What are the universal human rights? - Benedetta Berti

Translator: Mehmet Sıddık Dilek Reviewer: Harun Delikaya

The idea of human rights is that each one of us,

Fikra mafên mirovan ew e ku her yek ji me,

no matter who we are or where we are born,

bêyî ku kî ye an ji kû derê ye,

is entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms.

her kes xwediyê heman mafên bingehîn û azadiyê ye.

Human rights are not privileges,

Mafên mirovan ne îmtiyaz in,

and they cannot be granted or revoked.

û nayên dayîn an betalkirin.

Nayên dewrkirin û gerdûnî ne.

They are inalienable and universal.

That may sound straighforward enough,

Belkî bi hêsanî xuya dikin,

but it gets incredibly complicated

lê dema yek bixwaze nerît bike,

as soon as anyone tries to put the idea into practice.

gelek tevlihevî û gengeşî derdikevin.

What exactly are the basic human rights?

Mafên mirovan ên bingehîn çi ne?

Who gets to pick them?

Kê wan destnîşan dike?

Who enforces them, and how?

Kê wan bi cih tîne û çawa dike?

The history behind the concept of human rights is a long one.

Dîroka mafên mirovan dûr û dirêj e.

Throughout the centuries and across societies, religions, and cultures

Di seranserê dîrokê de, di civak, ol û çandan de

we have struggled with defining notions of rightfulness, justice, and rights.

me berxwedana fikrên mafdarî û dadmendiyê kiriye.

But one of the most modern affirmations of universal human rights

Lê konsepta modern a mafên mirovan

emerged from the ruins of World War II with the creation of the United Nations.

piştî şerê cîhanê yê duyem bi avakirina Neteweyên Yekbûyî [NY] derket.

The treaty that established the UN gives as one of its purposes

Li gor peymanê armanca Neteweyên Yekbûyî

to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.

erêkirina mafên mirovan ên bingehîn e.

And with the same spirit,

Dûre bi heman hişmendiyê, Encûmena Giştî ya NY

in 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

di sala 1948an de Peymana Gerdûnî ya Mafên Mirovan diyar kir.

Ev peyman,ji aliyê komîteyeka bi serokiya Eleanor Roosevelt ve hat nivîsandin,

This document, written by an international committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt,

lays the basis for modern international human rights law.

bû bingeha mafên mirovan ên gerdûnî û modern.

The declaration is based on the principle

Bingeha peymanê ew e ku

that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

hemû mirov azad in û bi heman maf û rûmetê tên dinyayê.

It lists 30 articles recognizing, among other things,

Ji 30 bendan pêk tê. Di nava wan de,

the principle of nondiscrimination and the right to life and liberty.

prensîba tu kesî re cudakarî neyê kirin, mafê jiyan û azadiyê yên her kesî hene.

It refers to negative freedoms, like the freedom from torture or slavery,

Qala azadiyên negatîf; wek azadiya îşkenceyê û koletiyê dike

as well as positive freedoms,

û qala azadiyên pozîtif dike;

such as the freedom of movement and residence.

wek azadiya geştûguzarî û bicihbûnê jî dike.

It encompasses basic civil and political rights,

Mafên civakî û siyasî yên bingehîn jî dihewîne;

such as freedom of expression, religion, or peaceful assembly,

wek azadiya raman, ol an mafê protestoyê

as well as social, economic, and cultural rights,

û mafên civakî, aborî û çandî;

such as the right to education

wek mafê perwerdehiyê,

and the right to freely choose one's occupation

mafê hilbijartina kar,

and be paid and treated fairly.

muameleya adîl jî heye.

The declaration takes no sides as to which rights are more important,

Peyman dibêje; mafek, ji yên din ne girîngtir e,

israr dike û dibêje; mafên mirovan gerdûnî ne,

insisting on their universality,

indivisibility,

ji hev venaqetin,

and interdependence.

û girêdayî hev in.

