HumanrightsAct.tv Talks about your Rights

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Australia is the only Western country without a national Human Rights Act or Bill of Rights.
We think Australia CAN do better and that we need to CHANGE - but as Australia’s young people....we want to have a SAY in shaping the future of our country.

The Human Rights Act campaign is an Australian group of people who want to see a Human Rights Act introduced in Australia. We are currently campaigning with the federal government to live up to their pre-election commitment to discuss and investigate human rights protections in Australia.

Our campaign was launched in response to growing concern among young people about the inability of the law to protect fundamental rights like:
• freedom of speech,
• right to a fair trial,
• freedom of association, and
• freedom from detention without trial.

When we talk about human rights, it’s really easy to think about wars, genocides and other really bad things that happen far away. However the truth of the matter is that human rights violations happen in small ways that are often really close to home as well. Similar human rights violations occur all the time in Australia, especially for young people!

Bills and Charters of Rights can make many small changes in people’s lives, for ALL Australians. A human rights act or charter would assist us to tackle these problems. Where laws designed to protect national security intrude on traditional rights, a charter would provide checks and balances essential to democracy.

So, the ultimate goal of our campaign is to have a Human Rights Act enacted in Australian law.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.