Human rights in ethical legal and advocacy discourse and some historical background of the concept of human rights this essay will examine the tensions between human rights and state sovereignty the challenges to the universality of human rights the enumeration of rights recognized by the international community and the means. Human rights are based on the principle of respect for the individual their fundamental assumption is that each person is a moral and rational being who deserves to be treated with dignity they are called human rights because they are universal. Human rights education brief introduction to human rights universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law in the forms of treaties customary international law general principles and other sources of international law. In book religion and human rights an introduction ppchapter 12 chapter religion equality and non discrimination publisher oxford university press