Human Rights Quotes - Page 38

• What an honor it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world.

  Idris Elba

  Eye, Men, Shoes

  "Harvey Weinstein and Idris Elba React to Nelson Mandela’s Passing". www.indiewire.com. December 5, 2013.

  57 Copy quote

  Show source

• The Holocaust has proven to be an indispensable ideological weapon. Through its deployment, one of the world's most formidable military powers, with a horrendous human rights record, has cast itself as a "victim" state, and the most successful ethnic group in the US has likewise acquired victim status.

  Norman Finkelstein

  Military, Successful, Rights

  "The business of death" by Norman Finkelstein, www.theguardian.com. July 12, 2000.

  37 Copy quote

  Show source

• The right to the city is far more than the individual liberty to access urban resources: it is a right to change ourselves by changing the city. It is, moreover, a common rather than an individual right since this transformation inevitably depends upon the exercise of a collective power to reshape the processes of urbanization. The freedom to make and remake our cities and ourselves is, I want to argue, one of the most precious yet most neglected of our human rights.

  David Harvey

  Change, Freedom, Exercise

  David Harvey (2010). “Social Justice and the City”, p.315, University of Georgia Press

  91 Copy quote

  Show source

• Investing in women's lives is an investment in sustainable development, in human rights, in future generations - and consequently in our own long-term national interests.

  Liya Kebede

  Rights, Long, Generations

  "Let’s Make Mother’s Day a Global Reality" by Liya Kebede, www.huffingtonpost.com. June 7, 2009.

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• Many more people in the world are concerned about sports than human rights.

  Samuel P. Huntington

  Sports, Rights, People

  29 Copy quote

• When the life of the nation was attempted, when the cause of liberty and human rights called for their aid, they rushed forth to rally under the banner they loved, with grand singleness of purpose and heroic devotion--leaving all behind them, to meet toil and danger, hunger, sickness, wounds, and death, for nothing but the sublime satisfaction of doing their duty to their country and to mankind.

  Carl Schurz

  Country, Singleness Of Purpose, Rights

  7 Copy quote

• liberty is the one thing no man can have unless he grants it to others.

  Ruth Benedict

  Freedom, Men, Liberty

  Ruth Benedict (2011). “An Anthropologist at Work”, p.398, Transaction Publishers

  29 Copy quote

  Show source

• I believe that American engagement, through our embassy, our businesses, and most of all through our people, is the best way to advance our interests and support for democracy and human rights.

  Chris Christie

  Believe, Rights, People

  Source: www.foxnews.com

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I support the rights of all people to practice their religious beliefs privately, but I oppose the idea of respecting religions. In truth, I have no respect for any religion. I believe religion is not compatible with human rights, women's rights, or freedom of expression.

  Taslima Nasrin

  Religious, Believe, Rights

  51 Copy quote

• World peace is threatened not only by weapons of mass destruction but also by conventional weapons which have led to countless violations of human rights, including the rights to life and to physical integrity. A strong treaty can contribute greatly to international and regional peace, security and stability.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Strong, Integrity, Violation Of Human Rights

  "Countries Must Regulate Arms Trade to Prevent Human Rights Violations – UN Expert". news.un.org. July 27, 2012.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The abuse of the veto power has become so predictable that frequently resolutions are not even tabled because of the certainty of a veto against their adoption. Necessary discussion is thereby suppressed. Concerted action by the Security Council, the General Assembly and other United Nations agencies is necessary to prevent major human rights violations, stop ongoing breaches and provide remedies to victims.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Agency, Rights, Adoption

  "Promotion of a democratic and equitable international order". August 07, 2013.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• One of the problems that we have in the human rights community is that special interests often forget the interests of other victims, and there's competition among victims expressions that are unnecessary.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Rights, Expression, Community

  "Un Expert on Democracy Highlights Importance of Free Expression, Information". news.un.org. October 28, 2013.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Democracy is not the end product, but the means to the end, which is the enjoyment of human rights by all.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Mean, Rights, Democracy

