The ABCs of Human Rights: What are Human Rights?

Welcome to MHREC’s The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project.

Human Rights are universal, which means that they belong to all people by reason of their dignity as human beings.

Human rights do not depend on where you are born, what you believe in, or how much money you have. They apply equally to all of us. This means the right to live in safety, to have an education, to speak freely, and to be treated with dignity and respect.

Reflection question: Have you ever thought about a moment when you or someone you know benefited from one of these rights?

Human Rights are indivisible as there is no hierarchy of the rights;

Human Rights are therefore interrelated and interconnected.

What does it really mean?

Example: Mary* as a human being has the absolute right to be free from discrimination, which means that she should be given the same equal opportunities as everyone else in society. This in turn affects her right to get an education, and her right to find and obtain work. Mary’s right to work affects her livelihood, as it is through work that she acquires the means to pay for her basic needs such as food and shelter. By ensuring that Mary has her basic necessities for survival, Mary’s right to life is protected.

This means that all human rights are important, as they create a ripple effect that can impact an individual’s life.

The ABCs of Human Rights: A Community Voice Project is built on this simple idea: that knowing our rights helps us use them, defend them, and make sure they are upheld for everyone.

This non-formal learning opportunity is co-funded under Erasmus+ through the Directorate for Lifelong Learning and Employability (DLE) within the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation (MEYR).