Human rights are a concept conceived to address the civil, political, social, and economic rights that all human beings deserve and need to maintain dignity. The concept of human rights has gained momentum in the past century as a direct result of two World Wars and the creation of the United Nations. In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as its charter. The purpose of this declaration was to address the widespread prejudices, atrocities, and greed that resulted in the creation of fascist regimes during the 1930s and 40th century. As a result of the second World War, millions of decimated families sought out international courts to seek assistance in rebuilding their lives. Finally, they found hope- they found hope in using their collective power to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Human rights are considered paramount to any just and civilized society. Every individual deserves fundamental human rights- for instance, the right to life, education, food, water and shelter. Human rights focus on protecting individuals from discrimination, oppression, and wrongdoings by governments and other groups. Therefore, human rights cannot be used against individuals- only organizations or governments can be held accountable for violating human rights. All human rights are universal in nature and apply to everyone in every culture.
Historically, human rights have been criticized for being too broad and therefore useless. For example: during World War II, Germany held concentration camps where more than 12 million people perished due to poor living conditions and Nazi oppression. Although concentration camps don't fit into the typical definition of human rights laws, many still criticize these laws as inadequate since they don't apply to every country or situation. Critics also question whether these laws are useful if they lead to peace being declared against an armed group that's committing atrocities in another country- when peace is achieved, what then? Is there anything that can be done about it? Or is this simply a case of moral indignation followed by resignation? Is there anything we can do but watch?
Basically every country has laws protecting humans from unlawful acts; however, not everyone is aware of their rights nor does everyone take advantage of their rights. Human rights are important in protecting all humans from discrimination - regardless of whether they belong to a specific religion or not. Since 1948, more than 200 countries have ratified the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, numerous bodies around the world promote human rights globally through educational programs like Operation Human Rights Protection among others. Ultimately fighting for human rights will one day bring peace back to a troubled world; until then - everyone needs to work towards securing their human rights whenever possible!
