The SCORPion - 1st Edition

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International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations IFMSA SCORP Newsletter Feb 2009 Issue No. 1

the SCORPion Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace SCORP

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

THIS ISSUE

UDHR in Six Cross-Cutting Themes SCORPion of the Month 60th Anniversary of the UDHR Identity and Violence This is SCORP International Women’s Day How Could We Play?

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief: Mohamed Salama, SCORP Publica�ons DA Egypt Editor: Omar Hesham Egypt Copy Editor: Jonathan Mamo Malta Design and Layout: Mohamed Nour eldin VPE MedSIN-Sudan IFMSA VPE RA for Africa Sudan SCORP Director: Thatyana Turassa Ernani IFLMS - Brazil SCORP Liasion Officer: Rebecca Molina Ecuador

Dignity and Jus�ce for All of Us

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P6

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - In Six Cross-Cutting Themes DIGNITY & JUSTICE

Dignity and jus�ce for each and every human being is the promise of the Universal Declara�on of Human Rights. The concept of dignity lies at the heart of Human Rights. It is men�oned in the first sentence of the Preamble to the Declara�on and appears again in Ar�cle 1. Yet of all the rights to which everyone is en�tled, dignity is perhaps the most difficult to express and to put into a tangible form. Put simply, it means we must treat each other with respect, tolerance and understanding. Governments must do the same, in law as well as in prac�ce, for the individuals who make up communi�es, societies and na�ons. The idea of jus�ce and the equality of everyone before the law crops up throughout the Declara�on. In fact the Declara�on’s core values of non-discrimina�on and equality are ul�mately a commitment to universal jus�ce and recogni�on of inherent human dignity.

DEVELOPMENT

Poverty is a key factor that undercuts the realiza�on of the full poten�al of the human being and our socie�es. The Universal Declara�on of Human Rights provides a vision of the world in which everyone, regardless of who they are and where they live, has equal opportunity to grow and develop in freedom and equality and to the fullness of their poten�al. It also makes clear our responsibility to help other people and na�ons, through individual and joint ac�ons, and to create a social and interna�onal order that enables the enjoyment of all human rights - civil, cultural, economic, poli�cal and social. So, in 2000 world leaders commi�ed themselves to making ‘the right to development a reality’ and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 in order to bring a be�er life to the poverty-affected people of the world. This global agreement ac-

knowledges that individuals and socie�es can only develop fully through concerted na�onal and interna�onal efforts.

ENVIRONMENT

The environment is never specifically men�oned in the Universal Declara�on of Human Rights, yet if you deliberately dump toxic waste in someone’s community or dispropor�onately exploit their natural resources without adequate consulta�on and compensa�on, clearly you are abusing their rights. Over the past 60 years, as our recogni�on of environmental degrada�on has grown so has our understanding that changes in the environment can have a significant impact on our ability to enjoy our human rights. In no other area is it so clear that the ac�ons of na�ons, communi�es, businesses and individuals can so drama�cally affect the rights of others - because damaging the environment can damage the rights of people, near and far, to a secure and healthy life.

CULTURE

The concept of Human Rights is bound closely to the belief that culture is precious and central to our iden�ty. The way we are born, live and die is affected by the culture to which we belong, so to take away our cultural heritage is to deny us our iden�ty. At the same �me, we can all benefit from our experience of other cultures and we have something to offer them in return. The Universal Declara�on of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right freely to par�cipate in the cultural life of the community” and by implica�on, this also means that noone has the right to dominate, direct or eradicate that culture or impose theirs upon others.


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