Text 1. Human rights

Active vocabulary to remember

inherent dignity value acknowledge to respect equality fairness adequate standard of living human being harassment fair trial freedom male female regardless background universal lawful just to exist moral rights fair to defend tolerance opportunity responsibility definition claim obligation education services origin to interact fundamental concept justice human dignity security to restrain value systems

– внутренний, врожденный – достоинство – ценность – признавать – уважать – равенство – справедливость – приемлемый, достойный уровень жизни – человек – приставание, преследование – справедливый суд – свобода – мужчина – женщина – независимо от ч.-л. – происхождение, корни, прошлое – универсальный, всеобщий – законный, в рамках закона – справедливый – существовать – нравственные права (законы) – справедливый – защищать – терпимость, толерантность – возможность – ответственность – определение – заявление, требование – обязанность – образовательные услуги – происхождение – взаимодействовать – фундаментальный, базовый – понятие – справедливость, правосудие – человеческое достоинство – безопасность – сдерживать; удерживать – система ценностей

Every person has inherent dignity and value. One of the ways that we recognize this fundamental worth is by acknowledging and respecting a person's human rights.

Human rights are not a recent invention. Discussion about these ideas can be traced back to the ancient civilizations of Babylon, China and India. They contributed to the laws of Greek and Roman society and are central to Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish teachings.

Human rights are concerned with equality and fairness. They recognize our freedom to make choices about our life and develop our potential as human beings. They are about living a life free from fear, harassment or discrimination.

There are a number of basic rights that people from around the world have agreed on, such as the right to life, freedom from torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, rights to a fair trial, free speech and freedom of religion, rights to health, education and an adequate standard of living.

These human rights are the same for all people everywhere – male and female, young and old, rich and poor, regardless of our background, where we live, what we think or what we believe. This is what makes human rights ‘universal'.

Human rights cover virtually every area of human life and activity. They include civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom from torture. They also include economic, social and cultural rights, such as the rights to health and education. Some rights apply to individuals, such as the right to a fair trial: these are called individual rights. Others apply to groups of people, such as women and children: these are called collective rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreed to by the nations of the world on 10 December 1948, sets out the basic rights and freedoms of all men, women and children.

Rights also describe what is lawful: that is, some rights may be laid down in law. If you have a legal right to something, you may be able to defend it in court.

In many situations, though, rights exist but are not covered by law. These rights are often called moral rights and are based on people's sense of what is fair or just.

Respect for human rights helps build strong communities, based on equality and tolerance, in which every person has an opportunity to contribute. Of course, having others respect our human rights comes with the responsibility that we respect the rights of others.

Another way of understanding human rights is to look at the specific human rights that people around the world have agreed upon. Equality and freedom from discrimination are generally accepted as fundamental. Specific rights include the right to life, freedom from torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, rights to a fair trial, free speech and freedom of religion, rights to health, education and an adequate standard of living. There are many others.

Rights are related to the values that societies live by. These values have their origins in the world's great religions and philosophies. Value systems can vary in detail between one society and another but the fundamental ideas are very similar. Concepts of justice and human dignity are at the heart of these values.

People everywhere seek physical security, freedom from suffering and freedom from unreasonable restraint for themselves and their families. They seek equality and fairness, the opportunity to reach their potential and acknowledgment of their inherent dignity.

Over the last few hundred years, ideas about human rights have developed as a way of expressing some of those values. But whether expressed or not, rights are, and always have been, a part of the way people interact with one another.

Practice:

1. Answer the following questions:

1) What are human rights?

2) Where do human rights come from?

3) Are there different types of human rights?

4) What are the human rights ‘standards'?

5) Who has responsibility to protect human rights?

6) Why are human rights important?

7) Are some human rights more important than others?

8) Can your human rights be taken away from me?

9) How are human rights protected different countries and in Russia as well?

10) What can you do to promote human rights?

2. Read the text again and find Russian equivalents or explain the following phrases:

- inherent dignity	- individual rights
- respecting a person's human rights	- lawful
- fundamental worth	- value system
- basic rights	- adequate standard of living

3. Problem discussion “Violence is always wrong”.

Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view?

Organize a group discussion.Use the Language for Agreeing and Disagreeing.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20