Human Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Rights - Research Paper Example Article 1 of the universal human rights provides that all individuals are born free and equal while article 7 outlaws discrimination of individuals. Article 10 requires all people suspected of crimes to have access to free and fair trial while Article 16 provides for free consent to marriage and equality of the marriage partners. Accordingly, Article 17 provides that all individuals have the right to own economic property while Article 18 safeguards the right of individuals to select their own religion. On the other hand, cultural relativism entails selective implementation of the universal rights depending on the prevailing cultural norms in the society. This paper will define human rights and discuss the articles of Universal Declaration of human rights. The paper will also discuss the universality versus cultural relativism perspectives of human rights. Human rights Introduction Human rights refers to those rights and freedoms that are inherent to all the human beings regardless o f the sex, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion or any other identifiable characteristic of an individual (Darraj, 2010). Human rights are safeguarded by numerous national laws and international laws that include treaties and customary law. The international law requires the national governments to safeguard the human rights of its citizens from any possible violation (Darraj, 2010). One of the underlying principles of human rights is the universality principle that asserts that human rights are inherent and inalienable. According to this principle, all human beings are born with certain human dignity and rights that should not be violated such as the right to life and right to be freed from forced labour (Darraj, 2010). The second principle of human rights is the interrelatedness and interdependence principle that asserts that all human rights contribute to a higher wellbeing of the individual. For instance, violation of the right to social welfare will also negatively on the right to life (Streich, 2008). The third governing principle of human rights is the non-discrimination and equality principle that requires that human beings should never suffer any discrimination based on their physical attributes or psychological attributes such as differences in religion, ethnicity, religion, nationality or even sexual orientation (Darraj, 2010). Another cornerstone principle of human rights is participation and inclusion of individuals in the decisions that affect their welfare. National governments must seek the input of the citizens, civil society and minorities before making decisions that affect the welfare of the citizens (Streich, 2008). The last principle of human rights is the accountability principle that requires states to take responsibility and accountability in safeguarding the rights of the citizens. Streich (2008) asserts that national governments must create and enforce legislation that ensures all human rights are safeguarded from abuse. Th e core human rights treaties include the treaty on economic, social and cultural rights, the treaty on the elimination of torture, the treaty on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the treaty on protection of the rights of child and treaty on rights of migrant workers (Darraj, 2010).

Religious and Ethnic Identities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religious and Ethnic Identities - Essay Example So, religious and ethnic identities can have positive or negative effect upon individual and societies. Thesis statement: Within a closed group, religious and ethnic identities have a positive effect upon individuals and societies but within an open (say, multiracial and multicultural) context, the same leads to negative effect upon individuals and societies. Religious and ethnic identities: positive or negative effect? As pointed out, religious and ethnic identities have a positive or negative effect on individual and societies in varied situations. To be specific, within one’s religion/community, religious and ethnic identities have a positive effect because it leads to cohesion and co-operation among the members. On the other side, within a multiracial context, religious and ethnic identities have a negative effect upon individuals and societies because there is high possibility for discrimination and marginalization based upon identity. A. Effect of religious and ethnic id entities on individuals One can see that religious identity of an individual can undergo change. For instance, conversion from a particular religion can change one’s religious identity. At the same time, religious identity is a part of one’s ethnic identity. ... ?One major reason why ethnic identities remain important for many ethnic minority people is that, in many situations, they are still subject to forms of racism and reminded of their difference† (141). One can easily identify that religious and ethnic identities of an individual can promote one’s acceptability within his or her personal/ public domain. For instance, one’s involvement in religious rituals and social gatherings ensure acceptance from other members of the same religion/ community. On the other side, an immigrant’s religious and ethnic identities, within a less flexible context lead to a number of problems like alienation, discrimination and marginalization. For instance, a nation with rigid religious belief may not show acceptance towards an immigrant’s religious and ethnic identities. Within this context, the immigrant will be forced to undergo a number of problems related to his or her religious and ethnic identities. From a different angle of view, the foretold problem is faced by individual who are newly converted to a religion. When one’s religious identity undergo change, there exists high possibility for the problem of non-acceptance in one’s private and public domains. To be specific, religious identity exerts less pressure upon an individual in a liberal social setting. There are many nations where a number of religions flourish without any problem related to one’s religious identity. But an individual’s ethnic identity is much more complex than one’s religious identity because the same is interconnected with one’s real identity in the society. Kostov states that â€Å"Democratic societies facilitate the emergence of multiple identities and modern technologies allow both large and small ethnic diasporas to survive and keep in