Civic Education: Human Rights & Its Sources

Human rights are basic rights and privileges of citizens in a country as enshrined in the constitution. They are rights and freedoms in which every human being is entitled to irrespective of colour, language, race, age, sex, or geographical location. These rights and privileges were declared in 1789.

Fundamental Human Rights

They are written in the constitution of the country, generally referred to as the principles of fundamental human rights. We shall look at these principles in four broad categories, these are as follows:

Social and Economic Rights

1. Right to life
2. Right to property and security
3. Right to freedom
4. Right to personal liberty
5. Right to freedom of association
6. Right to private life
7. Right to freedom of speech and expression
8. Right to education

Political rights

1. Right to be voted for
2. Right to choose political party
3. Right to aspire to any public office
4. Right to criticize the government constructively

Legal rights

1. Right to fair hearing in the law court
2. Right to justice
3. Right to personal liberty
4. Right to equality before the law

Civil rights

1. Right to freedom of worship
2. Right to choose religion
3. Right to freedom of conscience
4. Right to freedom of movement
5. Right to work and be worked for

Sources of Rights

Ordinarily, rights are deemed to be inheriting or natural to the individual. They are therefore generally considered as inalienable. This approach to rights implies that individuals derive their rights from God and not from the Law.

There is another approach which stipulates that individuals derive their rights from the law. This approach implies that rights are conferred on the individual by the state or government. This approach is based on assumption that where the law does create the necessary conditions for the existence of the rights, individuals cannot make claims on the state in the name of rights.