Hello, my name is Mrs. Hastings.

Welcome to today's lesson.

It is from the unit "What can we do about global problems?" And today's lesson is called, "Why are there still some human rights abuses today?" This is a really challenging topic.

Something that's quite controversial that we need to really think hard about and formulate our opinions and look into really deeply.

So, while some of the.

Well, learning is going to be quite challenging and thought-provoking.

I'm sure that you are going to learn lots in today's setting, and I'm really looking forward to taking you through it.

So, because today's lesson is a topic that is quite thought-provoking and can be quite challenging, there's some really important ground rules that we must follow.

So please, can you make sure, as Laura says that you, "Listen to others.

It is okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person." Andeep says, "We need to respect privacy." This is really important.

"We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." Izzy puts forward the very good point that we should choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to answer, to choose not to answer a question, or to join in a discussion.

We never put anyone "on the spot." And Jacob says, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." So, by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain what human rights are, examine what happens when these rights are abused, and identify who is responsible for protecting them.

There are some really important keywords in today's lesson.

So the first one is human rights.

These are basic rights and freedoms that all people are entitled to.

The United Nations, UN, an international organisation comprising of most countries in the world, which aims to promote peace, security, and international corporation.

And non-governmental organisation, NGOs.

These are a non-profit, voluntary group of citizens who work on a local, national, or international level to achieve an aim.

They're not controlled by the government, but will often work closely with them.

So there are three parts to our learning cycle today.

Firstly, we're going to look at what are human rights.

Secondly, how are human rights abused? And lastly, who is responsible for protecting human rights? So, let's crack on with our first learning cycle, what are human rights.

So human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that every person is entitled to.

They are universal.

That means that they apply to all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status.

We have them by very fact that we are human beings.

The core idea behind human rights is that every person deserves to be treated with dignity and equality.

What rights and freedoms do you think are important for ensuring dignity and equality for all people? Pause the video and have a conversation with your learning partner, what do you think are the rights that would ensure dignity and equality for all people? So human rights can be divided into different categories.

For example, civil and political rights.

So these are rights that protect individual freedoms and allow participation in political life.

For example, the right to life, to vote, to freedom of speech.

And then, we can also have economic, social, and cultural rights.

So these human rights ensure access to basic needs and services.

For example, the right to education, health, and a decent standard of living.

So let's check our understanding of what we learned so far.

So why is it important that human rights apply to all people everywhere? Is it, A, to ensure fairness and equality for everyone? B, to make sure some people have more rights than others.

C, to create rules that only apply to certain groups.

Or D, to limit the freedom of specific communities.

So why is it important that human rights apply to all people everywhere? A, B, C, or D? It is A.

So it's important that human rights apply to all people everywhere to ensure fairness and equality for everyone.

Well done if you got that right.

So we're gonna look at an important document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

And this is written in 1948 by the United Nations.

193 countries across the world have signed it.

Now, it's a really important document.

It was created after the Second World War.

And it was largely in a response to the Holocaust, where Jews and other minority groups have been persecuted and killed because of their beliefs, because of their race, and because of some of their, you know, disabilities, for example.

This was a really horrific event.

And the world wanted to ensure that nothing like the Holocaust ever happens again.

So the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, which was in part created by Eleanor Roosevelt, who is a representative to the UN, lists 30 rights that all people should have.

So, for example, I'm not gonna list out all 30 rights, but here are some examples.

No one shall be held in slavery.

No one should be subjected to torture.

All are equal before the law.

The right to marry and have a family.

The right to a standard of living, adequate for health and wellbeing.

So they cover civil and political rights and also social and economic rights.

So which of the following is true about the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, the UDHR? Is it, A, only a few countries have agreed to its principles.

B, it allows governments to ignore basic human rights.

C, it was created by the United Nations in 1948.

D, it lists 30 rights everyone should have.

So which of the following is true about the UDHR? A, B, C, or D? The answers are, C, it was created by the United Nations in 1948, and D, it lists 30 rights everyone should have.

