CIVICS FORM ONE HUMAN RIGHTS

                     CIVICS FORM ONE

                                       Civics Form ONE Human Rights.

Human rights are moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behavior, and are regularly protected as legal rights in municipal and international law. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights "to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human.  Or

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life. They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted, for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security. These basic rights are based on values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. But human rights are not just abstract concepts, they are defined and protected by law. In Britain our human rights are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998.

Human rights are fundamental inalienable rights that you have just by virtue of the fact that you are a person. Although the government can pass laws to protect your human rights, human rights are rights believed to be granted by God or by some higher power and everyone has human rights even if legislation doesn't protect them or if oppressive governments do not respect them.

Fundamental Human Rights

Human rights are the most fundamental and important of rights. They are the rights that the government in the United States spelled out in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and they are the rights that the United Nations aims to protect for all people. These rights would exist even without government protection or intervention. 

The following are Some examples of human rights include:

ü  The right to life

ü  The right to liberty and freedom

ü  The right to the pursuit of happiness

ü  The right to live your life free of discrimination

ü  The right to control what happens to your own body and to make medical decisions for yourself

ü  The right to freely exercise your religion and practice your religious beliefs without fear of being prosecuted for your beliefs

ü  The right to be free from prejudice on the basis of race, gender, national origin, color, age or sex

ü  The right to grow old

ü  The right to a fair trial and due process of the law

ü  The right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment

ü  The right to be free from torture

ü  The right to be free from slavery

ü  The right to freedom of speech

ü  The right to freely associate with whomever you like and to join groups of which you'd like to be a part.

ü  The right to freedom of thought

ü  The right not to be prosecuted from your thoughts

Most people accept these rights as fundamental and inalienable and in free countries like the United States, there is little disagreement about these basic human rights.

Controversial Human Rights

There are other rights that some believe are basic human rights but that others believe are more controversial.

For example, some of the controversial rights that some believe are human rights include:

ü  The right to reproductive freedom including the right to choose abortion

ü  The right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, including the right to marry a person of the same sex

ü  The right to bear arms and to not have the government infringe unduly on that right

ü  The right to regular and affordable health insurance subsidized or supported by the government or provided by a single payer system

ü  Civil and political rights. These are rights to life, liberty, recognition, fair and public hearing by an independent tribunal, and freedom of movement, freedom of thought, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.

ü  Economic, social and cultural rights. These are rights to social security, work, equal pay, education, rest, leisure and cultural life.

ü  Environmental and developmental rights. These are rights people have to live in an environment that is clean and free of pollution. People also have a right to wealth and natural resources, self-determination and peace.

ü  Right to equality

ü  The constitution of Tanzania presents the right to equality in two parts as follows:

ü  Equality to all human beings- The Constitution states that all human beings are born free and are equal. It also states that every person has the right to cognition and respect.

ü  Equality before the law- In this part, the Constitution provides people with the right to be treated fairly before the law and to be protected without any kind of discrimination or favor.

ü  Right to life

ü  The constitution represents these rights in four parts as explained below:

ü  Right to live- The Constitution states that every person has the right to live and have his or her life respected by society according to the law.

ü  Right to personal freedom- According to the Constitution, everyone has the right to live as a free person, without being restricted by anyone else.

ü  Right to privacy and personal security- According to the constitution, every person has the right to be respected and to live and communicate without public attention.

ü  Right to freedom of movement- Every citizen of Tanzania has the right to move in Tanzania and live in any part of Tanzania. A Tanzanian citizen also has the right to leave and enter the country.

ü  Freedom of expression

ü  Freedom of expression is presented in four parts as follows:

ü  Freedom of expression- Every citizen has the right to form opinions and to air those opinions. He or she is free to communicate without interference.

ü  Freedom of religion- Every person has the right to belief of faith, freedom of thought and choice in matters of religion.

ü  Freedom of association- Every citizen is free to assemble, associate and communicate with other people. A Tanzanian citizen has the right to express views and join lawful associations or organizations.

