What are Human Rights

The most important function of human rights is to define and protect human dignity and equality.  Dignity and equality refer to those essential qualities and attributes that each one of has as a member of the human family, regardless of our situation or personal or social characteristics.  We have human rights because we are human.  And because we are all human, we all have human rights, regardless of the many things that make us different or unique from one another.

As you might be able to make out from the list in Table 1 above human rights make concrete certain values that are essential to our well-being and our ability to live together and thrive together as a community or a society.  These values are:

Ø  Freedom: because the human will or spirit is an important part of human dignity. To be forced to do something against our will demeans the human spirit.

Ø  Respect for others: because a lack of respect for someone fails to appreciate their individuality and essential dignity.

Ø  Non-discrimination: because equality in human dignity means we should not judge people's rights and opportunities on the basis of their characteristics.  

Ø  Tolerance: because intolerance indicates a lack of respect for difference:  we are not all the same in social or physical characteristics, but yet we are all entitled to dignity and respect.

Ø  Justice: because people who share a common humanity deserve fair treatment.

Ø  Responsibility: because respecting the rights of others entails responsibility for one's actions and exerting effort for the realisation of the rights of ourselves and everyone around us.