The Issue For any society to be governed by the rule of law requires that it recognize the supremacy of all law and that all individuals are held equal before the law. Not only does this mean that the law itself must conform to the highest principles of human rights, but also that state agencies […]
Lesson Series 39: The Right to Food: Indivisibility of rights
The Issue As shown in the previous lesson series, the denial of the right to food is not usually a result of natural causes, but due to systemic factors and deliberate actions taken by state authorities. In the same way, the systemic denial of other human rights ‘such as the right to equality or land’ […]
Lesson Series 38: The Right to Food
The Issue While the right to food or the right to be free from hunger is a fundamental human right, there are millions of people who struggle on a daily basis to find enough food to survive. This occurs even as a minority of the world’s population lives with overabundant food supplies. The denial of […]
Lesson Series 37: Kwangju: People’s Perseverance in Seeking Justice
The multimedia lesson is also available as a CD, which also includes ‘The May 18 Kwangju Democratic Uprising’, a documentary by the May 18 History Compilation Committee of Kwangju Citizens.
Lesson Series 36 : Kwangju: Citizens’ Response to State Violence
The Issue The May 1980 Kwangju uprising was a significant turning point in the establishment of democracy in South Korea. However, the events and struggle of that time has received little attention both within the country and outside. There are many things that can be learnt from the citizens of Kwangju by the people of […]
Lesson Series 35: The Practice of Honour Killings
The Issue Violence against women is an unfortunate but common human rights violation, particularly in South Asia. The practice of honour killings is a particularly atrocious form of such violence against women. These killings have been reported in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, as well as other parts of Asia and the Middle East. The […]
Lesson Series 34: Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in Asia
The Issue Truth and reconciliation commissions have had a significant effect on justice and democracy in several countries around the world, as well as contributing to a philosophical debate regarding human rights violations and their perpetrators. While there have been a few similar commissions formed in Asia, the concept of truth and reconciliation is little […]
Lesson Series 33: Filing a Complaint with the United Nations Treaty Based Human Rights Mechanisms
The Issue Anyone may bring a human rights problem to the attention of the United Nations and thousands of people around the world do so every year. This lesson explains in detail the procedures open to individuals and groups who want the United Nations to take action on a human rights situation of concern to […]
Lesson Series 32: A public hearing on the torture of children, Sri Lanka
The Issue Torture is practiced routinely by the police in Sri Lanka, as in many other Asian countries. Recently, many cases of the torture of children by police have also surfaced. Sadly, there is little being done by the government to stop such brutal practices. It is up to civil society to take up these […]
Lesson Series 31 : Prison Conditions and Complaint Mechanisms
The Issue Prisoners should have the same human rights as everyone else, with certain limitations due to liberty restrictions. Existing human rights documents provide for this. However, in practice this is not the case. The conditions in many prisons around Asia are such that prisoners are denied many basic human rights, such as the right […]