Universal Declaration of Human Rights- Still More Human Rights Explained

Hi, y’all. We’re going to tackle understanding five more of the basic human rights outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today. Part one of this series is here, and part two is here.

Article 16 Covers Marriage…

which is unexpectedly serendipitous given that the Respect for Marriage Act is on its way to President Biden’s desk to be signed as I write this. Article 16 has three parts:

  1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
  2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
  3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

I think it’s important to mention here what is implied in this statement about marriage. First, people outside the marriage don’t get to decide what the structure of the marriage looks like. This would include things like polygamy and marriage equality for gay adults. Second, the right to marriage is based in the right of adults to consent to and refuse relationships, which is in turn rooted in bodily autonomy.

Given what is and isn’t in this statement about rights to marriage, how well does your country uphold this right? Whose rights are being excluded? Why? Do you think there is a valid reason for that exclusion?

Human rights written multiple times on red, green, blue, and yellow paper with black ink.

Article 17 Covers Personal Property

It has two sections:

  1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
  2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

This would be a great jumping-off point for an exploration of the difference between personal property (which you earn as a result of your labor or as gifts from others) and capital (which is acquired by exploiting the labor of others and is inherently harmful).

Are there people in your country who are denied a right to property? What property are they denied, and why? How would you change that, if you could (or would you?)

Article 18: Freedom of Thought, Conscious, and Religion

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Do you see an obvious limit to these freedoms? From the context of the other rights listed, you can assume that the right of religions and other communities of conscience to violate the rights of others outside the community are limited. Does your country do a good or bad job of protecting religious freedom? Are some religions (or communities of conscience) “more equal” than others? What historical forces led to this inequality?

Article 19: Freedom of Expression

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

I’m going to make a very clear distinction here that I think a lot of people don’t understand. This is a protection against being censored by your government. In a world full of social media platforms, many people don’t seem to understand that they don’t have a right to a platform. They can say whatever they want. They can say it in any public space. But social media platforms are private publishers, and publishers can choose what they will and won’t publish.

How well does your government protect freedom of opinion and expression? Are there some opinions that are not protected by your government? Do you think that decision was right or wrong? Was this the result of deciding that a different human right needed to be prioritized, or something else?

Article 20: Freedom of Association

  1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
  2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

Notice the word “peaceful”. This sets a limitation right off the bat. You can gather in large groups for protests, but those protests have limits. This is an area of tension in human rights law that is constantly being examined. Where is the line between a peaceful assembly and one that is not peaceful?

The second half of this is that no one can be forced to join an organization. This often comes up in labor law with regard to unions. Again, questions. What is the definition of “forced” in this context? Who decides this?

How does your home do with this? Are some people forced into associations or organizations they do not want to be? Are some folks prevented from freely associating with each other? Why?

How to Advocate:

Again, this is copied from the previous article. At this rate, there will be two more in the series, and each will append this information on how to advocate.

Vote.

First, if you live in a country with free and fair elections, vote. Every time. Spend some time in the months before an election learning about the candidates. If you’re unsure, ask questions.

Use Social Media.

Pick a topic or topics that is/are important to you and speak out about them. Learn about those topics and then educate others. Call in or call out people who are violating human rights. Build a following and have each of those people expand their influence. Build some of those contacts into political influence or power.

Run for Office.

If you are eligible and able to, run for local office. National politicians often start locally. Sometimes a local politician becomes powerful at making regional changes. Then, once you’re in office, you can band together with others to increase your power to change things.

Protest.

Join a local protest group and march and protest with them. Take any classes they offer on effective protest. You can even learn how to lead protests and start planning them yourselves.

Donate to Causes.

It costs a lot of money to run for office and it costs money to run effecive protests. Whenever you can, throw a bit of money in the pot for a favorite person or cause. Every now and then, try to get friends and family to join you. You might even set up an automatic monthly debit.

Provide Material Support.

Cook meals for protesters. Paint signs. Or collect signatures. Make phone calls. Maybe even lick stamps. Perhaps file paperwork. In essence, do the unglamorous everyday jobs that keep an organization running.

Speak Up.

You can advocate anywhere, any time, with anyone. As an example, have a conversation with a beloved family member about why prison reform is important. Or you could bring up

Think Critically.

It’s very easy to get caught up in a cause and the bubble of people who support it. Sometimes that leads to being blind to problems your cause is making worse. Sometimes you need to stop and gather perspectives from others. Ultimately, your goal is to make sure your cause doesn’t interfere with another set of human rights.

Build Communities

Many human rights violations occur because humans are social animals and we are starved for human interactions. Look into organizing or joining mutual aid society (some in the US are listed here) or simply getting to know your neighbors (virtual and in person). Assist with community projects, and enjoy community support.

Thank you

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Thank you

Ways To Support My Work

  • Read other articles on this website (examples below)
  • Then, leave a comment or dozens of them. (Comments are moderated to protect the guilty.)
  • Buy and use an item from my Goodies and Gear shop here or on Etsy. (The Etsy shop is temporarily closed. The same items are available at my Goodies and Gear shop)
  • Follow me on WordPress so you never miss a post! (form below this list)
  • Make a one-time gift through Paypal
  • Or a recurring gift through Liberapay and Patreon.
  • Follow me on other sites where I’m engaging in conversation from my All the Links page.
  • Help me reach my goal of retiring or semi-retiring from providing therapy within the next 10-15 years.
  • Help other creators whose goals are aligned with mine.
  • Support 3rd party ad-free content with small donations for creators when and how you can.


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