Rights and social protests Flashcards
(59 cards)
Define ‘rights’ in a general sense.
Freedoms and entitlements that individuals are owed simply by being human, guiding what people can do and how they should be treated.
What are ‘human rights’?
Universal, inalienable rights belonging to every person, such as life, liberty, equality, and freedom of expression.
Give three classic examples of human rights.
Right to life, liberty, and equality before the law (others include freedom of speech and religion).
Which post‑WWII document lists 30 universal rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the UN in 1948.
How many articles are in the UDHR?
30 articles.
Quote the key idea of UDHR Article 1.
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Is the UDHR legally binding?
No; it is a non‑binding declaration but it set a global standard and inspired later laws and treaties.
Name the two major 1966 covenants that turned the UDHR into treaty law.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Define civil and political rights and give two examples.
Rights protecting individual freedoms and participation in public life, e.g., free speech and the right to vote.
Define economic, social and cultural rights and give two examples.
Rights ensuring basic wellbeing, e.g., right to education and to an adequate standard of living.
What are group or collective rights?
Rights held by communities, such as minority language rights or indigenous land rights.
Give one recently emerging human right not explicit in 1948.
The right to a clean and sustainable environment.
Define social protest.
Collective action challenging authority to demand change or defend rights.
State the main purpose of social protest.
To expose injustice and pressure decision‑makers to alter laws or policies.
List five common forms of social protest.
Demonstrations, marches, strikes, boycotts, sit‑ins (also petitions, civil disobedience).
Define a boycott in protest terms.
Refusal to buy goods or use services to pressure a target economically.
What is a sit‑in?
Occupying a space non‑violently to disrupt business and highlight injustice.
Define civil disobedience.
Peacefully breaking an unjust law and accepting punishment to dramatize its unfairness.
How can media shape the outcome of a protest?
By showing abuses or demands, it sways public opinion and increases moral and political pressure on authorities.
Name two broad government responses to protest.
Repression (crack‑downs) or reform (conceding demands or negotiating).
Explain the phrase ‘repression can backfire.’
Harsh crack‑downs may create martyrs and widen support for the protest movement.
What does ‘legal rights vs reality’ refer to?
Rights on paper may exist but require continued activism and enforcement to be lived in practice.
Contrast non‑violent and violent protest strategies in one sentence.
Non‑violence seeks moral high ground and broad support; violence may force faster change but risks backlash and heavy costs.
Define Satyagraha.
Gandhi’s philosophy of ‘truth‑force’—steadfast, non‑violent resistance founded on moral courage.
