The idea of human rights is that each one of us, no matter who we are or where we are born, is entitled to the same basic rights and freedoms. These rights are ours from birth, we don’t need governments or politicians to give them to us, nor anybody can take them away from us.

Unfortunately, some people, institutions, or systems may try to abuse our rights to maintain their power, control, or dominance. That’s why we need to have laws and legislation. These laws provide specific rules on how to protect our rights when others don’t want to respect them.

For example, it’s our human right to go to school. Now, let’s say someone tries to stop Lumi from going to school just because of who Lumi is or where they come from. That would not be fair and will be a violation of Lumi’s human rights. That’s when we need a law to help prevent this from happening, putting our human rights into action.

The UDHR is like a big list of rules that people all around the world agreed upon. It’s a bit like a giant guidebook that says what rights and freedoms everyone should have, just because they’re human. 

Why it’s Important:

Imagine playing a game, everyone needs fair and the same rules to enjoy it. The UDHR is like those fair rules, but then in life. It says things like everyone should be treated with kindness and respect, and everyone has the right to speak their mind. Even today, the UDHR remains the cornerstone of international human rights law. 

Who Agreed:

After World War II ended, on December 10, 1948, representatives from different countries got together and said, “Hey, let’s make a list of rights that everyone, no matter where they’re from, should have.” It’s like a promise to make the world a better and fairer place. It marked the first set of rules to universally protect fundamental human rights. 

Basic Rights:

The UDHR talks about basic rights like the right to live, to be free, to learn, and to express yourself. It’s about making sure everyone has the chance to be happy and safe. Its 30 articles lay down the principles and framework for current and upcoming human rights agreements, treaties, and other legal documents.

Who watches over them:

The UN (United Nations) Human Rights Office is the leading international body for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. It works to address violations, empower individuals, assist governments, and integrate human rights into all UN programs.

In this convention, countries outline fundamental rights and freedoms for all individuals within its jurisdiction. It functions as a guidebook for human rights, guaranteeing that individuals receive specific protections simply because they are human beings.

Why it’s Important:

Think of it as the essential rulebook for the member states whose signatory to this convention. The convention aims to emphasize principles such as dignity, and the right to a fair trial, ensuring that everyone within the council’s scope is treated with respect and equality under the law. 

Who Agreed:

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is like the UDHR but specifically for 46 countries in Europe that agreed on it together. Representatives from different nations collaboratively drafted the convention, making a collective promise to create a more just and equitable world. One important note is that, these member states are not only those of the Europeanin European Union but also countries like, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and more. Also Russia was once part of the Council for 26 years up until 2022.

Who Watches Over Them:

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is the main authority that makes sure the rules in the ECHR are followed. It checks if countries are doing what they agreed to do, looks into when rights are violated, and helps people who’ve suffered from human rights abuses. The ECtHR is really important for protecting human rights and making sure people are held accountable in Europe. However, in order to access this court, one needs to exhaust all local legislative processes. This means that whether or not a country chooses to follow these decisions becomes somewhat arbitrary or dependent on the the member state’s willingness to follow the decision. 

A declaration is kind of like a big announcement where everyone agrees on some important ideas or values. It’s like saying, “We all believe in these things together.” A convention is like a serious promise between countries. It’s when they agree to follow certain rules or standards that they write down and agree upon.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration because it’s a statement agreed upon by many countries about the fundamental rights and freedoms that all people should have. It’s like a shared belief in important ideas such as freedom, equality, and dignity.

The Constitution – it’s like a rulebook that outlines how societies function, how the government works, and what it can and cannot do. Note that not all countries have constitutions. The constitution is like the most important set of rules. It’s the highest law in a country, and everyone, including the government, must obey it. 

Laws are the smaller, specific rules that the government makes up to deal with everyday stuff and to keep things running smoothly. These laws cover various areas, such as labour, criminal, and administrative matters. The idea comes from a sort of social contract between members of a society, however historically they have almost always somehow failed to be just and fair towards minorities and marginalized communities. Laws kind of set out an agreement and tell us how we should behave and what actions are allowed or not allowed. Adults, especially the people we elect to represent us (like lawmakers, politicians), create these rules. The police (1312) and judges (law enforcement) are responsible for making sure people follow them. 

It’s important to understand that while laws set out what should happen, they don’t always guarantee immediate action, protection or change. For example, even though desegregation laws were passed in the 1940s, racial segregation in the US continued until 1964 or the continuiation of colonial legacies of sodomy laws. This shows that laws alone may not always lead to immediate or complete change in society.

This is an acronym for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. We often use it instead of LGBTQIA+. 

We find SOGIECS to encompass a broader spectrum of identities and attributes beyond those typically represented by the LGBTQIA+ acronym. The LGBTQIA+ acronym mainly represents identities primarily recognised within Western contexts and does not fully capture the rich tapestry of diversity found globally.

However, if you have a visa issued by another Schengen country but Belgium, or if you arrived in Belgium by crossing another EU country, the Dublin Regulation* may apply (see below).

