HUMAN RIGHTS

ACTIVITY 1

Defining Human Rights

1. What is a Human? (Why is it important to define this?)
2. Are all humans EQUAL, and what does that imply?(What is equal? What is equality?)
3. What are Rights?
4. What do you think is the difference between ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ rights? 
5. What is the UDHR and what were the key moments that led to its creation?

ACTIVITY 2

The development of human rights did not start with the UN Declaration of Human Rights as
some might assume. As a group, we are going to create a timeline of human rights that we can
add to and develop as we explore this political issue. To do this we are going to split ourselves
up into 7 groups to explore the following milestones in human rights development. Each group
will produce a single sheet poster that presents FACTS from the following list.

1. The Cyrus Cylinder (539 BC)

2.  Magna Carta (1215 CE)
3. Petition of Right (1628 CE)
4.  United States Declaration of Independence (1776)
5. US Constitution (1787) and Bill of Rights (1791)
6. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
7.  The First Geneva Convention (1864)

ACTIVITY 3

You are to write an opinion essay exploring an example of when human rights have been
breached or denied by a state or a nation. You may find groups such as Amnesty
International or Human Rights Watch as useful sources to start your research but this essay
should be based on YOUR opinion. If you can support what you say with evidence then you are
free to choose any case study you wish.

 https://www.amnesty.org/en/
 https://www.hrw.org/