Concepts of human right

Aspects of human rights are defined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of human rights. This declaration was adapted and proclaimed by the general assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948. It has thirty points known as article.

These points can be summarized into three categories as follows

1. Civil and political rights These are rights to life, liberty, recognition, fair and public hearing by an independent tribunal, freedom of movement, freedom of thought, and freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.
2. Economic, social and cultural rights These are rights to social security, work, equal pay, education, rest, leisure, and cultural life.
3. Environment and development rights These are rights that people have to live in an environment that is cleaned and free from pollution. People also have a right to wealth and natural resources, self-determination and peace.

The constitution of Tanzania presents the right to equality in two parts as follows

1. Equality of all human beings – The constitution state that all human beings are born free and are equal. It also state that every person has right to recognition and respect.
2. Equality before the law – In this part, the constitution provide the people with the right to be treated fairly before the law and to be protected without any kind of discrimination.

The constitution presents this right in four parts as explained below:

1. Right to live – The constitution states that every person has the right to live and have his or her life respected by the society according to the law.
2. Right to personal freedom – According to the constitution, everyone has the right to live as the free person, without being restricted by anyone else.
3. Right to privacy and personal security – According to the constitution, every person has right to be respected and protected and communicate without public attention.
4. Right to freedom of movement – Every citizen of Tanzania has a right to move in Tanzania and live in any part of Tanzania. A Tanzanian citizen also has the right to leave and enter the country.

Freedom of expression is presented in four parts as follows:

1. Freedom of expression – Every citizen has right to form opinions and to air those opinions. He or she is free to communicate without interference.
2. Right to freedom of religion – Every person has the right to belief of faith, freedom of thought and choice in matters of religion.
3. Freedom of association – Every citizen is free to assemble, associate and co-operate with other people. A Tanzanian citizen has the right to express views an join lawful associations or organizations
4. Freedom to participate in public affairs – The constitution guarantees every citizen the right to take part of leadership matters, that is the right to elect or to be elected into public office.

The right to work is presented in three parts. These are:

1. Right to work – The citizen has the right to work, to equal opportunity to work and to hold any office.
2. Right to own property – The constitution gives all citizens the right to own property and to have that property protected.
3. Right to just remuneration - Every citizen who works has a right to a just salary according to his or her work.

These rights can be divided into three categories.

a. Civil and political rights

These rights give the citizens liberty and equality. They allow the citizens to participate in the political life of their communities and societies.

1. The right to life – This right states that everyone has a right to live. It also disallows the death penalty for people below 18 years, pregnant women and insane people.
2. The right to equal protection by law – This right seeks to ensure law and law enforcing authorities treat all people equally.
3. Freedom of expression – This right helps to ensure that people are free to exchange their ideas and opinions.
4. Freedom of religion and conscience – This right ensures that no-one is punished or penalized in any way because he or she chooses one religion over another or opts for no religion at all.
5. Freedom of association – This is the right that ensures people are free to belong to organizations of their choice. It gives individuals the right to meet and interact with others whom they have common interests.

Community members expressing their opinions

b. Social and economic rights

These give people the opportunity to participate in social, economic and cultural life of their community or society. They are also concerned with the provision of basic needs such as food, health care and education. Social and economic rights are divided into the following categories.

1. Social rights – They include the freedom from discrimination on grounds of race, gender or religion; the right to marry and have a family; and the right to privacy, education, recreation and health care.
2. Economic rights – They include the right to work, housing, reasonable standard of living and pension.

c. Environmental and developmental rights

Rights under this category seek to do the following:

1. Guarantee people the right to live in a free and safe environment that is the clean free from pollution and protected from destruction.
2. Give groups of people the right to have their culture recognized, or to advance themselves politically and economically.

1. Promote equality and human dignity Human rights ensure equal treatment of men and women and promote respect for every individual's worth in society.
2. Guarantee property ownership and legal protection They allow people to own property and protect their possessions under the law, ensuring economic freedom and security.
3. Enable access to education and participation in national development When human rights are respected, people are empowered to receive education, engage in politics, and contribute to the nation's growth.
4. Support fair governance and equal access to services Human rights require the government to serve all citizens fairly and provide essential services like healthcare and education without discrimination.
5. Promote participation in decision-making Citizens enjoy the freedom to take part in making decisions that affect their lives and their country's future.
6. Ensure freedom of religion People are free to practice any religion of their choice, which promotes tolerance and spiritual freedom in society.
7. Guarantee freedom of association and personal security Human rights allow individuals to form or join groups and ensure they feel safe and protected in their daily lives.
8. Promote equality before the law Every citizen is treated equally in the eyes of the law, regardless of their background, status, or beliefs.
9. Protect the right to life This fundamental right ensures that people respect one another's lives and live without fear of harm or unjust death.

Basic needs are things which are essential for survival. They include food shelter and clothing. Human rights are related to provision of basic needs. Social and cultural rights give people to participate in social, economic and cultural activities that help them to meet their basic needs.

These activities include agriculture, business, manufacturing, employment and education. Human rights also enable people to work together as the member of society in order to improve their living conditions.

Promotion of human rights

Promotion of human rights is done to encourage people to respect and value human rights. This is done in the following ways.

1. The government promotes the human rights by recognizing and including them in the constitution.
2. The government accepts and respects international obligations on human rights. Tanzania is a signatory to various international agreements on human rights.
3. The government has set up the commission of human rights and good governance. This commission is given power to promote and protect human rights.
4. The constitution of Tanzania allows the multiparty system of government in which people are free to join any political party of their choice. This promotes democracy and therefore freedom of expression.
5. The courts have final say on legal matters.
6. The government has allowed Non-governmental organization (NGOs) to operate the country. These help to promote human rights. The following are some of those organizations:
   1. Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP)
   2. Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA)
   3. Tanzania Women Media Association (TAMWA)

Protection of human rights

Protection of human right means ensuring that human rights are not abused. Human rights should be protected and be respected for the following reason:

1. They help to regulate and control power and action of government.
2. They are the foundation of justice, peace and freedom.
3. They promote democracy. This means the citizens' wishes are respected by the government.
4. They encourage people's participation in economic, social, political and cultural activities.
5. They bring about social equality and discourage any form of discrimination.

The following are the ways in which human rights are protected in Tanzania:

1. The constitution includes a bill of right to protect human rights.
2. The government educates the public about their civil right which are guaranteed in the constitution. It also practices the rule of law by setting up a system of checks and balance (such as law courts and the police force) to ensure that human rights are respected.
3. Non-government organizations educate the public and put pressure on government to change oppressive laws.
4. The press informs the public about violation of human rights.

Human rights have limitations. There is no absolute freedom as all freedoms are within certain boundaries. In democratic society, such limitations should be reasonable, non-discriminatory and justifiable.

The main reason for setting boundaries within which human rights are exercised is to protect the interest of other persons. Everyone is free to join his or her rights but in so doing one should not interfere with the rights of others. For example, freedom of speech does not mean a person should insult others.

Other examples of limitations while exercising one's right include:

1. Freedom of expression – If a person uses abusive language, he or she can be arrested. An individual's right to freedom of speech does not mean one is allowed to incite or insult other people.
2. Freedom of assembly – This can be limited if an assembly is likely to harm other people.
3. Freedom of association – People who have bad intentions such as criminals cannot be allowed to associate with public as their action are likely to harm others.
4. Right to personal freedom – Just because one has the right to personal freedom does not mean he or she can do things that offend others such as walking naked.