Human Rights
● Human rights are the fundamental rights and freedoms that every individual is entitled to,
simply because they are human. These rights are inherent to all people, regardless of
nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, or any other status.
Basic Principles
1. Universal: Rights belong to everyone, everywhere.
2. Inalienable: Rights can't be taken away.
3. Indivisible: All rights are equal and interconnected.
4. Independent: Free from outside control or influence.
Background History
1. First Document: Cyrus Cylinder (539 B.C.):
○ Often considered the first charter of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder was created
by Cyrus the Great of Persia King after conquering Babylon. It declared:
i. The freedom of slaves
ii. Liberty to life
iii. Freedom of religion
iv. Racial equality.
○ The UN has 6 official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and
Spanish. Documents are always translated into these for widespread access.
○ This document aligns with the first four articles of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR).
2. 2nd Document: Magna Carta (1215):
○ The Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter, was presented in 1215 by
English barons and church leaders to King John of England.
○ The king exercised his Arbitrary Power, making decisions without legal
constraints, which the Magna Carta aimed to limit.
Main Points:
● The church should be free from government interference.
● Ensuring property rights, mainly focused on protecting barons’ rights to property.
● Reducing unfair taxation.
● The Magna Carta included provisions to protect widows from being forced to
remarry.
● The Magna Carta emphasized justice and fairness in governance, promoting a
system where laws and rules were applied equally to all.
● Magna Carta was against bribery and Misconduct.
3. 3rd Document: Petition of Right (1628):
○ This document, presented to King Charles I of England in 1628 by the English
Parliament.
○ It aimed to address and limit the king's abuses of power and protect civil liberties.
○ King Charles I made foreign policies without Parliament's consent. The public
rejected these, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.
○ No quartering of soldiers on subjects. The government was forcing people to
house soldiers in their homes.
The Petition of Right (1628) restricted King Charles I's abuses and protected civil liberties.
Key Points:
● No taxation without Parliament's consent.
● Protection against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.
● No quartering soldiers in private homes.
● No martial law in peacetime.
US Declaration of Independence 1776:
● The United States Declaration of Independence is a historic document adopted by the
Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 by Thomas Jefferson.
● The two main points of the US Declaration of Independence are:
○ Rights of the Individual: Everyone has fundamental rights, including life, liberty.
○ Rights of Revolution: If a government fails to protect these rights, the people
have the right to change it.
● After the US Declaration of Independence was adopted, it inspired the French
Revolution.
● The first constitution of the United States was written in 1777 and went into effect in
1781.
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.
10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution:
1. Limits the power of the Federal Government.
2. Protects the rights of citizens and visitors.
3. Freedom of Speech.
4. Freedom of the Expression.
5. Freedom of Assembly.
6. Freedom of Religion.
7. Prohibition against unwarranted search and seizure.
8. Ensures fair trial rights.
9. Capital punishment decided by a jury.
10. Freedom from Cruel and Unusual Punishment