And in the past decades, international human rights law has grown,

Di dehsalên dawî de, mafên mirovan yên gerdûnî pêş ketin,

têgihîştina me ya ku em ê çawa mafên mirovan biparêzin

deepening and expanding our understanding of what human rights are,

and how to better protect them.

kûrtir û firehtir bû.

So if these principles are so well-developed,

Madem ev prensîb ewqas pêş ketine

then why are human rights abused and ignored time and time again

çima mafen mirovan li her deverên cîhanê her û her

all over the world?

tên binpêkirin?

The problem in general is that it is not at all easy

Pirsgirêka giştî ev e ku ne hêsan e li hemû cîhanê

to universally enforce these rights or to punish transgressors.

mafên mirovan bên bicihanîn û sûcdar bên cezakirin.

The UDHR itself, despite being highly authoritative and respected,

Peymana mafên mirovan çiqas rûmetdar û rêzdar be jî

is a declaration, not a hard law.

ew ne zagon e, tenê deklarasyon e.

So when individual countries violate it,

Dema dewlet bin pê dikin

the mechanisms to address those violations are weak.

mekanîzmaya astengkirinê qels e.

For example, the main bodies within the UN in charge of protecting human rights

Wek mînak hîma mezin a NYyê parastina mafên mirovan e,

mostly monitor and investigate violations,

binpêkirinan dişopîne û lêdikole, lê nikare ji dewletan re bibêje

but they cannot force states to, say, change a policy or compensate a victim.

siyaseta xwe biguherînin an tezmînatê bidin mexdûran.

That's why some critics say it's naive to consider human rights a given

Lewre rexne tên kirin ku belasebeb e dayîna mafên mirovan,

in a world where state interests wield so much power.

li dinyaya ku evqas berjewendî bi hêzê ve giredayî ye.

Critics also question the universality of human rights

Rexne tên kirin ku ev deklerasyon

and emphasize that their development

bi pêşengiya hinek Dewletên Rojava û Ewropayê ve hatiye amadekirin

has been heavily guided by a small number of mostly Western nations

lewra bi qasî ku tê gotin

to the detriment of inclusiveness.

ne gerdûnî ne.

The result?

Encam çi ye?

A general bias in favor of civil policital liberties

Azadiya sivîl ya siyasî girîngtir tê dîtin

over sociopolitical rights

li gor mafên civakî yên siyasî û

and of individual over collective or groups rights.

mafên kesayetî jî girîngtir in li gor yên kollektîf.

Others defend universal human rights laws

Hin kes vê yekê diparêzin ku zagonên mafên mirovan yên gerdûnî

and point at the positive role they have on setting international standards

xwedî roleke pozîtîf in,

and helping activists in their campaigns.

bo ku aktivîstên mafên mirovan çalakiyên xwe bidomînin.

They also point out

Û tê gotin

that not all international human rights instruments are powerless.

hemû mafên mirovan yên gerdûnî bi temamî ne bê hêz in.

For example, the European Convention on Human Rights establishes a court

Wek mînak Dadgeha Mafên Mirovan ya Ewropayê heye û

where the 47 member countries and their citizens can bring cases.

welatiyên 47 dewletan dikarin beşdar bibin.

The court issues binding decisions that each member state must comply with.

Divê dewletên ku endam in van biryaran bînin cih.

Human rights law is constantly evolving

Li gor nêrîn û îfadekirina me

as are our views and definitions of what the basic human rights should be.

mafên mirovan her tim diguherin.

Mînak ; mafê demokrasiyê an yê pêşketinê çawa girîng in an

For example, how basic or important is the right to democracy

or to development?

çawa bingehîn tê dîtin?

And as our lives are increasingly digital,

Çiqas diçe jiyana me dibe djîtal.

should there be a right to access the Internet?

Gelo bikaranîna înternetê jî mafek e?

A right to digital privacy?

Jiyana taybet ya dîjîtal mafek e?

What do you think?

Tu çawa difikirî?