UNIT 7:HUMAN RIGHTS AND ETHICS
Key Unit Competence: To use language learnt in the context of Human rightsand Ethics
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
7.1 Describing rights
Text: Human rights violations
Human rights violations include death of innocent people due to war. A war
brings suffering and devastation, irrespective of the cause. The fundamental
rights of an individual are assaulted during a war. Torture, capture, prisoners of
war, slavery, etc. are all types of human rights violations due to war. Genocide
is one of the biggest human rights violations. Genocide can occur due to racial
enmity, religious wars, or singling out an ethnic group.
The crimes against women, especially rape, are also among the greatest human
rights violations. Women, girls, are raped and sexually tortured all around the
world. Women are forced into prostitution and sexual slavery, during war and
even during peace. There are many forced pregnancies and forced abortions
carried out on women. Sexual mutilation and sexual humiliations are human
rights violations that many women young and old have to face. And this is not
just seen in under developed, war ridden or male dominated societies around
the world. Rape and sexual analysis of women is also common in the so-called
developed and civilized countries we live in. I am sure many women will agree
there is rampant sexual harassment faced by them in their jobs, while travelling
and even made passes at, by those they think are their confidants.
In some countries, women are not allowed to be born. Yes, female infanticide is
still rampant in countries like India, and its neighbouring Asian regions. There
are many countries where women are not allowed to a right to education,
freedom to choose the man they want to marry, and are kept as slaves than
wives, mothers or sisters.
Child abuse is another form of human rights abuse, where children are forced
and violated physically, mentally as well as sexually. Child labour is a human
rights violation that takes away the freedom of being a child from a child. Some
workers toil under harsh conditions and not being their fair remuneration. Low
wages, poor working conditions and in humane treatment melt out are alsosome of the human rights violations.
Adapted from Human rights day: A morbid celebration, by Batul NafisaBayamusa
Comprehension questions
1. Assess the impact of war on human rights.
2. State some root causes of genocide.
3. Analyse the consequences of crime against women as one of the great
human rights violations.
4. State some human rights women are deprived from in India and
neighbouring Asian regions.
5. Describe child abuse as one of human rights violations.6. State other forms of human rights violations.
7.1.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
Vocabulary, sentence construction, research and presentation.
1. Use a dictionary or a thesaurus to find the meanings of the words
below
a) …devastation… (paragraph 1)
b) …enmity… (paragraph 1)
c) …mutilation… (paragraph 2)
d) …humiliation… (paragraph 2)
e) …harassment… (paragraph 2)
f) …rampant… (paragraph 3)
g) …infanticide… (paragraph 3)
2. Construct meaningful sentences with the above words.
3. Conduct a research aiming at identifying any cases of human rights
violations in your area.
4. Write down measures that you would take on those cases to reportto Rwanda investigation bureau. Present your measures to the class.
7.2 Describing children’s Rights
Text: Convention on the Rights of the Child
that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.
Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural
environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly
children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it
can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,
Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or
her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of
happiness, love and understanding,
Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in
society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of
the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance,
freedom, equality and solidarity,
bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been
stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the
Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20
November 1959 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles
23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments
of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the
welfare of children, bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the
Rights of the Child, “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity,
needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection,before as well as after birth”,
Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles
relating to the protection and welfare of children, with special reference to
foster placement and adoption nationally and internationally; the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice
(The Beijing Rules) ; and the declaration on the protection of women and
children in emergency and armed conflict, recognizing that, in all countries in
the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, andthat such children need special consideration.
Adapted from https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html
Comprehension questions
1. Who is responsible for children’s care and assistance?
2. Discuss where and when care to the child has been stated referring to
the above passage.
3. What do the Beijing Rules emphasize?
4. Are some of children’s rights mentioned in the above passage appliedin your community.
7.2.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
Vocabulary, sentence and summary writing
1. Use dictionaries and thesauruses to check the meaning of the following
words and phrases
1. ratification
2. accession
3. preamble
4. Covenant
5. Safeguard6. Civil rights
7.3 Talking about ethics
Text: The concepts of ethics
The word ethics etymologically is from the Greek word “ethos” which means
“customs” . Ethics is defined as science of good and bad. The modern ethics
substitutes notions of good and bad to those of morality, values and anti-value.
Ethics can also be defined as the part of human reflection which searches to
determine the sense of human life, and means to come to this end. This definition
is also applied to philosophy and ethical philosophy.
Ethics is the branch of philosophy. It is interested in moral and elaborates
analysis and theories on nature, function and values of moral judgment. These
judgments help us to evaluate our behavior and society organization and to
guide our proper actions.
It treats from the value of good and bad and constitutes then life orientation
and engagement for it treats from one value of good and bad and constitutesthe life orientation and engagement for wellbeing.
Academically, ethics is classified among human sciences like philosophy of
which it is the part. The society cannot exist if the members do not respect and
help one another at least up to a given level. By this, in all societies the same
phenomenon is produced. In every society and in every country, it statues and
judges that some actions are good and have to be done, whereas others are bad
must be avoided and rejected. The ethics questions rise in moral practice.
