Can you define Human Rights? (15)

The term Human Rights is well known by all of us but it is seldom defined. What rights in your opinion should belong to every human being?

Thanks Sam, but it is much easier to come up with a list than see it through. Why are organisations such as Amnesty International working flat out to ensure these rights for everybody. Interestingly enough there are very few countries who have not violated these principles set down by the UN, in 2003 or 4 the only countries who had not committed violatioms of human rights were The Netherlands, Norway, Costa Rica, Iceland and Denmark. Wonder why?

Jan

I totally agree with you and at times feel great despair with the human race.

The desire for tribal conquest, land accquisition, control of resources and wealth, all contribute to these many, many violations.

Perhaps however we overlook the basic fact that the human is a very cruel animal.

I am not cruel Sam! I think cruelty in its worse form comes from groups of individuals, whether it be politicians, terrorists etc. It's a cowardly trait and is naturally more powerful and damaging on a grander scale when perpetrated by a group of individuals.

The right not to be hungry or thirsty
The right to be housed
The right to be employed and paid fairly.
The right not to be exploited by larger, more aggressive countries.
The right to free health care
The right to have a free education.

But this is Utopia, and therefore unrealistic

For me its simple: Never do anything to somebody else that you would not like haaving done to yourself.

These are the basic and fundamental Human rights, the 2nd respondent gave us a comprehensive list of Human rights as guaranteed by the UN convention on Human rights, I disagree with the poster I am quoting that its Utopia in nature and thereby not realistic, only in third world and developing countries, countries where its more of in principles than in practice, just in the books, thats countries with developing democracies, undemocratic rule etc.

The Basic or fundamental Human Rights to an applaudable extent is well guaranteed in developed countries like Eu member States, Canada, Australia and Switzerland.

Vist Africa, The Middle East, or Indeed any Country, with a developing democracy, and you will appreciate the level of human Rights in the Eu

Thank you for taking the time to post, I appreciate your effort.

I speak from a standpoint not necessarily afforded to most. I have lived in the Middle East, and the Far east for 10 years, and have experienced first hand how things are done.

Although the points I posted are well guaranteed in the countries you mentioned,I do beg to differ on the actual validity of the point.

In the UK, where I am from, there are huge swathes of society who are not paid fairly or dont have the basic housing that should be given to them. There are lots of children not given free education, or theier healthcare is so poor that they are malnourished.

We are lucky that in the EU we have a different level of human rights than some, however, see what happens when you lose your home due to the fact you have lost your job. Then you struggle to find another job, and your unemployment insurance runs out. The ever-increasing descent is prevalent in the developed countries just as much as it is in the developing democratic countries.

So to give everyone the fundamental human rights I mentioned is actually impossible. You cannot feed and house everyone in your own society (not you personally by the way) so how could you hope to feed and house one fifth of the worlds population in Africa?
.... and thats only two of the ideas I had

the right to have the following ,peace , love,free speech ,, work, health care, education,housing, water,