Argument and debate over human rights

Human rights violations

There are many disputes over what constitutes violations of human rights. Different countries, cultures, societies and people may have opposing viewpoints as to what constitutes a human rights violation. Human rights are always being contested. The definitions of rights and democracy change over time. In a democracy, it is the group that represents the wishes of the majority of citizens that will be able to form government. If a proposal is not widely supported, it is not likely to become law.

Australia and human rights

There has been much debate recently over Australia's human rights record. Australia played an important role in the early development of the international human rights system. Some claim that in recent years, at a national level, Australia has developed a reluctance to make a continued commitment to human rights.

Some of the issues that are causing argument and debate include mandatory sentencing, reconciliation and the Stolen Generations, the treatment of asylum seekers, including the detention of children, and the counter-terrorism laws that followed 11 September 2001 and the Bali bombings.

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Debate over human rights

One of the arguments made against the concept of human rights is that it comes from a politically liberal outlook. This outlook is generally accepted in Western democracies and in some other countries but is not necessarily standard elsewhere in the world.

Some cultures, religions and economic and political structures differ on the ideas of human rights put into action. Actions that one group may see as justified by an end result can be considered human rights violations by another group. The need to justify actions with regard to human rights exemplifies the different interpretations of the concept of human rights.

Women's rights

Many women around the globe suffer from injustices and inequality. This includes both discrimination and violence towards women. Women have also been subject to many other cases of human rights abuse throughout history. Women have suffered significantly from gender discrimination, and in some places in the world this discrimination still continues. Women have not only been denied the right to vote but also the right to own property, the right to an education and the right to have certain types of jobs. Currently, over 7 million adults in the world are illiterate. Of these, about two-thirds are women.

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Children's rights

The United Nations has declared that children are to be considered equal regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, social group or any other discriminating factor. There are United Nations documents which outline the right of all children to attend school for free at least until the age of 15 and to be protected from all types of violence.

The right to an education is still not available to many children around the world. Many countries throughout the world do not recognise the right of all children to have access to education, nor do they place a high value on education. Many places in the world use children as a cheap source of labour or as soldiers. These practices abuse the basic human rights of children to live unaffected by violence and to have time to play and relax.

A basic education prepares students to live as part of society. In school, students learn skills that help them form relationships with others, secure a job, read, learn basic maths and follow instructions. Of all the children out of school in the entire Asian region, the countries in south and west Asia contribute to nearly 70 percent of this total. In the Arab states there are still millions of children out of school. It is estimated that one in every five children is not in school.

Capital punishment

One of the more emotional debates throughout the world is the argument over capital punishment. Capital punishment is the penalty of death after a conviction of a certain crime. The nature of the crime that leads to the death penalty depends on the country. In the United States, the crime of homicide (killing of a person) can lead to the death penalty. In other countries, crimes such as sexual crimes or drug trafficking may lead to being found guilty and sentenced to death.

Capital punishment goes against the most basic human right - the right to life. Many democracies, and other governments, still practise capital punishment. The arguments over the death penalty have remained fairly constant since the 17th century.

People who argue for the death penalty claim that it deters others from committing the same crimes and provides social protection against dangerous people.

People who argue against the death penalty claim that countries or States without the death penalty have the same crime and murder rates as those with the death penalty. It is also argued that it is an uncivilised activity and innocent people may be wrongly convicted and sentenced to death.

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