2015 Notes for CSPE
CONCEPT 1: Human Dignity
Human Dignity
Human dignity rights are
*FOOD
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*WATER
*SHELTER
*SAFETY
*MEDICAL CARE
*EDUCATION
Without these basic needs life can be a daily struggle leaving individuals feeling depressed,
isolated and humiliated.
Everyone is entitled to human dignity people all around the world need to be treated with
respect.
We all have a responsibility to help provide the basic needs of individuals regardless of their
race, religion, gender, sexuality, age or social background.
When we think of people deprived of their basic needs we often think of countries in the
developing world however people in any country can be deprived of their dignity for a variety
of reasons.
HOMELESSNESS
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Homelessness is when you have no place that you can call home.
It means belonging no-where rather than having no-where to sleep.
Although we may often take it for granted, we all like to have a roof over our heads and
somewhere we feel safe.
Today in Ireland there are over 5,000 homeless people. Many of these sleep on the streets, face
the daily threat of verbal and physical violence and suffer ill health from sleeping outdoors.
Many spend their nights in shelters or hostel.
90% of all people living rough have health problems.50% have psychiatric difficulties.
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The average homeless person dies at the age of 42-half the life expectancy of other Irish people.
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The vast majority of homeless people are male. However, the number of homeless women has
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risen sharply in the last couple of years.
There are 23 organisations working with homeless people in Ireland. Below are the names of six
of these active organisations.
1. FOCUS IRELAND
2. SIMON COMMUNTIES OF IRELAND
3. THE PETER MCVERRY TRUST
4. CAPUCHIN DAY CENTRE
5. MERCHANT QUAY IRELAND
6. SONAS HOUSING
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BULLYING
Everybody needs to feel safe and secure in their daily live s. Bullying makes victims feel threatened
and unhappy.
Bullying:
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It is negative behaviour to a certain person
happens regularly
makes a person feel unhappy
Types of Bullying
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Physical bullying: This is when somebody is Physically threatened or hurt regularly. It also
includes taking a person’s property and hiding it or refusing to give it back.
Verbal bullying: Words can hurt just as much as fists. When somebody is made to feel unhappy
by constant slagging, repeated name calling or insults, it is considered bullying.
Cyber bullying: This is where somebody bullies someone over the internet, social networks or
mobile phones (e.g. ask f.m). This is where you call somebody names anonymously or known.
There has been one particular case in Donegal over the past while.
If you are being bullied, remember:
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Don’t blame yourself. It is not your fault.
Be proud of who you are. Despite what a bully says, there are many wonderful things about
you.
Get help. Talk to a parent, teacher, counsellor, or other trusted adult.
Learn to deal with stress. Exercise, meditation, positive self-talk, muscle relaxation, and
breathing exercises are all good ways to manage the stress from bullying.
If you see someone being bullies – REPORT IT ASAP
Discrimination
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Discrimination is treating someone or a group of people unfairly because of their religion, class,
age, gender, race, nationality or disability.
There are 2 types of Discrimination, a. racism, b. prejudice.
Being Discriminated against can affect a person human dignity and leave them feeling
unhappy and excluded.
People regularly discriminate against the travelling community of Ireland – they are refused
entry into shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels for weddings and have difficulty getting motor
insurance just because of who they are.
Stereotyping
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We are all unique but sometimes people are judged by the group they belong to according to
race, age, gender or other group characteristics
A stereotype is a label placed upon a group of people, eg all over the world people look at all
Irish as Drunks, all Scottish people as being tight with money and all travellers as being dirty
dangerous criminals.
RACISM
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Racists hate people because of their Religion or Race.
Racism is usually defined as views, practices and actions reflecting the belief that humanity is
divided into distinct biological groups called races and that
Members of a certain race share certain attributes which make that group as a whole less
desirable, more desirable, inferior or superior for example – the whites of America believed
they were more important that their black fellow Americans and even made them stand or sit
at the back of the bus.
The exact definition of racism is controversial both because there is little agreement about the
meaning of the concept "race”
Racism was really bad in the 1800-1900. The whites would make the blacks serve as slaves,
sometimes the whites would work the blacks until they would die. If a black couple were
slaves the white people would separate them and that made the black people sad. Blacks were
considered lower classed citizens and white people would treat them like DIRT even making
them sit at the back of the bus or stand if there was no room for the whites to sit down.
CONCEPT 2: Rights and Responsibilities
Rights and Responsibilities
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
1. What do we mean when we talk about human rights?
Human rights are all the things every person in the world have the right to do/access to because they
are human. They apply to every individual. No matter who they are, where they’re from or what they
believe.
2. What do we mean when we talk about responsibilities?
Responsibilities go hand in hand with rights for example we have a responsibility to treat everyone
with respect and not to discriminate because of someone’s gender, race, religion or belief.
The Universal Declaration of Human rights.
In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly came up with the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) for all people and all nations. In the UDHR, the United Nations stated in clear and
simple terms rights that belong equally to every person. The list 30 human rights in the list here are
some below:
Everyone has the right to live, to be free, and to feel safe.
