United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Human rights are basic rights that belong to all of us simply because we are human. They embody key values in our society such as fairness, dignity, equality and respect. They are an important means of protection for us all, especially those who may face abuse, neglect and isolation.

You also have legal rights, which are backed by the law. It is important to know your rights so that if people try to take them away you can stop them. Responsible people know what their rights are and respect the rights of others. Being responsible means you care about other people’s rights.

• Marriage and Family. Every grown-up has the right to marry and have a family if they want to.
• The Right to Your Own Things.
• Freedom of Thought.
• Freedom of Expression.
• The Right to Public Assembly.
• The Right to Democracy.
• Social Security.
• Workers’ Rights.

Each year on March 21st, South Africa celebrates Human Rights Day to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. In honouring the fight for a democratic South Africa, Human Rights Day pays homage to all of those who fought and lost their lives in the struggle for freedom.

The Human Rights Act

• The Human Rights Act.
• Article 2: Right to life.
• Article 3: Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
• Article 4: Freedom from slavery and forced labour.
• Article 5: Right to liberty and security.
• Article 6: Right to a fair trial.
• Article 7: No punishment without law.

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world simply because they are human. Human rights apply to you regardless of where you are from, how old you are, what you believe, or how you choose to live your life. “Civil and political” rights, such as: the right to life.

Human rights and moral rights are both natural rights; they are universal rights and are not given by governments, so they exist even if there is no government. On the other hand, legal rights are rights given by the law of a state; privileges given by the state/governments to its citizens.

A right is something a person has which people think should not be taken away. It is a rule about what a person is allowed to do or have. A right is different from a privilege, which is something that must be earned. Rights may be put into laws, so they have legal protection.

Rights. Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.