Human Rights

Visit the following sites to assess the situation of human rights around the world.

http://www.hrw.org/
Human Rights Watch

http://www.unhchr.ch/
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

http://www.hri.ca/welcome.cfm
Human Rights Internet

Though most countries have signed the United Nations Universal Declarations of Human Rights, many human rights issues remain unaddressed and unresolved for reasons ranging from cultural claims to inadequate financial support to institutional changes. As the Web sites listed above can attest to, people around the world are still being sold into slavery, people are being imprisoned without due cause, children are being sent into war, and ethnic groups still face the threat of extinction or dispersal.

With the trial of Slobodan Milosovic, it appears some progress is being made in the issue of genocide, yet many of his co-conspirators still remain free. With the attacks on the Taliban in Afghanistan, the people of that country are enjoying more freedom than they have had in recent years, yet in the attempt to deal with terrorists, the United States has detained many suspected perpetrators in Cuba under somewhat questionable conditions. Around the world similar steps forward, and at the same time, steps backward continue to hinder the development of actions to ensure that human rights laws are enforced.

Examine the status of some key human rights issues by visiting the Web sites listed above, and respond to the following questions in the space provided.

1		Refugees continue to stream into countries seeking a peaceful home, and a place of security. However, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, new restrictive immigration measures have been introduced in other countries, threatening all persons seeking asylum and placing them at risk of being returned to countries where their lives are threatened, in violation of nonrefoulement obligations. Nonrefoulement is the right of refugees not to be returned to a country where their lives or their freedom is endangered. How can the right of a country to defend itself from terrorism be balanced against the rights of human refugees? What countries are currently engaged in preventing immigration of refugees?
2		In many parts of the world, women are particularly vulnerable to violation of their rights. In what ways are females oppressed? Can you suggest how this situation could be improved? Is it a governmental issue? A social issue? An economic issue? Discuss one of these issues in detail.
3		In what ways would you consider the United States responsible for abuse of human rights?