So, well done if you recognised that there are two correct answers in that question.

The UDHR is not a law itself.

And this is really important.

Different countries use it to create their own human rights laws.

So it sets out a groundwork, a basis for maybe a blueprint for what good human rights would look like.

But each country is able to then create its own laws.

So it is not a law that every country that's signed up to it has to stick to.

The UK is a member of the Council of Europe and follows the European Convention on Human Rights, the ECHR, which is an international treaty that is based on the UDHR.

So this has much more legal grounding.

In the UK, in 1998, the UK government passed the Human Rights Act.

And this makes the rights from the ECHR part of our national law.

So our human rights in the UK are enshrined and protected by law through the Human Rights Act.

All public authorities, such as the government, the NHS, schools, and the police, must follow the Human Rights Act.

Individuals cannot take legal action directly against other individuals onto Human Rights Act.

It is designed to hold public authorities accountable.

If you think your rights have been abused, you can take legal action both here in the UK and also at the European Court of Human Rights.

So let's check our understanding of that information.

True or false? You can take legal action if you think your human rights have been abused by an individual.

Is that true or false? It is false.

Why? Because you can only take legal action if you think your human rights have been abused by public authorities, like the government, the NHS, or the police.

So that's when you can take a legal action.

Okay, so onto our first practise task for today's lesson, I'd like you to read the paragraph and fill in the blanks of the missing words.

Human rights are fundamental what and what that every person is entitled to.

They are what, they apply to all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status.

The core idea behind human rights is the what and equality of all individuals.

Human rights are protected by the what of Human Rights, UDHR, a document created by the what in 1948.

It lists what rights that everyone should have.

Human rights are further protected in the UK as the country's a member of the what of Europe and follows the European Convention on Human Rights, what, an international treaty that is based on the UDHR.

Furthermore, in the UK, the Human Rights Act, 1998, is enshrined in what? So, pause the video and fill in the blanks that are missing from that paragraph.

Well done for completing that task.

So your completed paragraph should look like this.

Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms that every person's entitled to.

They are universal.

They apply to all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other status.

The core idea behind human rights is the dignity and equality of all individuals.

Human rights are protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, a document created by the UN in 1948.

It lists 30 rights that everyone should have.

Human rights are further protected in the UK as the country is a member of the Council of Europe and follows the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR, an international treaty that is based on the UDHR.

Furthermore, in the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 is enshrined in law.

Well done for completing that task.

So, onto the second part of our learning cycle today.

So our second learning cycle is, how are human rights abused? The UK is a member of the Council of Europe, which means it is bound by the European Convention on Human Rights, ECHR.

The rights guaranteed under the ECHR are incorporated into UK law through the Human Rights Act, as we've already learned.

This helps protect our human rights if they're violated.

We live in a democracy with shared values, and many people in the UK feel that their rights are well protected.

However, in some parts of the world, certain groups of people still face serious human rights abuses.

Where you live can affect how well your human rights are protected.

The 30 rights in the UDHR need to be included in the country's law for proper protection.

So you may live in a country where they haven't written into law human rights protections, and therefore, in those countries, you may not feel that your human rights are adequately protected.

A government must also be accountable for protecting these rights, but sometimes they can even be responsible for the human rights abuses themselves.

They can be the ones that are causing it.

Now in the UK, if we feel that the government is abusing our human rights, we can take legal action.

But in other countries, where a government might be abusing human rights, they can't take legal action 'cause it's not enshrined in law.

This makes it hard to hold anyone accountable.

So, let's check our understanding.

True or false? In the UK, our human rights are well protected and there are mechanisms in place if we feel they have been violated.

Is that true or false? It is true.

Well done if you got that right.

Why? Because in the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 ensures that the rights outlined in the European convention on Human Rights, ECHR, are protected by domestic law.

As a member of the Council of Europe, the UK is also subject to the European Court of Human Rights, which helps individuals whose rights have been violated.

So this map shows the extent to which people have human rights protection.

The spectrum ranges from naught, fewest rights, in the light colours, to one, most rights, in the dark blue.

