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Exploring the notion of human rights analytically

By utnvmab, on 31 May 2019

Blog by: Inaara Alikhan, Xue Bai, Serene Chan, Macarena Cortinez Rojas, Alice Dendy, Tian Gao, Xinyue Liu, Duncan Mahon, Dora Mahon, Fang Wang, Christen Najm, Zihan Chen. Navigators: Adam Lang, Denise Quiroz Martinez

On the 28th of May, the Human Rights thematic group explored the notion of human rights analytically, and from different and diverse perspectives.
—Is it hard to define human rights? Do we take the notion of human rights for granted, especially in Western society?

What is Active Citizenship and how does it relate to the notion of Human Rights?

—Active citizenship is a critical, informed, proactive engagement with political and social problems affecting humankind, the animal kingdom, the environment, or the world in general. It is tied to the importance of political participation, of promoting fairness, of enforcing human rights and civic duties we have towards each other. It embodies the common equality of us all — that we all have rights to safety, welfare, a good living environment, etc., and also that future generations have these rights as well.

—On a smaller scale: your actions can affect others and affect change; you can educate yourself and develop ideas on what others have rights to.
—Involves engaging with global issues which concern all of us, regardless of our backgrounds, what we have done in our lives, our cultural identities, etc. Comprises issues which we all share in virtue of our humanity. Concerns the whole global population.

—We as students, able to access such a quality of education, we can effect change and promote justice, we are being empowered and we should take on civil and global responsibilities as members of the global society.
—Promotion of what is wrong and at stake; some people are ignorant of such widespread issues. Campaigning is important not only because of fighting for values but also to promote literacy and knowledge of problems.

—People have different outlooks and viewpoints on matters we are concerned with, and their participation might bring a fresh perspective, or might be further enlightened, by the sharing of ideas related to these humanitarian matters.

—Active citizenship is an opinion, an international feeling. Link to globalisation – each has their own opinion, each has something to contribute to the conversation, to help build a global picture.

◦Question: Should we or do we look at citizenship from a Western lens, and does this limit our view?

—We should take our voice and power enabled by technology to make an impact and bring about change. Equality can be put forward because our citizen power is enhanced by education, common language, means of communication, and technology. If we increase our individual or group power, we can help those with less of it, those without a voice, without good access to resources. Creation, dissemination and sharing of knowledge is crucial to build a movement towards social justice and towards humanitarian aims.

—Social justice underlies active citizenship and human rights act in a unifying way. We speak a common language in our pursuit of fairness. But the usefulness of the language of human rights but can be meaningless when bombarded by bureaucracies.
—We accept diversity, but the differences between us may be an obstacle to emancipation and to the attainment of our goals, which makes power relations unbalanced and does not allow the diversity to really be. (For example, to contribute one needs to know English well in order to partake in discussions in politics or policy or solidarity, etc.) So voicing for human rights may be more difficult due to diversity; and yet diversity seems to be a human right.

—In campaigning, jargon can be alienating, words might be institutionalised.

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