In 2018, human rights violations continued to afflict many people around the world. Renewed hostilities in Gaza and Sudan displaced families; natural disasters such as drought, wildfire and flood caused untold suffering in places like Bangladesh, Haiti and Indonesia; and economic injustice left millions of people struggling to survive.
Attempts to define and protect human rights remain a work in progress. For example, while there is a positive obligation on a government to ensure the right to life by providing a person with life-saving drugs, this must be balanced with the fact that the state may not have enough resources to fulfil this obligation in every case.
Further, the credibility of claims about human rights abuses is often difficult to judge. Governments frequently deny any wrongdoing and sometimes go to extreme lengths to hide any evidence of violations. Opposition groups, on the other hand, may exaggerate or fabricate abuses.
This makes it particularly important that all those engaged in human rights advocacy have a clear understanding of the principles and standards they are upholding. Education is one of the key tools for achieving long term progress in this area.
Policy change – whether at international or national level – is not easy and can take years to achieve. It usually comes about as a result of multiple pressures from different sources. Young people starting out in this field may find it easier to focus their efforts at local or institutional level, where networks are smaller and access to decision makers more realistic.