Rethinking human rights in the 21st century

We are living at a time when human rights are not only under attack - that has always been the case - but where the very idea of universal human rights is being called into question. No longer can we take it for granted that most people think that human rights are a 'good thing' and that the very idea is beyond question; after all, our then Prime Minister said in 2015 that Australians are sick and tired of being lectured by the UN about human rights. And more traditional ideas of human rights are being contested by those on the political right who argue that the right of free expression trumps all other rights, including the right of others to be treated with dignity and respect. Our Attorney-General shocked many of us when he publicly defended the right to be a bigot. Politeness, respect for others and sensitivity to difference are re-defined as 'political correctness', thereby justifying a culture of verbal abuse and offensiveness. In such a climate, it is important that we look more carefully at the idea of human rights, especially as human rights are blatantly being violated around the world, including in Australia.