Introduction
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “The international Magna Carta for all mankind”Australian Curriculum content codes: History Year 10 ACDSEH023 and Civics and Citizenship Year 10 ACHCK091 This section explores the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and its relationship to Magna Carta. It also details the role of prominent Australians who contributed to the creation of the UDHR. Background Information: Magna Carta: Magna Carta (meaning “The Great Charter” in Latin) is a powerful symbol of liberty and democracy around the world. The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 by King John of England and stated that everybody – including the King – was subject to the rule of law. Magna Carta also gave rights to (a select group of) people, including the right to a fair trial. Some of the fundamental principles in Magna Carta have been passed down into modern human rights laws and declarations, such as the UDHR. The United Nations: Following the devastation of World War II, the governments of the world come together in 1945 to form an international organisation called the United Nations (UN), dedicated to upholding peace and security. The Charter of the UN states that the organisation’s purpose is to achieve co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: One of the first actions of the newly-founded UN was to create a Commission on Human Rights, with the purpose of drafting a document outlining the basic human rights shared by all people, everywhere. This resulted in the UDHR, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on the 10th of December 1948. The UDHR recognises the dignity of all people, and asserts that human rights should apply equally worldwide. Civil and political rights, economic and cultural rights, and the responsibility to uphold the rights of others are all emphasised in the Declaration. Viewing activity: “The Story of Our Freedom” videoTo gain an understanding of the events in Australia and around the world that led to the development of the UDHR, begin by watching the “The Story of Our Freedom” video. After watching the video, pose the following questions to the class:
This discussion should prompt students to think about the historical significance of these two documents. View a useful worksheet for assigning significance from the History Teachers’ Association of Australia. Next ask students to compare and contrast these two key documents:
To assist students with their comparison you may wish to provide them with simplified versions of the two documents. A simplified version of the UDHR has been created by Discovering Democracy. The Magna Carta Project has created a list of all the clauses of the 1215 version of Magna Carta, which can be searched by clause number or topic. Through class discussion, encourage students to identify elements of continuity and change between 1215 and today, and consider why some ideas in Magna Carta may have changed over time while others have endured. For example, clauses 38, 39, 40 and 45 in Magna Carta have been influential in shaping contemporary rights relating to justice and the law. However it is also important to emphasise to students that Magna Carta only granted rights to “free men” and largely overlooked women and peasants. This is the fundamental distinction between Magna Carta and the UDHR, which emphasised the equality of everyone in its first article, stating that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.
Ask students to explore the Magna Carta interactive infographic, focussing specifically on the sections relating to the founding of the UN and creation of the UDHR. Instruct students to select one of the important figures listed below and conduct an online inquiry into how this person contributed to the creation of the UDHR. Students should write a brief summary of their findings explaining why the contribution of their chosen person was significant in advancing human rights and freedoms.
Fun fact: The figures show in the UN section of the infographic depict the representatives from the eight countries selected to draft the UDHR (Lebanon, China, France, US, UK, Australia, Chile, Canada and the USSR). More information about the drafting of the UDHR drafters can be found on the UN’s UDHR website. Changing rights and freedoms in AustraliaResearch activity: Struggles for human rights in the 20th CenturyRefer students to the section of the infographic that depicts three groups in Australia who historically have struggled to receive recognition of their human rights and freedoms: women, migrants and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Select one of the topics below and instruct students to conduct an online investigation into this topic. Students should summarise their findings in a five minute presentation.
Students should summarise their findings in a five minute presentation, which responds to the following points:
What can I do?Australian Curriculum content codes: Civics and Citizenship Year 9 ACHCS089, Civics and Citizenship Year 10 ACHCS102 and Year 10 History ACDSEH143 This section looks at existing rights movements and what actions we can take to support them. Specifically, it looks at the Close the Gap campaign and the different human rights activities that students can engage in. Human Rights in Australia today…As the “Story of Our Freedom” video and infographic show, there has been a lot of progress in improving the rights of people worldwide. However, there is still a long way to go to ensure everyone has access to their human rights and freedoms. Refer students to the image in the interactive infographic showing the group of people advocating for a range of important human rights issues in Australia today and ask if they can identify some of the rights and freedoms that they are advocating for. Point out to students that one of the figures is holding a placard which says “Close the Gap”. This will be explored further in the case study in the next section.
Case study: The Close the Gap campaignThe Close the Gap campaign is an example of a rights movement that still has a long way to go. Since 2006, Australia’s peak Indigenous and non-Indigenous health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations have worked together to promote better health and life expectancy outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is known as the Close the Gap campaign. Research activity: Investigation and presentation In pairs, ask students to create a short video, conduct an interview or write a newspaper article, in which one student takes the role of a journalist, and the other student is a representative of the Close the Gap campaign. Examples of the types of questions students can ask include:
As a starting point, refer students to the following sources:
Being active and informedExplain to students that there are several ways that young people can be active and engaged citizens who stand up for human rights issues. Instruct students to discuss - as a class or in small groups - a human rights issue that they particularly care about and come up with ideas about what can be done to improve this issue. One possible action students can take is planning a human rights event in their school or community. For ideas about human rights days and causes that students can hold events for and other ways to promote human rights within their family, school or community, visit the sites below:
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