.:Resource Guides:Human Rights-What Rights Are Violated?
Human Rights
What Rights Are Violated
Historically, human rights abuses were framed in terms of political and civil rights violations.
A growing trend in this movement, however, has been the expansion of the interpretation of a human rights abuse. The emerging social justice influence around the world has
enabled advocates to include cultural, social and economic rights as categories worthy of protection. Brief definitions of these rights are:
Civil Rights - Civil rights are those rights belonging to an individual by virtue of their citizenship in a country. Examples include the right to vote, freedom from discrimination, equal protection of the country's laws, etc.
Political Rights - Political rights allow for full participation in political life. This can be anything from the right to hold office, to equality in political representation and other forms of participation in the political process. Political
rights seek to increase the power of a population as participants at all levels in governments, institutions and forums to achieve economic and social justice.
Cultural Rights - Cultural rights are those which allow us to identify ourselves as members of a distinct group within a larger society. Such cultural groups may be defined by ethnicity, religion, behavior or point of view.
Social Rights - Social rights are those rights which allow each individual in society to participate to the fullest extent of her or his choosing. Such rights include the right to an education and the right to freedom of association.
Economic Rights - Economic rights ensure for each individual the opportunity to obtain by labor or by commerce the means of supporting him or herself. These rights can include the right to a livelihood, fair wages for labor, housing and food.
There are growing demands to include clean air, water and soil and access to health care in these rights as well.
