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Founded in 1863, Geneva, Switzerland, the Red Cross is a global organization that is dedicated to emergancy assistance, disaster relief, and health and community assistance. The Red Cross is extremely usefull as it gives a tremendous amount of aid to countries and people who are in need. It protects the vulnerable, helps the less fortunate, and provides much needed food, clothing, and living supplies.
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In 1893, New Zealand was the first self-governing country to grant voting rights to women. This was a big step to show that women should get equal rights as men, and this inspired multiple countries to follow in their footsteps.
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The United Nations are an organization created shortly after WWII to prevent future conflicts and to maintain peace and order. In it's beginning the United Nations only had 50 countries participating. Now, there are 193 countries as acting members.
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The Nuremberg Trials, a series of trials and military tribunals, were held after WWII. These tribunals were held to bring justice to high ranking Nazi officials that were involved with unexcusable crimes during the war. These trials were held to demonstrate the attrocities that were being performed. The trials demonstrated that there needs to be change and that human rights needed to be protected globally.
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Adopted by the UN, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was the first document to outline fundamental human rights that are universally protected. It states civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights for every person across the globe.
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The Geneva Conventions are a series of international treaties that establish the standard for humane treatment during times of war. They prohibit many forms of tortures, inhumane actions, and ensure accountability for war crimes.
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The 1951 Geneva Convention relating to refugee status is a UN treaty that outlines what a refugee and the rights and protections they have. They have rights such as access to housing, education, work, and life. Additionally, this treaty prevents countries from sending refugees back to the country where their lives were at risk.
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Founded in London, the Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization that focuses on human rights research. The organization conducts researches and comes up with solutions to prevent and end infringement on human rights.
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a key piece of legislation in the United States. The Civil Rights Act outlawed any discrimination in the States based on race, gender, religion, and colour. The act prohibits these types of discrimination in any public accomodations, federally funded programs, and employments.
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The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination is a United Nations treaty that forbids any racial discrimination by the participating members. It's a foundational human rights instrument that protects races and promotes understanding.
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The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a United Nations treaty that ensures that the participating members protect the civil and political rights of their citizens. The ICCPR ensures people have the right to life, freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and due process and a fair trial.
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The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural rights is a United Nations treaty that obligates the participating members to work toward the progression of economic, social, and cultural rights for their citizens. These rights include the right to work, the right to an adequate standard of livning (food, housing, and clothing), the right to health, the right to education, and the right to participate in cultural life.
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The Human Rights Watch is an independent inernational organization that investigates and makes reports on any human rights abuses worldwide. The organization currently consists of roughly 500 people of 70+ nationalities. These organization members are lawyers, journalists, and country experts that are committed on protecting the rights of people around the world.
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The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is a United Nations treaty that defines discrimination against women and forces the participating states to eliminate them. It requires countries to take measures in areas such as political, economic, and social life.
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The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989, was the moment that the bordering walls unexpectedly opened. The fall of the Berlin wall led to the end of the division between Eastern and Western Germany. This is important to Human Rights because it symbolizes the end of a repressive era, allowing for more freedom, expression, and association for millions of Germans.
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The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children is a legally binding treaty that defines the civil, political, and economical rights of children ages up to 18. It establishes that children are subjects of the law and have specific rights such as protection, provision, and participation.
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Apartheid in South Africa was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination. The system legally enforced the seperation of people by race. However, this came to an end in 1990 through a combination of international pressure, sanctions, and negotiations.
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The Netherlands were the first country to ever legalize same sex marriage. Prior to this, relationships of the same sex were being discriminated against by not being allowed to legally marry. The legalization of same sex marriage by the Netherlands was extremely important as it showed that same sex marriage did not cause any disparity, yet strengthened the community. The Netherlands inspired countless other countries to do so as well.
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The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a United Nations treaty that protects and promotes the rights of persons with disabillities. The CRPD ensures that persons with disabillities exersize all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis as everyone else.
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The United Nations Decleration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is an international human rights instrument that ensures the safety and rights of Indigenous peoples. UNDRIP outlines the minimum standards for the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide.