Human rights Facts for Kids

Human rights are the basic ideas that say all people should have certain rights. These rights mean that everyone is born free and equal. They should be treated with respect and have the same chances in life.

The United Nations says it best:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

—Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

Today, these important ideas are protected by laws in many countries and around the world. They are called universal because they are meant for everyone. It doesn't matter what your race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, age, sex, political beliefs, or gender identity are.

Every person has all of these rights. You cannot pick and choose which ones someone gets. They are all connected and important together.

History of Human Rights
How Laws Protect Human Rights
List of Human Rights
What Are Human Rights Abuses?
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

History of Human Rights

The idea of human rights started a long time ago. It came from ideas in religion and philosophy in Europe. The modern idea of human rights began during a time called the Age of Enlightenment. This was in Europe.

In the 1500s, some people began to think that everyone should have the right to choose their own religion. They also thought people should choose their leaders. This thinking was important during the English Civil War.

After that war, a philosopher named John Locke said people should have these rights. He was one of the first to call them "human rights." These ideas were also very important in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution in the 1700s.

In the 1800s, another important philosopher, John Stuart Mill, thought about human rights too. He believed people should control their own bodies and minds. He talked about three key ideas:

The freedom of speech, meaning you can say what you think.
The freedom of assembly, meaning you can gather with others.
The freedom to do what you want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

Another philosopher, Hegel, talked about free will. He also explained what makes a person truly free. He said a person needs certain connections with others to have real freedom. A person should be able to:

Own property.
Make contracts with other people.
Make promises to people.
Live with anyone they choose.
Get protection from laws.
Have a voice in their government.

How Laws Protect Human Rights

Because human rights are so important, countries create laws to protect them. These laws stop governments from taking away people's basic rights. They also make sure that people who violate these rights are punished.

Some big international groups have made statements about human rights. These statements are not strict laws, but they are still very powerful. If groups or countries don't follow these statements, other countries might criticize them. They might even stop doing business with them or helping them.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen from France in 1789.

Many human rights laws are written in a country's constitution. The United States Constitution and the Constitution of France are two of the oldest sets of laws based on human rights.

In 1948, the United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a very respected document. It explains what the United Nations believes are human rights. It's not a law itself, but it's the foundation for two important agreements:

These are called United Nations human rights Covenants. They are agreements between countries. Countries that sign these covenants agree to follow them.

Besides these, there are many other treaties and documents. They are made by the United Nations and other international groups. These are all part of "International human rights law."

List of Human Rights

Not everyone agrees on every single human right. Also, some countries might have these rights in their laws, but they don't always make sure people can use them. Here are some of the most widely accepted rights:

Basic Rights

The right to live.
The right to be a citizen of a country.
The right to have a home.
The right to own property.

Safety and Protection

Safety from violence.
The right to seek asylum if your country treats you badly.
The right to a fair trial. You are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Everyday Freedoms

The right to get an education.
The right to medical care (health care).
The right to believe and practice any religion you want.

Political Freedoms

The right to express yourself freely.
The right to vote.
The right to peacefully protest against a government or group.
The right to ask your government to change things.

What Are Human Rights Abuses?

An abuse means intentionally hurting a person or people. This can be physically, mentally, or emotionally. Human rights abuse happens when someone is hurt in a way that goes against their human rights. These are often called human rights violations.

Here are some examples of human rights abuses:

Putting someone in jail because they said the government was doing bad things.
Jailing someone because of their religion or lack of religion.
Taking away a person's home because they are from a different country.
Not letting a citizen of a country vote because of their background.
Being violent towards someone because they have a different religion.

Many people, groups, and countries believe protecting human rights is very important. But not everyone in the world believes in human rights. If people who don't believe in human rights have political power, they can hurt many people. Even without political power, they can still be violent.

Many people work to protect everyone's human rights. Some of these are government groups, and some are not. They are often called human rights organizations. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are two examples of such groups.

Images for kids

The Magna Carta from England. It was one of the first documents where a ruler promised to respect certain legal rights of his people.
"It is not a treaty... [In the future, it] may well become the international Magna Carta." Eleanor Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1949.
The UN General Assembly.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.