9.5 - Calls for Reform and Responses 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Adopted: December 1948 by the United Nations.

• Rights Asserted: Basic rights and fundamental freedoms for all humans without distinctions based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.

UN's Role in Human Rights

• UNICEF: Created in 1946 to provide food for children in post-WWII Europe.

• Human Rights Investigations: Genocide, war crimes, government oppression, and crimes against women.

• International Court of Justice: Settles international law disputes with 15 judges from different countries.

• Refugee Protection: Food, medicine, and shelter through agencies like UNHCR.

Global Feminism

• Women's March on Washington: January 21, 2017, with 500,000 demonstrators and millions globally.

• Significant Events:

  • 1911: First International Women’s Day.

  • 1915: First International Congress of Women.

  • 1975: UN First World Conference on Women.

  • 1979: CEDAW adopted by UN.

  • 1995: Fourth International Congress of Women in Beijing.

• Rights Outlined in CEDAW: Voting, office-holding, choosing a spouse, education, and family planning access.

Cultural and Religious Movements

• Negritude Movement: Emphasized black pride and self-determination, led by figures like Léopold Sédar Senghor.

• Liberation Theology: Combined socialism and Catholicism in Latin America, advocating for the poor.

Gender Equality Progress

• Voting Rights: Incremental progress worldwide with milestones in the US, UK, and Australia.

• Educational and Professional Advances: Increased literacy and college attendance.

Racial Equality Progress

• US Civil Rights Acts: 1964 and 1965, outlawing racial discrimination and securing voting rights.

• South Africa's Apartheid: 1948-1994, enforced racial segregation, ended with Nelson Mandela’s presidency and the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

• Caste Reservation in India: System to ensure job and education quotas for historically discriminated castes.

Human Rights Repression in China

• Chinese Communist Party Control: Censorship, restricted NGOs, and political opposition suppression.

• Tiananmen Square Massacre: 1989, peaceful protests met with government violence.

• Minority Rights Issues: Tibetan autonomy, Uighur discrimination, and Mongolian environmental protests.

Environmental Rights Movements

• Earth Day: Established in 1970, focuses on environmental awareness and actions.

• Greenpeace: Founded in 1971, advocates against deforestation, desertification, global warming, and overfishing.

• Green Belt Movement: Founded by Wangari Maathai in 1977, focused on tree planting and environmental conservation.

Steps Toward Economic Fairness

• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): Established in 1989, promotes fair trade principles and monitors compliance.