ü  Freedom to participate in public affairs- The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to take part in leadership matters - that is the right to elect or be elected into public office. Every Tanzanian citizen has the right to participate fully in making decisions on matters affecting him or her, his or her well-being or the nation.

Government programs such as Social Security, Medicare and food stamps that purport to protect the poor also are based on the idea that people have the basic right not to live in poverty, to have enough to eat and to grow old gracefully. While these programs may be more controversial, most people accept these rights as part of the social safety net even there is disagreement on how best to facilitate programs that guarantee these rights. 

Different societies have different ideas on what fundamental human rights are and the government protections extended to protect basic human rights are a reflection of the widespread cultures and ideals of the society as a whole.

Questions 01.

                                            i.             What is the right to life?  Right to life is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues of capital punishment, war, abortion, euthanasia, justifiable homicide, and public health care.

                                           ii.            What is right to Freedom? Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint, and the absence of a despotic government.

                                         iii.            Question02.   What are the importance’s of Human rights?                                                                                               

Human Rights Abuse

                       Define human rights abuse: violation of the basic rights of people by treating them wrongly.

The following are examples of Human rights abuse

Sexual harassment is any unwanted speech or action based on a sexual interest or desire and conducted in the context of a power relationship."

The determination of whether an utterance or act was "unwanted" is based not on the actor's judgment, but on that of the receiver of the act or utterance. "That was not my intention" is an excuse that, in principle, will not be accepted. It is necessary to develop the ability to calibrate whether one is imposing one's thoughts and feelings on others and what others are thinking or experiencing.

"Based on a sexual interest or desire" includes discriminatory attitudes toward sexual minorities. The imposition of "gender roles" is also sexual harassment. Let us rethink the fixed attitudes we so easily assume, like "she is a woman, after all" or "he isn't manly."

 Academic Harassment

Academic harassment. refers to the use of power to harass in academic and research situations.

In efforts to deal with sexual harassment, we have become cognizant that there are serious offenses other than sexual speech and conduct which occur in research and educational settings-in the carrying out of research and in teaching and guidance. This is academic harassment, and it includes denying a student a research topic, refusing to give guidance to students, interfering in research activities, assigning grades unequally, withholding important information, spreading negative and damaging rumors, giving loud reprimand for missed details, and any other actions that constitute an infringement of the right to receive education, the right to conduct education and research, or the right to work. These actions occur in contexts in which the one who is guiding abuses his or her power over the one being guided, and in power relationships between and among research collaborators.

When someone is robbed of the chance to live up to their full potential, that person is unable to produce the results intended, evaluations of their capabilities decline, and it is easy for others to misinterpret this as a fault in that person. And in many cases, the person being harassed becomes isolated.

Many cases of academic harassment are abetted by complicit subordinates and colleagues who either cooperate or keep their silence while those with considerable authority are known to be abusing their power. One could even say that academic harassment could not exist without these "passive collaborators." When harassment ensues, people choose not to become "passive collaborators."

An institution deals with Human rights and Good governance in Tanzania.

The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) works to strengthen the adherence to good governance and the observation of human rights by both the state and citizens in Tanzania.  The Commission was established in 2001 and serves the dual role of a human rights commission and an ombudsman for the promotion and protection of human rights.

CHRAGG has deployed a Short Messaging Services (SMS) platform enabling citizens to use their mobile phones to lodge human rights violations and complaints in a manner which is quicker, more accessible and increasingly cheaper than utilizing postal services or physically visiting CHRAGG offices.

With a specific focus on youth, women and minority groups, CHRAGG works with a network of local civil society organizations (CSOs) and learning institutions to conduct public awareness campaigns that advocate for human rights and the reporting of violations through the toll free SMS service. Campaigns have resulted into increased awareness of human rights in the country and encouraged citizens to use their mobile phones to take a stand for their rights.

Question: Do you remember human rights day?

Prepared by: Lucas Dullam

Viewed by: Ester Miho

Approved by: Masomo Yetutz Stationary

                                           www.masomoyetu.co.tz