Fundamental Human Rights

Fundamental Human Rights

Introduction

The constitution guarantees every citizen’s basic human rights, which are known as fundamental rights. The fundamental rights are classified under six distinct categories – Right to life, Right to freedom from harm, Right to freedom of thoughts, Right to movement, Right to freedom from slavery, and Right to equality. Human rights are fundamental freedoms and rights that belong to every individual in the world from their birth till death. These rights apply to every person regardless of where one is born and can never be taken away, although they can get restricted. These rights are founded on different shared values, including equality, respect, dignity, independence, and fairness.

Right to Equality

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every person is free at birth and equal to all rights and dignity. All people are endowed with conscience and reason, and they should act towards one another in the mode of brotherhood. According to the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States on the Equal Protection Clause, individuals naturalized or born in the United States are citizens to the country and to their state of residence. The constitution restricts against the denial of equal protection of laws based on one’s color, condition of servitude (previous), or color. The Civil Rights Act (CRA) of 1964 prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of national origin, race, or gender. The fundamental right to equality is based on LGBTQ, disability, gender, privacy, and sexual orientation.

Right to Life

Article 3 of the UNHR states that every person has the right to liberty, life, and security. In the section, individual right to life has been combined with their right to liberty and security such that the article reads, “everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security or person.” It is a human right to stay free from indiscriminate detention and arrest. No person should be deprived of their liberty except on grounds and in alignment with the procedures established by law.

Right to Freedom from Slavery

Every person has freedom from servitude and all forms of slavery, including forced labor. According to the UNHR, all types of the slave trade that inhibit individual freedom from slavery is prohibited in all forms. The servitude practices that have occurred in Northern Uganda, Guinea-Bissau, Asia, and the US are not permitted by law. According to the US State Department, approximately 600,000 people get trafficked across various international borders every year, most of whom are immigrants. The government is encouraged to provide assistance services and humanitarian aid to victims of slavery.

Right to Free Movement

The law grants the freedom of movement both to individuals who are in the territory lawfully and have the freedom to choose their place of residence. According to 2019, the deprivation of movement for individuals who are in the country legitimately is often considered as a deprivation to individual liberty and right to freedom. International law provides safeguard against any form of arbitrary or unlawful detention.

Right to Free Thought

Freedom of thought is a precursor that is linked closely to other liberties, including the freedom of expression, speech, and religion. Article 2 of the UNHR states that every person is entitled to all rights and freedoms without the distinction of sex, language, religion, birth, or status. As Benjamin Franklin once said, where the freedom of thought is lacking, there can be nothing as wisdom, and there is no such thing as public liberty where the freedom of speech is lacking.

Right to Freedom from Harm

Every citizen is protected from all forms of torture, degrading, or inhuman treatment of any form. As 2019 explains, no individual should be subjected to unfair treatment, and all people should be protected by law equally. All beings are protected from government brutality, violence, abduction, and atrocities that could inflict harm on their physical, emotional, or mental well-being.

Bibliography

The advocates for human rights (n.d.) Human rights and the US. Retrieved from https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/human_rights_and_the_united_states

The advocates for the human rights foundation has taken an influential forefront in the promotion of human rights. The foundation committed to changing conditions and systems that promote the abuse of human rights. The organization has done a successful task of enhancing the lives and laws of people in the world by representing the violation of human rights. In its quest to understand and promote human rights, the institution has undertaken an in-depth analysis of the manner in which the United States has handled various human rights in the past and today. It has explained various human rights and the related constitutional amendments, thus making it a definitive resource for the topic, “fundamental human rights.”

England, L. (2017). A Basic Legal Education-A Basic Human Right?. Available at SSRN 3036739.

This article has explained various reports from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNHR) that explain individual rights and freedom from their birth till death. The article has concentrated on basic rights and the fact that education is a freedom and right both at the fundamental and elementary stages. The article has assumed that legal education – among other rights, including the freedom of thought – are essential aspects to empower citizens by raising their understanding and legal consciousness. The learner adopted this resource in that it provides the basis upon which citizen empowerment originates as well as their knowledge of their individual rights and freedoms. Besides, the resource has explained various articles from the UNHR, which has contributed to the understanding of fundamental human rights.

Edwards, A.  (2011). Back to Basics: The Right to Liberty and Security of Person and ‘Alternatives to Detention’ of Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, Stateless Persons, and Other Migrants. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/

Alice Edwards has provided an in-depth analysis of the UNHCR and its global contribution to the protection of rights while building an improved future for the immigrants and refugees. The UN refugee agency provides stateless people and displaced individuals with an opportunity to live while understanding their rights and freedoms as human beings. The author has analyzed various rights under chapter 2 of the document, where he explains the right to liberty for individuals under the liberty law critically. The learner adopts this resource in that it has provided examples and insightful information on human rights and rights to liberty in a way that enables one to understand the phenomenon beyond the course delineations.

Tolley Jr, H. (2019). The UN commission on human rights. New York. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429315619

Tolley explains that the first international body that was empowered to promote human rights globally is the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). It was during its first twenty years that it established the most influential standards of human rights. The author explains that the UNCHR enhanced people’s awareness during the 1960s that facilitated the response from governmental and non-governmental organizations to isolate inhuman acts, including torture, injustice, and violation of human rights. This source was chosen in that it provides essential insights on international human rights and the need for protecting the violation of human rights. It is satisfactory considering it has provided an in-depth analysis of human rights and the need to provide protection to citizens against opportunistic individuals and the government.

United Nations (n.d.). Human rights: What are human rights. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/human-rights/

This resource provided valuable information on human rights and the importance of preserving human dignity. The organization’s activities are often guided by the principles and purposes that are contained in its founding charter. The institution is mandated with the responsibility of protecting human rights through various legal instruments and ground activities. In its mandate to protect human rights, the institution has provided a list of organizations it works with to achieve its objectives. In its quest to educate on human rights, the organization has provided a word document titled, “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,” that contains a list of articles that explains human rights and freedoms.