“Ours is the age of rights. Human rights is the idea of our time.”-- Louis Henkin

The question of what human rights actually are is a very good one to start with. Generally, the words ring with a sense of truth in people’s hearts when they hear it, but it's good to actually sit back and think of what they actually entail. Because while you might think you grasp the concept in the first place, when you try and define it, you understand it better, particularly what constitutes as an “inalienable right.”

A while back, I participated in a debate under the topic of “Resolved: That an international organization should be established in order to control equitable access to fresh water.” Of course, an important part of that debate was defining the terms, particularly the word “equitable.” When I first heard it, I felt I understood it, but when I had to define my terms, things became much less clear-cut. Is it “equal” based on population? Assuming such, can we trust that the governments will get the water to the people? Where do we get this fresh water? And that word “control” seems too totalitarian. Any word or phrase can seem simple until you pick it apart and try to define it.

I think that the phrase “Human Rights” encompasses a number of things. I'm going to mention a few things about what “Human Rights” means to me, and then you guys add to the list.

The right to...
individuality
self-govern
basic needs
be respected
shared freedom
choose

The right to individuality can relate many of the rights we commonly think of when we think of basic human rights (free speech, religious practice, etc), but human rights are more than just that. I think the basic rights to food and water, and other means of survival, go beyond just the right to self-govern. Although on the other hand, the right to basic needs could be encompassed in the right to be respected, as in if you deny a person these things, you are disrespecting them. The right to "shared freedom" basically means that a person is free to do as they will, so long as they don't infringe upon the rights of others. The point being that it’s all very ambiguous terminology that’s difficult to pin down.

So. What does “Human Rights” mean to you?