Human Rights Violations - Factors and Consequences

Many governments officially support the idea of human rights for all, yet there are violations occurring around the world. Human rights violations are nothing new. Historically, human rights violations have been rooted in group exclusion. Take for example the treatment of Jewish people in Nazi Germany or the treatment of Aborigines in Australia. In each case, the excluded group was subject to human rights violations on a grand scale. Human rights violations may be wide-ranging and persistent in some places where there is ongoing warfare, poverty, and discrimination. Factors that contribute to human rights violations include politics, economics, or group conflict. When human rights violations are left unchecked, there may be long-term consequences for victims and communities.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review Chapters 3, 13, and 16 in your course text UniversalHuman Rights in Theory and Practice. Focus on issues related to human rights such as political participation, economic development, individual and group rights, and nondiscrimination. Consider how those issues also relate to human rights violations.

Review the article, "The Contemporary Significance of International Human Rights Law". Consider economic and political consequences for states that engage in human rights violations.

Use the map to view human rights violations around the globe. Make sure to pay attention to the causes of violations.

Search the Human Rights Watch website for examples of human rights violations and abuses.

Select a human rights violation to use for this Discussion.

Think about the factors that contribute to this human rights violation.

Consider consequences of this violation (locally and/or internationally).