Human rights in the 21st century
The 21st-century citizens have enjoyed rights more than their counterparts in other or previous centuries. I am also privileged to be alive at this time when the world is experiencing relatively peaceful coexistence. The world is peaceful compared to the previous and past years. Previous years were full of international antagonism and social autocracy. We have read about wars and homicides, which were the order of the day, where people were killed in thousands and hundreds; many lost their homes and families. Many died as a result of hunger and starvation aggravated by post-war challenges. These were very prevalent during these periods. Virtually all countries of the world have had their share of wars and internal crises which have caused loss of lives and property.
One paramount thing is that where there are crises, human rights are also absent. Human right is one of the greatest assets countries can give to their citizens. Before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations Organization happened in Paris in 1948, human rights were in shambles. The prevalent systems of government in place were such that one man or a few groups of people would control the lives of the majority of the people, denying them their rights and privileges. This, however, among others, led to the world wars.
Beyond the oppressive system of government, there was a period of colonization whereby some countries of the world took it upon themselves to subject other people to their ways of life. Through colonialism, slavery began to gain momentum. Many people, through the slave trade, lost their lives and families. This was another form of denying people their fundamental rights. Today, we do not have cases of slave trade; many people are enjoying their freedom of residence without anyone abusing such rights.
Before now, many countries of the world fell into the hands of military rule. In Africa, many countries were victims of this menace. In Nigeria for example, the country has been ruled by the military for almost 30 years. We know that in military rule, certain rights of the people are denied them. Today few countries are in the hands of the military.
I talked earlier about the system of government in place that exacerbated the abuse of human rights today; such a system of government is no longer in place. The introduction and implementation of democracy as a system of government by various countries of the world have given enormous respect to the rule of law as well as the fundamental human rights of persons. No system of government has greater respect for the fundamental rights of persons than democracy. Looking at democracies across the world, it is evident that democracy respects human rights and the rule of law.
I believe that in the years to come, the world will be demilitarized, and countries of the world will not see the need to spend their resources on building armoury. Rather, everyone will see the need to maintain peace. Without peace, human rights will always be abused and made a mockery of.
This post is in response to the Daily Inleo prompt.
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