What are “Human Rights”?

What is a “Human”?

What is meant by “Rights”?

The simplest definition from most of the dictionaries that I read is that “Human” is a person from the Latin for “man”. Most dictionaries give elaborate definitions but they all boil down to the above. “Rights” in most dictionaries seemed to be part of the definition of the word “right”. In most dictionaries the definition of “right” took up more than one column.

But basically when someone says you have “Rights”, what is meant is that you have basic moral and legal rights to something.

The word “something” is a bit nebulous so let's get a bit more specific with our definition and go back and try to answer the questions we set at the beginning of this article.

“What are Human Rights?”

Well from the day we are born we have the right to “life”.

This seems obvious to most of us but in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement there are still societies where that basic “Right to Life” (especially for girl babies) is denied for supposedly practical or, in some cases, political reasons. From biblical history we learn of the slaughter of babies in Israel, by King Herod in his effort to find the future king of the Jews. Recent history is filled with horror stories about the elimination of babies by Nazi Germany and the regime in the Balkans.

We also have the “right” to food and shelter. No baby can survive without these basic needs. But in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement there are still millions of babies who die each year from lack of food and shelter.

When this same baby grows to childhood he/she has the “right” to an education. But in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement, there are millions of children in “Third World” countries who will never know what the word school means, never mind attend one. Many of these children will be put to work as soon as they can carry a bundle of wood on their backs or carry a can of water on their heads.

When they grow to adulthood they should have the “right to work” with equal pay for equal work. But in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement there are still women (even in our own little island paradise) who are not given equal pay for equal work.

Everyone has the “right” to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to freedom of assembly and association. But in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement there are still countries (and not just “Third World” countries) where thousands of people are locked up every day for expressing their opinions or practising their religion.

When trying to formulate ideas as a basis for this article, I was struck by the number of definitions given in various dictionaries to the word “HUMAN” and how little was given to the word “HUMANE” - (showing sympathy, kindness and thoughtfulness towards others).

They both derive from the same Latin root but they seem miles apart when we consider how we treat one another.

“WE” is the important word here; much more important than “I” when considering “Rights”. When the United Nations formulated and eventually adopted The Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, they were concerned with the “Rights” of the individual for sure but in the preamble to that document “WE” becomes the basis for all 30 articles and I quote: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.

As one reads through the 30 articles one realises that all human existence depends on respecting the dignity of others. As with all the great world religions the worship of “God” is important but treating your neighbour as you would treat yourself is equally important.

But in this world of advanced technology and amazing human achievement how far we have come in achieving Human (Humane) Rights. Even in our small island we are still struggling to acknowledge the fact that we are different.

We are from diverse backgrounds and we look at life in different ways. But in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement we need more than ever to be recognised as “Humans”. The Bermuda Human Rights Commission is asking you today to show your respect for the dignity of those humans around you by stopping what you are doing at 12 noon and shaking hands with the person nearest you.

By making this gesture we will begin to recognise “we” as the basis for “Human Rights” and in these days of advanced technology and amazing human achievement we will establish the belief that all men, women and children are indeed created equal.

Alwyn McKittrick is a member of the Human Rights Commission