  Report of the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, July 1, 2013.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The drafting of a legally binding instrument concerning the human rights impacts of the activities of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises has been proposed. Such a treaty or convention should strengthen the United Nations “protect, respect and remedy” framework of the Guiding Principles, which were unanimously endorsed by the Human Rights Council in 2011.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Impact, Rights, Negative

  "Transnational Corporations must be legally accountable for the negative human rights impacts of their activities". Statement at the Workshop at the Human Rights Council, www.ohchr.org. March 11-12, 2014.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Specific protection must be granted to human rights defenders and whistleblowers who have in some contexts been accused of being unpatriotic, whereas they perform, in reality, a democratic service to their countries and to the enjoyment of human rights of their compatriots.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Country, Reality, Rights

  "UN Expert Calls on Countries to Strengthen Protection of Civil Society Voices, Whistleblowers". news.un.org. September 11, 2013.

  21 Copy quote

  Show source

• Respect for human rights requires transparent and accountable institutions and governance as well as the effective participation of all individuals and civil society, who are an essential part of realizing social and people-centred sustainable development.

  Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

  Rights, People, Essentials

  "India: Urgent Call to Halt Odisha Mega-Steel Project Amid Serious Human Rights Concerns". "Alfred de Zayas' Human Rights Corner" blog, dezayasalfred.wordpress.com. October 01, 2013.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I'm not a feminist,' some women say sternly as they march off to work where equal opportunity legislation protects them ... Women who say they are not feminists and act like individuals with basic human rights have just got their terminology wrong.

  Kaz Cooke

  Opportunity, Rights, Feminist

  9 Copy quote

• It might be depressing, but it's also the truth that no one has the power, the money, or the resources to save everyone on the planet from going hungry, living in poverty or allowed basic human rights. But consider the other side of this: there are people in this world who truly WOULD do all of these things for everyone if only they could. There is hope after all.

  Ashly Lorenzana

  Depressing, Rights, People

  9 Copy quote

• Human rights problems will always exist for years to come, but maybe they'll lessen somewhat.

  Buzz Aldrin

  Rights, Years, Problem

  4 Copy quote

• I feel it is our inherent duty as a humane society, above any intangible responsibility, to invest in our world's children's potential, passion and confidence.

  Masiela Lusha

  Family, Leadership, Education

  Tolucan Times, October 27, 2010.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• We are not hated because we practice democracy, value freedom, or uphold human rights. We are hated because our government denies these things to people in Third World countries whose resources are coveted by multinational corporations. That hatred we have sown has come back to haunt us in the form of terrorism....

  Howard Zinn

  Country, Rights, Government

  "A People's History of the United States". Book by Howard Zinn, www.huffingtonpost.com. 1980.

  56 Copy quote

  Show source

• If you care about injustice, and if you care about freedom, and you care about human rights, then you care about them everywhere.

  Lara Logan

  Rights, Care, Injustice

  "Lara Logan: What I've Learned" by Cal Fussman, www.esquire.com. December 17, 2012.

  8 Copy quote

  Show source

• Well, Nigeria has played a constructive role in peacekeeping in various parts of West Africa. But unless and until Nigeria itself is democratic and respects human rights, it too may well be a source of much greater instability as political repression limits the ability of the people of Nigeria to achieve their full potential.

  Susan Rice

  Rights, People, Political

  72 Copy quote

• The growth of entrepreneurial classes throughout the world is an asset in the promotion of human rights and individual liberty, and it should be understood and used as such. Yet peace is the first and most important condition for continued prosperity and freedom. America's military power must be secure because the United States is the only guarantor of global peace and stability. The current neglect of America's armed forces threatens its ability to maintain peace.

  Condoleezza Rice

  Military, Class, America

  "Campaign 2000: Promoting the National Interest" by Condoleezza Rice in Foreign Affairs, Volume 79, No. 1, www.foreignaffairs.com. January/February 2000.

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• Most of us had never seen a sober redneck before, and we have the Reagan Landslide to testify that none of us ever wants to see one again. It was a horrifying apparition. And ever since Jimmy Carter, all of us rednecks have had to be very careful to be drunk rednecks lest we turn into some kind of awful creature with big buck teeth and a State Department full of human-rights yahoos.

  P. J. O'Rourke

  Redneck, Rights, Drunk

  4 Copy quote