Importance Of Human Rights Essay

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms and also moral principles for all human beings in the world. Although the term Human Rights entered into Western Philosophy in the 17th century in the works of Grotius and Locke, it was first invoked and practised in America and France creating a new society and political order in 1776 and 1789 respectively. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was accepted by most members of the United Nations in 1948. The declaration, harking back to "barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind", speaks of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family. These rights are held to be the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. As Julia Hausermann, Founder and President of Rights and Humanity has stated, "Human Rights

This implies conditional rights. Conditional rights include the rights to property, to education, to movement, to beliefs, but they do not imply to “right to life.” Right to life is the only human right in a primary sense. This right is unconditional in any society.

For, Gotama Buddha who is an eastern thinker coined his teaching as ‘Dhamma’. ‘Dhamma’ can mean “human rights, obligations or responsibilities, and laws of nature”. ‘Dhamma’ shares the same features as ‘moral rights’ in the Western conception of human rights. Dhamma also is natural, universal, equal and inalienable. Gotama Buddha has found his Dhammas from natural laws and he explained his Dhamma teachings to people for 45 years. “The Theory of Karma” listed those natural laws as following:

1. ‘Utu- Niyama - physical inorganic order, e.g. seasonal phenomena of winds and rains. The unerring order of seasons, characteristic seasonal changes and events, causes of winds and rains, nature of heat, etc., all belong to this