Written By: Isabela Liu & Shaynne Dimpas
Graphics By: Kervine Tan
In a society facing injustices and combating social issues, there is a growing need to bring awareness to the inequalities evident today. However, the questions still linger-- “what are human rights?” and “what are our human rights?” The concept of human rights simply refers to the innate rights each individual has but, there is more to it as it is also universal and inalienable. It is something that we are born with and that can never be taken away from us. These rights enable us to recognize and protect each of our dignities and differences in order to create proper freedom, peace, unity, and justice. It aims to give equal access to basic needs and opportunities each of us deserves to have, thus forging equality.
Within our present-day society, we can see so many individuals who use freedom irresponsibly and deliberately violate human rights through discrimination, hate crimes, corruption, and etcetera. These result in the basic right to life being disregarded, thus creating a world opposite to what human rights aim to bring. When these events continuously occur, it leads to conflict and division as it harms and disrespects the lives and differences of several people.
Acknowledging human rights enables everyone to live peacefully, develop their well-being, and pursue their happiness. Freedom of expression is one right that allows us to express ourselves without fear of censorship or discrimination.
It comprises the freedom to express one's opinions, thoughts, and feelings freely through different ways such as signing petitions, joining assemblies, or publishing coverages on papers or media. It is a fundamental right that people should have and deserve to have, regardless of their differences. However, the freedom to express ourselves may be a drawback in developing our society.
A disadvantage of this is the freedom to express with the use of hate speech. Hate speech can be shown through various means such as racism, classism, sexism, and many more. This may cause a division in society which hinders the progress of unity and growth. Thus, we should keep in mind that simply because we're free doesn't mean we are able to exploit such freedom and do whatever we want. Just as the expression goes, "Freedom comes with great responsibility," we should all be accountable to prevent degrading anyone. Knowing that freedom of speech can inflict harm towards other people such as hate speech, we should know how to use our rights wisely.
With this in mind, CISV has considered the right to express an opportunity to come up with an initiative to educate and encourage the youth to become more active citizens. The initiative is to promote awareness of certain societal issues and community gaps that are apparent in society today. Acting as a voice for the youth, this initiative contributes to the development of society and its people. As the future of our community lies in our hands, we have taken it upon ourselves to write for the right.
Wanna know more about this initiative? Check out the next article entitled: Suwat Sugbo!
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References
What are human rights? (n.d.). UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/what-are-human-rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (n.d.). United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
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