DISCUSS and
DEBATE different ISSUES.
 HUMAN RIGHTS ARE MORE THAN

V alues and behaviours

that we think other
countries don’t hold or
implement, so we often
claim they don’t value
Human Rights as well as
we do
SERVICES AND FACILITIES OF A PUBLIC
NATURE AFFECT HUMAN RIGHTS
PUBLIC DECISIONS DO:
Limiting human rights
• Sometimes our human rights need to be limited.

• They can be limited if one person is using their

rights in a way that threatens another person or
wider society.

• For example, if the police suspected that

someone was carrying a gun, would it be ok to
limit their right to respect for private and family
life by searching them?

In this instance, by limiting the suspect’s right to respect for private and
family life, the police could help to protect public safety.
Absolute rights

•Not every human right can be limited.

Some must be upheld in all circumstances!

• These are called absolute rights.

• Is it ever ok to torture someone or hurt them

badly?

• The absolute right not to be tortured or treated in a way that is

cruel or humiliating can never be limited or taken away. Cruelty
can never be allowed!
Absolute rights

• Is it ever ok to force children to work?

• The right not to be required to do
forced labour or be treated as a
slave must always be protected!
• No one can ever force you to work
or to be a slave!
FROM WHERE THE WORD DEMOCRACY IS
DERIVED
• The word democracy is derived from the Greek word

Demos- People
Kratos- Power or rule
FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY
• In a democracy the final decision making power must rest with those who elected by the people.

• A democracy must be based on a free and fair election where those currently in power have a fair
chance of losing.

• In a democracy, each adult citizen must have one vote and each vote must have
one value.

• A democratic government rules within limits sets by constitutional law and citizen’s right

• The opposition parties are allowed to function freely before and after the elections.

• The democratic governments are based on fundamental principles of political equality.

 MERITS OF DEMOCRACY

• A democratic government is a better government because it is a more

accountable form of government.

• Democracy improves the quality of decision making.

• Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts. It is suitable

the countries like India. India having diversity of language, religion and cultures.
Democracy in India made it possible to keep unity in diversity.

• In a democracy no one is a permanent winner or loser.

 DEMERITS OR DRAWBACKS OF
DEMOCRACY
• Leaders keep changing in a democracy.
This leads to instability.

• Democracy is all about political competition and power play. There is no

scope for morality.

• Elected leaders do not know the best interest of the people. It leads to bad
decisions.

• Democracy leads to corruption for it is based on electoral competition.

• Ordinary people don’t know what is good for them; they should not decide
anything.
 Distinguish between Democratic and
Non Democratic government

Democratic Govt Non Democratic Govt

 Democracy is the best  The rulers are not

form of government as accountable to the
the rulers are people and their needs.
accountable to the
people and have to
fulfill their needs.
 Comparison

Democratic Non Democratic

 In democratic govt  People don not elect

people elect their rulers their rulers and have
and have right in no right in decision
decision making. making.
 The parliament cannot
 The parliament is a
pass a law about the
separate body and has army without the
no interference of consent of the chief of
army. army.
 Comaparison

Democartic Non Democratic

 Any citizen can aspire to  The citizens of the

contest election for any country have no right
post irrespective of his or to vote.
her caste, religion, socio-
economic and
educational background
which means the right of
vote is available to all
citizens.
 Comparison

Democratic Non Demcratic

 Democracy is based on  Non democratic govt is

consultation and in
democratic govt people
enjoy their right of
discussion.
 There are free and fair  In a democratic
elections. Elections offer
a choice and fair
opportunity to the people
to change the current
rulers.
based on dictatorship.
The ruler does what he
wishes.
government elections are
either not held and if
held they are not fair
enough rather they are
imposing.
 Comparison

Democratic Non Democratic

 There is a freedom of  There is no freedom of

expression and people expression and people
enjoy their do not enjoy their
fundamental rights. fundamental rights.
 Example- India  Example- Saudi
Arabia, Zimbabwe.
TWO TYPES OF DEMOCRACY- DIRECT &INDIRECT
DIRECT DEMOCTACY
It is a political setup, where
the people themselves
makes the laws and
parliament directly in the
functioning of the govt.
Decisions are taken on the
base of the majority of
opinion.
It is suitable for the
geographically small
countries with less
population.
Eg : Ancient Greek/ Rome
and India
Modern period- Switzerland
INDIRECT DEMOCRACY
In the modern world most
of the countries are
following the in direct
democracy.
It is system, in which the
representatives are elected
by the people and they act
on behalf of the people.
They are so sensitive to
cater the needs and
opinion of the people.
Eg ; India/ France/ USA
IN DEMOCRACY MAJORITY OF PEOPLE RULE
THROUGH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES-
WHY?
• Modern democracies involves such a large number of people that it is
physically impossible for them to sit together and take a collective decision.

• Even if they could, the citizen does not have the time, the desire or the skills
to take part in all the decisions.
AIMS OF GOOD DEMOCRACY

• True democracy will come to this country only when no one goes
hungry to bed.

• In a democracy every citizen must be able to play equal role in

decision making. For this you don’t need just an equal right to vote.
Every citizen needs to have equal information, basic education, equal
resources and a lot of commitment.
 LIST OF RE-PURPOSED PRESENTATIONS
REFERENCES

• http://www.slideshare.net/ykedia007/what-is-democracy-and-why-
democracy
• http://www.slideshare.net/Knight1040/models-of-democracy
• http://www.slideshare.net/srengasamy/a-introduction-to-human-
rights-presentation
• http://www.slideshare.net/adilrahimli/human-rights-15750740
• http://www.slideshare.net/Birthmarck/basic-human-rights
• http://www.slideshare.net/sumerawarraich/theories-of-
democracy?qid=565a63df-2be2-4791-987e-
cdc7140c7ada&v=default&b=&from_search=1