Transcript Slide 1

Human Rights Timeline
1795 BC – present
The Laws of Hammurabi
1795–1750BC
Iraq
‘Make justice reign in the Kingdom, to
enlighten the country and promote
the good of the people’
Hammurabi was the first king of the
Babylonian Empire and
Hammurabi's Code is one of the
first written codes of law in
recorded history. These laws were
written on a stone tablet standing
over six feet tall that was found in
1901. The code is often pointed to
be a primary example of even a
king not being able to change
fundamental laws concerning the
governing of a country which was
the primitive form of what is now
known as a constitution.
Buddha
550 – 480 BC
India
A spiritual teacher who founded
Buddhism, a path of spiritual
development, open to all races
and classes.
Buddhism sees all human beings as
equal. Each has the potential to
realize the truth by his or her own
will and endeavour, and can help
others to realize it. Buddhist
theory holds that the "three
poisons" of hatred, greed and
delusion are at the root of violence
in the world .It recommends a
universal spirit of brotherhood and
sisterhood.
Lao Tse – Founder of Daoism
500BC
China
If there is right in the Soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
9th Sikh Guru
1621 – 1675 AD
India
He was the spiritual leader of the
Hindus. He believed that all
common people should have the
freedom to practice their faith and
the State had no right to interfere
with people’s peaceful faith
traditions. Given the choice to
either accept Islam or face death,
the Guru refused to surrender and
fearlessly accepted beheading
rather than abandon his
commitment to a sacred principle.
Mohammed the Prophet
570 – 632 AD
Saudi Arabia
The founder of the religion of Islam. A
major part of his mission was to bring
peace to the world. He strived to
convince people that all men and
women, even if they lived in very
different regions of the world, and were
different from one another in colour,
culture and language, were in fact
blood brothers and sisters. The
Prophet would exhort his followers to
live in peace with their fellow men,
saying, “A true believer is one with
whom others feel secure,” one who
returns love for hatred.
Jesus of Nazareth
also known as Jesus Christ
(7-2 BC/BCE – 26-36 AD/CE)
Palestine
The central figure of Christianity. His
teaching promoted the sanctity of human
life and the value of those who had
commonly been regarded as inferior:
women, the poor, ethnic outsiders,
children, prostitutes, the sick, prisoners,
asking for freedom and justice for
everyone.
Bartolomé de las Casas
Born 1473
Spain
Dominican friar who campaigned
against colonialism and the
exploitation and enslavement of
indigenous peoples.
Beginning of the Slave Trade
1444
Portugal
Portugal begins sending African
slaves to the Americas. 10 – 12
million were sold during the Slave
Trade. Many millions died in
transit.
Francois Dominique Toussaint
‘L’Ouverture’
(1743 – 1803) Haiti
He was the preeminent figure of the
Haitian Revolution. A former slave, he
became a brilliant general, defeating
British, Spanish, and French troops
and emancipating the slave
population. His extraordinary efforts at
reaching across lines of race and class
set him apart from his contemporaries,
and his vision of a race-blind,
independent country of equals was
ahead of his time.
American Declaration of Independence
1776
… declared that ‘All men are created
equal’. Did not include women or
slaves.
Declaration of the Rights of Man
and the Citizen
1789
France
Olympe de Gauges
1791
France
… wrote ‘The Declaration of the
Rights of Women’
Eglantyne Jebb
1876 – 1927
Britain
Founded ‘Save the Children’ and
drafted the first Declaration on the
Rights of the Child
All Native American Indians
confined to reservations
1887
USA
Marcus Garvey
1887 – 1940
USA
He was the most influential black leader of
the 1920s. He wanted to foster
worldwide unity among all black
people and to establish the greatness
of the African heritage. Convinced that
black people could not secure their
rights in countries where they were a
minority race, he urged a "Back to
Africa" movement which throughout
the United States, the Caribbean, and
Central America.
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
1869 – 1948
India
He was the champion of the poor and
oppressed and struggled for
India’s independence using nonviolent action. His continuous
dedication for a just society for all
make him one of the most
influential men in the field of
human rights.
Eleanor Roosevelt
1884 – 1965
USA
Helped draft the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
(1948)
Amnesty International set up
United Kingdom
1961
African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights
1981
Banjul, Gambia
United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child
1989
UN Decade on Human Rights
Education
1995 – 2004
Kofi Annan was Secretary General of
the UN during the Decade. He
received the Nobel Peace Prize in
2001.
UN Convention on rights of people
with disabilities came into force
2008
Ban Ki-Moon succeeded Kofi Annan
in 2007 and passed several major
reforms regarding peacekeeping.
He has a strong commitment to
acting on climate change.