The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 means that every

individual, regardless of nationality, race, gender, religion or any other

discriminatory factor, should have certain rights by the mere fact of being
human. However, the idea that all human beings have certain natural rights is
not new. From the earliest days of Western civilization the concept of universal
rights had manifested in different ways: in the thinking of the Roman jurists, in
the doctrines expounded by More recently, the thinkers of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries as Locke, Rousseau and Paine identified in a concrete
manner the needs of each individual, so that the state will serve the individual,
a revolutionary concept at the time. All these concepts evolved over time to
produce documents of historical importance as the Magna Carta in England,
and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen in France. So
gradually the concept of law was incorporated into the constitution of modern
states. This whole process culminated in 1948 when the United Nations General
Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

There is still much controversy regarding human rights. To begin with, there is
no consensus on whether it is possible to speak of universal concepts, much
less universal rights. Many observers argue that there is no solid philosophical
foundation to speak of universal concepts. Many see any attempt to impose
universal rules a power relationship in which the so-called universal rules
perpetuate a relationship of inequality that favor the group that imposes. In the
case of human rights, by their inherently Western character, many countries
see as attacks on their native traditions, and hence as an attempt to assimilate
or destroy their cultures. Other critics point out that human rights have been
politicized so much that now are selectively applied, so that offenses against
these are forgiven when it is convenient, and in other cases, are used as
pretexts for war.

Constanza:

My opinion is that rights always have been created to create justice where
there is none and that without them the world would be a complete disaster, I
think it's a way to organize just ideas and take them into account when
something that has become unjust power bring justice, I think there has always
been the same amount of injustice but little by little we are realizing what is
right.
You can find more information on the following pages:

NGOs and human rights. Challenges to build civil unasociedad in Colombia

Beatriz Londoo article on the roles of NGOs in protecting human rights.
Published in History Credencial 156.

Human rights in Colombia. institutional strengthening and social rights

libertadesindividuales Jorge Orlando Melo Text on human rights in the history of
Colombia. Published in History Credencial

Constitution and human rights. Prodigality in freedoms, rights and guarantees

Article of Carlos Gaviria on issues concerning the protection of human rights
found in the Constitution of 1991. Published in History Credencial 156.

Our human rights as Colombians what are human rights? What has been the
process of formation of human rights in Colombia? How and to whom we can
bring our rights?

Presidential program of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL)

The Presidential Program for Promotion, Respect and Protection of Human
Rights and Application of International Humanitarian Law, is attached to the
Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic. And placed under
the immediate supervision of the Vice President.

Human rights in Colombia today: political and social democratic vision from the
text of Luis Eduardo Garzon stated in the Ninth National Forum for Human
Rights held in Bogota, June 2000.

human rights of indigenous peoples. Colonial institutions failed in their defense

article Fernando Mayorga on indigenous rights during colonial times. Published
in History Credencial.

Diego H: I believe that all people should have equal rights regardless of
anything except that we are human, like the rest beings, no matter what
religious beliefs, sex or culture or race. I think no one can decide about our life,
what we have to do with it or the end of this, except us. I think the declaration
of human rights was a great step we took people towards equality, and we
must fight for the declaration the articles of the declaration lleben out correctly
at all sites in the worl