So you can see the UK is in dark blue, which means that it has high levels of human rights protection.

But there are other countries where there is very little human rights protection, if any at all.

So we're going to look at some examples now of human rights abuses that have occurred or are occurring around the world.

And these include that according to a UNICEF report from 2019, it's estimated that around 3.

3 million children in India were engaged in child labour.

So they often work long hours in hazardous conditions instead of attending school.

So this is a clear example of a violation of human rights abuses because we know that right to an education forms part of the UDHR, for example, and that child labour is banned under the UDHR.

In China, people who speak out against the government can be punished by imprisonment, and this abuses their human right of the freedom of speech.

So it limits their freedom of speech.

In Poland, LGBTQ+ individuals face increasing discrimination as some local governments in Poland have declared themselves "LGBT-free zones." And this has sparked international concern.

So LGBTQ+ people, individuals feel that their human rights are not well protected.

They're not free to live their lives safely in some areas of Poland.

So, true or false? Human rights abuses do not happen anywhere in the world.

Is that true or false? It is, of course, false.

Why? Because unfortunately, there are many global examples of human rights abuses.

For human rights to be effectively protected, they need to be enshrined in a country's law.

So, onto our practise task.

Explain, with examples, how human rights are still abused today.

Make sure that you include the following in your answer.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, is not to law, and at least one example of a human rights abuse occurring in recent times.

Pause the video whilst you complete that task.

Well done for completing that task.

So I asked you to explain with examples how human rights are still abused today.

You may have included the following.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whilst a very important document, is not a law.

It is up to each country to write their own human rights laws using the UDHR.

Where you live may make a difference to how well your human rights are protected.

Often it is a country's government that is guilty of human rights abuses.

For example, in Poland, LGBTQ+ individuals face increasing discrimination and some local governments have declared themselves "LGBT-free zones," which has sparked international concern.

Well done for completing that task.

So, now we're onto our third learning cycle today, the last one.

Who is responsible for protecting human rights? Well, we all have a role in preventing human rights abuses.

We can all take action.

But there are really two key ways to address global violations, and that is through the UN and through the work of non-governmental organisations, NGOs.

So, as well as creating the UDHR, the UN helps protect human rights around the world in several ways.

For example, they monitor, investigate, and report on human rights to ensure governments act responsibly.

They offer advice, resources, and programmes to promote fair lives and protect human rights.

And the UN provides aid, medical supplies, and peacekeepers to support people in crises and conflict zones.

So, for example, if there is a natural disaster, then the UN will go and protect the human rights of people in that disaster zone with aid and medical supplies, or food, water, et cetera.

If there's a conflict going on, then the UN can provide peacekeepers to try to keep the peace and also to provide aid and medical supplies to those people that have been affected by war.

However, the UN does have some limitations.

We know that the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights isn't a law.

So that is a limitation in itself.

They have limited enforcement power and rely on country corporation.

So the UN can make recommendations and set standards, but it doesn't have the power to enforce them unless countries agree to cooperate.

Powerful countries can influence decisions.

Countries with more influence, like the permanent members of the Security Council, the U.

S.

, UK, France, Russia, and China can veto decisions, preventing the UN from acting in certain situations.

So if one of those countries felt that actually they didn't want to act on a human rights abuse because they felt that it wasn't in their best interest, then they could veto that decision.

They could say, they could stop it, essentially.

And resource shortages and restricted access.

The UN often faces funding shortages and challenges in accessing certain areas which can limit its ability to respond to all crises effectively.

So the UN relies on each country to fund it, to give it money.

And if some countries decide to cut the funding to the UN or to stop funding altogether, then obviously that limits how much money it receives, and therefore, the resources it has.

So let's check our understanding.

How does the UN help protect human rights? A, by collecting information, investigating issues, and advising governments to act correctly.

B, encouraging governments to ignore human rights issues in other countries.

Or, C, by providing food, medical care, and shelter to people affected by war, disasters, or emergencies.

So how does the UN help protect human rights? A, B, or C? So the UN help protects human rights by, A, collecting information, investigating issues, and advising governments to act correctly, and B, providing food, medical care, and shelter to people affected by war, disasters, or emergencies.

So let's have a look at the work of NGOs, non-governmental organisations.

So, NGOs help prevent human rights abuses in many ways.

For example, they raise awareness and advocate for fair laws and stronger protections for vulnerable people.

They provide direct assistance, such as legal aid, medical care, and shelter to those in need.

And they monitor, report, and educate to hold governments accountable and improve human rights.

However, like the UN, NGOs have limitations.

For example, they rely on donations, which can be unpredictable and insufficient.

Not having enough funds to help everyone in need.

Lacking the power to make laws or force governments to change policies.

Facing government restrictions that can block or limit their work.

And not having enough workers to address all the problems they aim to solve.

And sometimes, focusing on short-term aid rather than long-lasting solutions.

Examples of organisations that help stop human rights abuses include Amnesty International.

Amnesty International works to protect people's rights by raising awareness about unfair treatment and fighting against torture and unfair trials.

Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch monitors human rights around the world, reports violations, and pushes governments to protect people's rights.

The Red Cross.

The Red Cross helps people in war zones and disasters with food, medical care, and support, ensuring their rights are protected.

Save the Children.

Save the Children focuses on protecting children by ending child labour, promoting education, and keeping them safe from harm.

So, for example, we looked at the example of India earlier, where 3.

3 million children, according to a UNICEF report, are in child labour.

So Save the Children would be working with the government in India to try to put an end to that.

So how do NGOs help prevent human rights abuses? A, they make laws that all countries must follow.

B, they raise awareness through media, reports and campaigns.

Or, C, they provide direct help such as medical care to those in need.

How do NGOs help prevent human rights abuses? A, B, or C? NGOs help prevent human rights abuses by, B, they raise awareness through media, reports, and campaigns, and C, they provide direct help such as medical care to those in need.

Well done if you got those right.

Which NGO helps to protect people's rights by raising awareness about unfair treatment and torture? It is Amnesty International.

Well done if you got that right.

So, onto our practise task.

I'd like you to mark with an X on the judgement line your response to the following statement, "There are still human rights abuses today because those responsible for protecting human rights are ineffective." Do you agree or disagree with that statement? So I'd like you to mark your X on the judgement line, anywhere along that line, and write one paragraph explaining your decision.

Pause the video whilst you complete that task.

So I asked you to mark on the judgement line your response to the following statement, "There are still human rights abuses today because those responsible for protecting human rights are ineffective." You may have put your X near the agree end and justified it like this.

Unfortunately, there are still human rights abuses today because organisations, such as the UN and NGOs are not able to be fully effective.

There are lots of reasons for this.

For example, they're often blocked from being able to work in countries where human rights are being abused.

Whilst the UN can make recommendations, it can't enforce them unless countries choose to cooperate.

NGOs also can't force governments to comply and may lack the money to fully help.

Or, you may have put your answer towards the disagree end, so the X towards the disagree end.

And you might have justified it like this.

Whilst there may still be human rights abuses today, it is not because organisations such as the UN and NGOs are ineffective.

They take action to prevent and protect those whose human rights are threatened through providing food, medical aid, and shelter.

The UN and NGOs raise awareness about human rights and encourage action against the abusers.

However, they face huge challenges that can be difficult to overcome.

Well done for completing that task, and well done for completing the lesson today.

You've done really well and you've learned loads, and really thought about why there are still some human rights abuses today.

So, in summary, human rights are basic rights and entitlements that everyone has, no matter where you are from, what you believe in, or how you choose to live your life, There are several important documents or laws which set out our human rights, including the UDHR, ECHR, and the Human Rights Act.

The issue of human rights is global, and there are several countries around the world where human rights are abused.

Protecting human rights is the responsibility of the global community.

The UN and NGOs such as Save the Children and the Red Cross help protect human rights globally.

As I said, well done for today's lesson, and I hope to see you again soon.