HUMAN RIGHTS

VIOLATION
ELLA C. ABDURAZID
ACCORDING TO – HELEN SCHWIE, HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATION IS THE DISALLOWANCE OF THE FREEDOM OF
THOUGHT AND MOVEMENT TO WHICH ALL HUMANS
LEGALLY HAVE A RIGHT. WHILE INDIVIDUALS CAN
VIOLATE THESE RIGHTS, THE LEADERSHIP OR
GOVERNMENT OF CIVILIZATION MOST OFTEN BELITTLES
MARGINALIZED PERSONS.
- THIS, IN TURN, PLACES THESE PEOPLE IN THE CYCLE OF
POVERTY AND OPPRESSION. INDIVIDUALS WHO APPROACH LIFE
WITH THE ATTITUDE THAT NOT ALL HUMAN LIVES ARE OF
EQUAL VALUE THEN PERPETUATE THIS CYCLE. THIS ARTICLE
WILL EXPLORE EXAMPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, AND
WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON.
 A BRIEF HISTORY
- THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS EMERGED
IN 1948. OF THE 56 MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS AT THAT
TIME, EIGHT OF THEM DID NOT VOTE IN FAVOR OF EQUAL
HUMAN RIGHTS. SINCE THEN, INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
HAVE MADE MONUMENTAL PROGRESS. THIS DOES NOT MEAN,
HOWEVER, THAT SOME DO NOT VIOLATE THESE RIGHTS EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
- THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IS NOT A
LINEAR PROCESS; THE LAST TWO DECADES HAVE SHOWN THAT
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVANCEMENTS HAVE REMAINED STAGNANT
OR DECLINED IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD. SOCIALLY
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS OF SOCIETY ARE ESPECIALLY
SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISCRIMINATION. THIS INCLUDES WOMEN,
CHILDREN, ETHNIC MINORITIES, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES,
REFUGEES, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND PEOPLE LIVING IN
POVERTY.
 DISCRIMINATION
- THE RAMIFICATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DISPROPORTIONATELY
AFFECT THOSE LIVING IN DEVELOPING NATIONS DUE TO COMPOUNDING
FACTORS AND DIFFICULTIES. THE MARGINALIZATION OF GROUPS BASED ON
GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION HAS BECOME A PREVALENT
ISSUE OF THE 21ST CENTURY. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE EXCEPTIONALLY
PROGRESSIVE PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT HAVE MADE ADVANCES TOWARD
THE INCLUSION OF THE LGBTQIAPK (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL,
TRANSSEXUAL, QUEER, INTERSEX, ASEXUAL, PANSEXUAL/POLYAMOROUS,
KINK) COMMUNITY, STIGMATIZATION REMAINS A DILEMMA THAT LACKS A
CLEAR RESOLUTION. OTHER STIGMATIZED CASES INCLUDE PERSONS LIVING
WITH HIV/AIDS AND VICTIMS OF RAPE OR OTHER FORMS OF GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE.
 ABUSE OF THE DEATH PENALTY
- THERE ARE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS. ONE EXAMPLE THAT IS ESPECIALLY
HEARTBREAKING IS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC’S EXECUTION OF
CHILDREN. THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR OF
HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN, JAVAID REHMEN, STATED IN HIS REPORT
TO THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN OCTOBER 2019 THAT THE USE
OF THE DEATH PENALTY CONTINUES TO BE AT THE TOP OF
GLOBAL CHARTS. THIS IS DESPITE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THE
TWO YEARS PRIOR.
- IRAN HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. THIS IS CONSIDERING THAT
RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES STILL FACE HIGH LEVELS
OF DISCRIMINATION. REHMEN DESCRIBED THE RECENT
MALTREATMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS: “[THEY] HAVE
BEEN INTIMIDATED, HARASSED, ARRESTED AND DETAINED.”
REHMEN GOES ON TO INFORM THE ASSEMBLY THAT BETWEEN
THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER 2018 AND JULY 2019, EIGHT WELL-
RESPECTED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WERE
ARRESTED AND SENTENCED TO AN EXTENDED TIME IN PRISON.
 NEW WAVE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
- THOSE LIVING IN THE LEAST DEVELOPED NATIONS EXPERIENCE
SOME OF THE WORST HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. THE U.N.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED THE DECLARATION ON THE RIGHT
TO DEVELOPMENT IN 1986 TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE SPECIFICALLY.
THE DECLARATION IS RADICAL IN THE SENSE THAT IT
ACKNOWLEDGES DEVELOPMENT AS A RIGHT FOR ALL HUMANS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CLEARLY DO NOT ENFORCE,
ALTHOUGH IT IS A LEGAL RIGHT. THIS PROVIDES AN
UNDERSTANDING THAT DEVELOPMENT IS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT
IN REACHING EQUALITY AND PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS.
- PRISONERS OF WAR AND TORTURE VICTIMS ARE ALSO
EXAMPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. THE WAR ON TERROR
SPARKED A NEW INFLUX OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE ACTS THAT
HAS CONTINUED OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES AND SUPPORTED
THE DESTABILIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS. IN
ORDER TO RECOVER THIS LOST SENSE OF HUMANITY, A COMMON
UNDERSTANDING OF THE RIGHTS OF HUMAN BEINGS IS
ESSENTIAL.
- THE WESTERN MINDSET, WHICH TAKES THESE RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS FOR GRANTED, CONTRIBUTES TO THIS ISSUE AS A
WHOLE. THE QUESTION IS HOW CAN LEADERS WITH LIMITED
RESOURCES ENFORCE THE PROTECTION OF THE PEOPLE’S
RIGHTS?
 THE SOLUTIONS
- ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE, PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE METHOD OF
PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD THAT ALSO ALLOWS
LOCAL VALUES AND CULTURE TO REMAIN INTACT IS A DIFFICULT
AMBITION. HUMANS MUST RECOGNIZE THE BEAUTY OF INDIVIDUAL
DIFFERENCES AND ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BEFORE A
CHANGE CAN HAPPEN. STARTING WITH THE SMALLER STEPS, LIKE
UNDERSTANDING VICTIMS OF RAPE, VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION
INSTEAD OF PERPETUATING A VICTIM-BLAMING CULTURE, MIGHT BE MORE
INFLUENTIAL THAN VIEWING THE SITUATION THROUGH SUCH AN
EXPANSIVE LENS. ONLY THEN WILL THESE EXAMPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS TURN INTO EXAMPLES OF HUMAN KINDNESS.
THANK YOU