Discrimination means treating people or groups unfairly in comparison to others based on parts of their identities. There are different kinds of discrimination, a person can be discriminated against on different elements of their identity. 

You can be discriminated against based on your gender, on your sexuality, on your race, a disability, social class, education and so on.

Is to be followed for a specific reason. For example ‘they are persecuted for their sexuality’ meaning the person is at risk of being harmed because of a part of their identity, which causes them to flee. They have to run because others want to ‘persecute’ , catch them and hurt them for being who they are. 

Persecution is a violation of human rights and is often done by governments, institutions, or societal groups who are in the need for maintaining power, control, or dominance over others, often minorities or marginalized communities.

A ‘well-founded fear’ is when we are genuinly and rightfully afraid that if we return to our home country or the country where we used to live, someonething could severely harm us. This fear is based on experiences such as mistreatment in the past, receiving threats, or being in dangerous situations. To be considered a refugee or granted asylum, we need to demonstrate that our fear of harm is genuine and based on ‘objective’ reasons according to the rules of refugee law within the country’s legal framework.

Torture

Hurting someone, either physically or mentally, is torture. Torture is a cruel treatment aimed at stripping away our humanity and dignity, whether it’s done physically or mentally. People do it to get information, make someone confess, punish them for something they did or are suspected of doing, scare or force them, or for unfair reasons like discrimination, this is never justified whatever the ‘reason’ to do so might be. It’s also considered torture if a government official or someone acting officially is involved, giving permission, or agreeing to it.

Harm is when you cause someone pain, this pain can be both physical or psychological. 

The person can suffer from mental or physical issues afterwards. They can now be anxious, scared, afraid or a range of other emotions due to the harm that took place, they might also need physical rehabilitation for a period or be scared for live due to the occurrence. 

It is not always because the harm is not physically visible that it is not there.

Huminilation is doing or saying something that causes the other person to feel shame. 

It can for example be laughing at a person because of something they are wearing or other outward appearance, for something they have said or done in the past. It can be a form of mockery. That can take place in a small or bigger group but often the goal of the humiliator is to get others to also laugh at the person. Causing this person to be ashamed of whatever they are being mocked for. Humiliation can sometimes be a form or harm and lead to more violence.

Freedom is something everyone should have but that not everyone has. It is something that has always been fought for, because as we fight for freedom simultaneously fight for equality. 

Freedom is to be treated the same as others. For example people fought for freedom from slavery, they were enslaved when others were the enslavers, freedom here is to abolish the system of slavery. Freedom of being able to vote, historically some people were allowed to vote when others were not, or another example is freedom to love who you love, to also be free to choose your partner and marry them as others can if that is your wish. In this last one freedom would be to also be able to get married as heterosexual couples can, and to as they are not afraid of holding your lover’s hand in the street. 

Freedom is a right that we fight for every generation. We will not be free until we are all free.

Safety is to be free from fear. To be safe is to know that someone can not hurt you or take anything away from you. It is also to know you are understood, cared for, that what you say matters. Safety is something everyone deserves but not everyone has, as it is linked to freedom. It should be safe to say ‘I am queer’ but as we know it is not, or at least not everywhere. Find people that make you feel safe, find places that make you feel safe so that you can feel free.

To punish is to hurt someone because of something perceived as ‘wrong’. 

Punishment can vary in gravity, some punishment might be less harmful than others. 

From the punishers perspective it can be the purpose to really hurt someone or it can justify their own understanding of ‘justice’. Punishers can also see this as a ‘learning moment’ and punish someone to set an example for others, ‘this is what would happen to you if you do not obey’. Punishment can also be a threat, and can also take the form of humiliation.

Are organisations/associations that defend workers rights and interests. 

There are different kinds of trade unions in Belgium often divided by political ideologies.

Is to insight violence on a person or group of people. It is not always literally saying ‘hurt these people’ but it can be racism, dehumanisation or stigmatising people. For example believing a group of people are animals is considered hate speech, because saying these kinds of things pushes people to treat them as less, as not human and can push people to disrespect or hurt people from this group.

Making a complaint is when you are having trouble with an official body or an organisation and you express your dissatisfaction or discontent about it. It is a way for us to communicate our concerns or issues and to reclaim what is rightfully ours. Complaints can be made in various forms, such as verbal communication, written letters, emails, or through official channels. The aim here  is to address the problems you are facing and ideally find a beneficial solution for you and future cases where people similar to you can benefit from.

Ouf! The term queer… Similar to LGBTQIA+ ‘umbrella’ term, queer is widely use and becomes handy in refering to diversity of SOGIECS. You might not feel comfortable using or identify with the term, it is completely understandable and valid. We use it because it is handy, easy to be found if searched for and widely used and accepted. 

Originally the term was used as pejorative, to demean individuals who did not conform to traditional cis-heterosexual norms, “queer” has been reclaimed by many as a term of empowerment and self-identification. There are similar words in other cultural contexts as well, to give some examples, lubunya in Turkish,  مجتمع الميم (moushtema3a al meem) in Arabic.