I f you ask people if they know what human rights are, you will probably get a positive answer. But if you ask them to enumerate these rights they will probably only be able to recall a few – those they are familiar with or which concern them personally or those they have heard about in the media in the context of human rights violations. Ask children and young people, and very likely they will know only a few. In fact, it is unlikely that even youth information workers are able to name all 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a pretty sad state of affairs, if you consider that knowing your rights is crucial to their observance. Human rights make us human beings. Human rights form the basis of a functioning society. Our civilisation depends upon the dissemination of human rights, as a consensus reached by society, among the young generation. Let us start with a definition. The easiest definition of human rights could be: “The rights you have simply because you are human”. No exception, no explanation, just the fact that because you are a human being, you have your rights. The reality is not so straightforward, because human rights are still unsecured for some people. Could this be because some people feel that they are “more human” than others? Is the violation of human rights proof of a lapse of humanity within society? It could be that it is the result of a lack of information about human rights. Human rights have evolved and adapted to the flow of history and the needs of the world. The roots of human rights lead back into the deep past, but began to take on a clearer form through their public declaration in the 18th century up to the year 1948, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Their evolution did not stop in the post-war period, when nations perceived the common principles of fundamental rights as necessary for the prevention of another dreadful conflict. In Europe, communism was seen as a threat. The newly formed Council of Europe, considering that democracy in Europe was in danger, sought to protect human rights on the continent through the promulgation of the European Convention on Human Rights in 1950. This unique document (also known as the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms), is the basis for the protection of human rights through the strong tool provided by the European Court of Human Rights. Indeed, the Convention is the only international agreement protecting the human rights of individuals
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Young people’s access to rights through youth information and counselling
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