Human rights, those basic freedoms you are entitled to just because you are born human, come at a price. Implicit to your rights is the responsibility to act in ways that protect, ensure and uphold these rights for each and every one in your community.

What are human rights?

Human rights and the freedom to control your own life are based on core principles like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and liberty. Not only are these rights relevant to your every-day life but they also protect you from unfair and undue government interference. Although human rights abuses do happen, one of the ways to prevent this is to be clued-up and informed about your and others’ basic human rights. Equally important is to embrace the responsibilities associated with these rights and not use them as a license to do whatever you feel like doing.

In South Africa, the Bill of Rights as enshrined in our Constitution, provides a list of these civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. The Bill of Responsibilities reminds all that human rights cannot be realised without human responsibility.

Keeping human rights alive

We can all help keep our human rights alive not just for ourselves but also for others in our communities. Here are some suggested ways in which you as an individual can help do so:

    • Lending a helping hand wherever there is a need in your community
    • Treating people with reverence, respect and dignit
    • Being kind, compassionate and sensitive to every human being
    • Greeting people warmly and speaking to them courteously
    • Encouraging and fostering a culture of learning and hard work; not a belief in entitlement
    • Protecting both private and public property from wanton destruction and theft
    • Being honest and fair in all your dealings with others
    • Respecting the beliefs and opinions of others and their right to express their opinions
    • Protecting the animal and plant-life in your environment and using natural resources such as water sparingly
    • Preventing unnecessary pollution and littering
    • Not endangering the lives of others by acting recklessly or disobeying rules and laws laid down to enforce safety and the protection of human life
    • Solving any conflict in as peaceful a manner as possible
    • Standing up against and reporting racism, xenophobia or sexism
    • Standing up against and reporting physical and verbal abuse and bullying (teasing, mocking, name calling as well as threats, coercion and extortion)
    • Standing up against and reporting social or relational abuse and bullying and the use of relationships to harass others through gossip, public humiliation and embarrassment, rumour-spreading, alienation or exclusion from a group
    • Standing up against and reporting cyber or electronic bullying in which individuals use the Internet, email or text messaging to threaten, hurt, single out, embarrass, spread rumours or reveal secrets about others.

All the above mentioned actions boil down to one thing: set the example, accept the responsibilities and act in ways that protect, ensure and uphold the basic human rights of each and every one in your community.

 

Sources

 

Building a culture of responsibility and humanity in our schools. Retrieved from: http://www.education.gov.za
Connecting human rights to everyday life. Retrieved from: http://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au
What are human rights Retrieved from: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com