Social Justice And The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights

Introduction Social justice is a long debated subject that continues to prove controversial and divisive all over the world. Opinions on what constitutes social justice vary on a continuum from more conservative opinions which note individual responsibility to a more liberal stance which promotes a moral responsibility to support social equality (Mapp, 2008). Despite the varying opinions of what establishes social justice, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) serves as the first step in promoting social justice by outlining the basic rights that should be afforded to humanity (United Nations, n.d.). More specifically, Article 22 of the UDHR states that all people should have access to social security protection that works to provide essential needs, provisions for preserving dignity, and freedom to pursue personal interest (United Nations, n.d.). In spite of the established declaration, social justice remains unavailable for too many people. Worldwide, the lack of social protection leads to 1.4 billion people struggling to meet their essential needs due to lack of access to resources which promote a decent standard of living. Another 100 million fall into poverty due to unforeseen complications (GIPSPSI, 2011). Therefore, there is a crucial need to recognize social protection as a human right in order to guarantee equal access to basic services and equal opportunity to all of humankind. Social Protection Social protection is a set of polices which work toShow MoreRelatedA Critical Evaluation Of The Universal Nature Of Human Rights1329 Words   |  6 PagesA CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF HUMAN RIGHTS INTRODUCTION Human Rights are the rights, that are considered to be inalienable, inseparable and vested upon individual by virtue of being human. For example, the Oxford English Dictionary defined the universal nature of Human Rights as ‘a right which is believed to belong to every person’. 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