Unit 8.5: Human Rights

Question 1

Crimes against Humanity

Answer 1

Intentionally committed acts that form part of a widespread, systematic and repeated attack against a civilian population

Question 2

ICC

Answer 2

International Criminal Court: prosecutes serious international crimes (eg: war crimes, crimes against humanity, war crimes)

Question 3

Extra Info CaH

Answer 3

Both state and non-state actors can commit them

Murder, Extermination, Enslavement and Sexual Violence can all constitute CaH if widespread/systematic and against a civilian population

Question 4

Genocide

Answer 4

The intentional destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group

Question 5

NERR

Answer 5

National, Ethnic, Racial, Religious

Question 6

Conditions for it to be considered Genocide

Answer 6

1) Committed against a ‘protected group’ (NERR group recognised internationally)

2) Specific Intent (hard to prove)

3)Destruction in whole or in part

Question 7

Examples Genocide

Answer 7

Rwanda, Holocaust, Akayesu & Kristic

Question 8

Genocide vs CaH

Answer 8

G: targets people for NERR reasons (targeted for being not doing)

CaH: attacks on a civilian population bc of their presence in the targeted population (in the way so to say)

Question 9

Human Rights

Answer 9

Rights to which people are entitled by virtue of being human (universal)

Question 10

Natural Rights

Answer 10

Thought to be God-given, fundamental to humans and therefore inalienable

First ‘human rights’ (dates back to Greeks / Romans

Question 11

Rights of man

Answer 11

Defined a sphere of autonomy that belongs to the citizen (Constrains government power)

Question 12

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Answer 12

1948

Established modern HR by outlining a comprehensive code for the internal governments of its states

Question 13

What led to the establishment of the UDHR?

Answer 13

WW2 & Holocaust

Question 14

Importance of the UDHR

Answer 14

Applied to everyone equally despite NERR and more

Inspires & Guides HR legislation

Supported decolonisation

Question 15

1st type of HR

Answer 15

Liberty

Civil Rights (Freedom discrimination, slavery, torture, etc.)
Political Rights (freedom speech, religion, press, etc.)

Can only be upheld through legislation / enforcement => relies on people that can be corrupt

Question 16

2nd type of HR

Answer 16

Equality

Economic & Social Rights (right to work, access to healthcare & food & housing)

Maintenance requiers significant ressources
“Aspiration rather than entitlements”
Whose duty is it to uphold them?

Question 17

3rd type of HR

Answer 17

Fraternity

Cultural Rights (rights that applied to groups / societies)

Vague wording
HR based off of individuality, weakened by grouping

Question 18

1st Stage of Genocide

Answer 18

Classification:
- division into groups (us vs them mentality)
-> eg: Hutus and Tutsi in Rwanda

Question 19

2nd Stage of Genocide

Answer 19

Symbolisation:
- Give names to classification

Question 20

3rd Stage of Genocide

Answer 20

Discrimination:
- dominant group uses laws/customs/political power to deny the rights of the other group

Question 21

4th Stage of Genocide

Answer 21

Dehumanisation:
- One group denies humanity of the other
- Hate propaganda vilifies other group

Question 22

5th Stage of Genocide

Answer 22

Organisation:
- special army units / militias trained & armed
- plans made for genocidal killings

Question 23

6th Stage of Genocide

Answer 23

Polarisation:
- Groups driven apart by extremists & propaganda

Question 24

7th Stage of Genocide

Answer 24

Preperation:
- Victims identified
- Death lists drawn up

Question 25

8th Stage of Genocide

Answer 25

Persecution:
- Victims isolated
- Property expropriated (if government in charge of genocide)

Question 26

9th Stage of Genocide

Answer 26

Extermination:
- killings

= not called murders/etc bc other group no longer considered human

Question 27

10th Stage of Genocide

Answer 27

Denial:
- Denial crimes committed
- Blame victims

Question 28

10 Stages of Genocide

Answer 28

Classification, Symbolisation, Discrimination, Dehumanisation, Organisation, Polarisation, Preperation, Persecution, Extertermination, Denial

(CSDDDPPPED)

Question 29

Relativism

Answer 29

Belief that ideas/values are relative depending on the social/cultural/historical context

Question 30

Universal Rights

Answer 30

Rights that are the same for all people, even if it contradicts local practices and beliefs

Question 31

Main Criticism UDHR

Answer 31

Failed to recognise relativity and cultural variances among countries

Question 32

Arguments for Relativism

Answer 32

1) Circumstances vary so widely from society to society, that it requires relativity. What is right for one society may not be right for another

2) Universal rights = form of cultural imperialism

Question 33

Asian reservations about HR

Answer 33

Asian values reflect a distinctive history, culture and religious background

Asian values place a greater emphasis on economic and social rights rather than on “western” civic and political rights

Question 34

Islamic reservations about HR

Answer 34

Violates important Islamic principles (eg: apostasy = abandonment of one’s religion)

Rights are derived from the divine and not human authority and human principles are invalid if they contradict what is outlined by the divine

See UHR as a cultural expression of the dominance of the West that they are trying to exerce over the Middle East

Question 35

Main criticism HR

Answer 35

Idea that it lacks sympathy/is hostile with religion & threatens traditional values and social cohesion