Torture and other human rights violations continue to take place in many countries all over the world. Victims and survivors of torture include women and men, the young and the elderly, the wealthy and the poor, the educated and the less educated - in short, those who have experienced torture and other human rights abuses are from all social classes, denominations, cultures, groups, and ages.
Human rights are said to be universal in three ways:
- All humans, as humans, possess them No one is entitled to violate them
- All humans, as humans, should be able to exercise them
The right to live in one's homeland is a universally guaranteed right under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Refugees are denied this right. Human rights violations, such as torture, have existed for thousands of years and have impacted on all members of society, including society's vulnerable: women, children, the elderly, the poor, and the disadvantaged. The United Nations Declaration Against Torture defines torture as
"any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted by or at the instigation of a public official on a person ... it constitutes an aggravated and deliberate form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment."
There are a number of measures that if taken, would ensure that all members of the world's population are protected against torture and other human rights abuses. These measures include:
- Making sure the Canadian government takes a clear stand on human rights abuses Upholding international law prohibiting any violation of human rights Establishing education on human rights issues Exposing the perpetrators of human rights abuses Holding the perpetrators accountable for their actions
- Making human rights everyone's responsibility