Everyone can claim the following rights, despite
- a different sex
- a different skin colour
- speaking a different language
- thinking different things
- believing in another religion
- owning more or less
- being born in another social group
- coming from another country
It also makes no difference whether the country you live in is independent or not.
You have the right to live, and to live in freedom and safety.
Others include – live in freedom and safety, free from slavery, free from torture, free from prison
unless you did something wrong, right to keep your own things, to say what you think, rest and leisure
time, right to education etc
Denial Of Human Rights
What does the denial of human rights mean?
The denial of human rights happens when humans do not get the right treatment that a human should
have, like :
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Not enough food to remain healthy
No access to clean water
Not able to read or write their names
Human Rights Activists
We can all think of famous human rights activists such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson
Mandela. Sometimes ordinary people too become heroes and heroines in their defence of human
rights.
Irena Sendeler was an ordinary young Polish woman when Germany occupied her country during
world war ll. Risking her own life she managed to save 2500 Jewish children out of Warsaw to safety.
She carried them out inboxes, suitcases and trollies and she sometimes disguising them as packages.
She kept list of their names so she could return them to their families when the war was over. Sadly
most of their parents were already killed. She was nominated for a Nobel peace prize in 2004 and
died in 2008.
Amnesty International
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Amnesty International is one of the best-known human rights organisations in the world.
It was founded in 1961.
Amnesty’s logo is famous all around the world because it was inspired by the Chinese proverb
‘Better light one candle than to curse the darkness’.
Amnesty now boasts 1.8 million members in over 150 countries all over the world.
Its members work to defend people whose rights are threatened or denied.
Amnesty tries to help those who are tortured or wrongly imprisoned.
Amnesty works by writing letters to those in power to highlight human rights abuses all over
the world.
When writing a letter keep it brief and to the point.
Be polite.
Assume the government or official to whom you are writing to is unaware of the situation, so
give details.
Ask for a response.
Every day prisoners face execution- men, women and even children around the world.
The death penalty is one of the most cruel punishments.
In the countries the majority of those put to death come from poorer parts of the society.
Amnesty International works for an end to execution and the death penalty.
Children’s Rights
In every country there are children who are denied their human rights. Sadly, many children are
mistreated, neglected and abused because their voices are often ignored. The United Nations
established the rights of children in The Convention on the Rights of the child (CRC).The CRC clearly
states the human rights to each child in the world is entitled to.
1. Survival rights: these articles protect children’s rights to have their basic needs met such as the
right to shelter, clean water, food and medical services.
2. Protection rights: it is vital that every child can live in safety, free from torture and abuse. There
articles protect these rights as well as a child’s right to life.
3. Development rights: every child has the right to reach his or her full potential as a person. This part
of the CRC sets down children’s rights to education and to play.
4. Participation Rights: this area of the CRC recognises every child’s right to information, to be herd
and express opinions. It also says that children have the right to join associations.
EVERY CHILD HAS:
1. The right to life.
2. To the right to a name and nationality.
3. The right to an identity.
4. The right to be with their parents, unless it is harmful.
5. The right to give their opinion and for it to be taken seriously by adults.
6. The right to religion and beliefs.
7. The right to join groups as long as they do not harm people.
8. The right to privacy.
9. The right to none harmful information that is important for wellbeing.
10. The right not to be hurt or mistreated.
11. The right to care and protection.
12. The right to special education if disabled.
13. The right to health care.
14. The right to food and water.
15. The right to safety.
Child Labour
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1 in 7 children around the world are child labours .
More than 218 million children work in factories ,farms,or in hotels and shops .
There are 60% underage children working in Asia and 32% in Africa .
Nearly half of these children are under 12 years of age .
Most child labours work on farm or plantations .
Ever year 22,000 children die in accidents at work .
63% of all children in Mali are Child Labours .
Parents are forced to send their children to work in order to survive .
Girls and boys have to marry young and have children .
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Parents work low pay jobs to support their children .
Children aren’t allowed to go to school and have education .
Parent lose their jobs because child workers , who are cheaper to employ .
Child Labour involves children making of bricks , working with machinery in agriculture and
carpet weaving .
1 child in every 6 is a child labour .
Animal Rights
Animal rights can be a controversial issue. Some people believe that animal cannot have ‘rights’ as
they are not humans. However, we all acknowledge that they, like humans, can feel pain and distress,
As fellow inhabitants of the earth it is our duty to look after their welfare.
Animal cruelty can take different forms:
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Neglect of domestic pets.
Use of animals in laboratory experiments.
Use of animals in blood sports.
Breeding and killing of animals for their fur or skin.
Factory farming and the transportation of animals in inhumane conditions.
Animal rights is the idea that some or all non-human animals are entitled to the possession of their
own lives, and that their most basic interests-such as an interest in not suffering-should be afforded
the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings.
FACT: According to the British government, more than 3 million animals were used in British
laboratories in 2007.
Animals should be treated the same way as we would treat ourselves.
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They should have their own home
They should be fed and exercised