Ethics indicates the ideal to be reached. It shows the way to take and helps
to discover positive human values to be cultivated. Its fundamental task is thesuccess of human life, characterized by positive human values.
Adapted from: https://www.academia.edu/28142551/Ethics_and_Rwandan_Culture_ODL_Module
Comprehension questions
1. What do you understand by the concept of ethics?
2. In which way ethical judgments help in our day to day life?
3. What do you think is the purpose of ethics?
4. After reading the above passage about ethics, examine your community’sethics and present the findings to the class.
7.3.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
rained very heavily the day before. I made a wrong step, slipped and staggered
badly. I lost balance and the gourd fell down and broke into many pieces. I went
home trembling with fear and explained to Mukulu what happened. I should
have known better. Mukulu snatched the strap with which I had been carrying
the gourd and thrashed me with it heavily. I screamed, begging for mercy, but
she wouldn’t stop whipping me. She yelled, “is it your mother’s gourd that you
have broken, you worthless creature?”
Despite my pleas, she wouldn’t listen to me. Then I realized that I should run
for my life. I slipped out of her hands and run out of the house, but she run after
me, whipping me furiously. I was saved by some strokes of good luck when she
stumbled over something and fell down heavily. She cursed me heatedly, but by
that time, I had run round the granary.
That evening Mukulu didn’t give me food. I went to bed on an empty stomach. I
couldn’t sleep as my stomach rumbled in hunger. They had eaten sweet potatoes
for supper that evening.
That night I felt so hungry that I thought I would starve to death. So I got up
from my bed very quietly, fearing to wake Mukulu. I tiptoed to her bedroom
door, pressed my ear against the door and listened. Yes, she was fast asleep,
snoring soundly. So I tiptoed to the main door and opened. I went to the kitchen
to see whether there were any potatoes left in the pot. I walked holding my
breath and my teeth clenched, fearing I would be heard, I inserted the key into
the keyhole and opened the door silently. Just as I was getting in, I accidently
stepped on a chicken in the dark and it made a lot of noise! I nearly fainted. I
heard Mukulu’s voice calling out for Muindu, asking him to go out and see what
was disturbing the chicken. I stood there too terrified to know what to do untilMuindu came out of the house running...
An extract from the story “the poor child “by David G. Mailu
Comprehension questions
1. Describe the mood of the speaker in the above passage.
2. Which type of child abuses have been applied to the narrator?
3. What misfortune happened to the speaker when she went to the kitchen
to find some food?
4. What would you do in the position of the narrator?
5. Has anything like this ever happened to you? Or do you know any person
who has undergone this situation?
6. How did it end? What helped you?7. What do your friends and yourself do to stop child abuse?
7.4.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
I. Use a dictionary and thesaurus to look up the meanings of the words
or phrases that follow: use them to construct sentences.
1. Gourd
2. Starve
3. Curse
4. rumble in hunger
5. tiptoe
II. Summarize the above story within 10 lines. End with the moral lessonthat you have captured from it.
Text: Fighting against child abuse
The Secretary General of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Jeannot Ruhunga
stated that the campaign against child abuse is not the responsibility of a
certain single institution but rather a collective effort ifthe vice was to be completely
uprooted in the Rwandan society. He made the observation while opening a
one-day conference in Kigali aimed at evaluating the progress made in the fight
against Gender-based violence (GBV) and what new measures can be taken to
ensure this is curtailed.
“It’s a must for each and everyone who wants to make a meaningful
contribution to the future of our nation, to take care of the young generation
by shielding them from any form of abuse. Because what we sow in them
today, is what we shall harvest in the future. The future of our country lies in
the hands of young people,” Ruhunga said.
The conference, titled “Stop abusing a child” was jointly organized by RIB
in partnership with World Vision.
The main purpose of the meeting was to rally religious organizations, civil
society and non-governmental organizations to join the fight against all forms
of child abuse.
Prof Anastase Shyaka, the Minister for Local Government pointed out the
particular importance of religious organizations in this fight.
“Religious entities, which are able to reach out to a lot of people in a short time,
are the right partners in advocating for children rights,” he said.
Through their body, the Rwanda Interfaith Council, the religious entities vowed
to support the efforts as stressed by the Mufti of Rwanda, Sheikh Salim Hitimana,who represented the council at the meeting.
Extract from TheNewTimes https://www.newtimes.co.rw/latest-news/religious-bodiesurged-join-fight-against-child-abuseby Bertrand Byishimo, September 30, 201
Comprehension questions
1. What was the issue discussed in the conference?
2. Why do you think child abuse is not a responsibility of certain single
institution?
3. Discuss the speech of the Secretary-General of Rwanda Investigation
Bureau (RIB).
4. Why do you think Religious entities are responsible for main agents forchild abuse?
7.5.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
against Women
This was adopted in 1979 by the UN. It aims at eliminating any form of political,
economic, social, cultural and civil discrimination against women. States are
required to enshrine gender equality into their national laws and eliminate
customs that promote superiority of one sex or gender role stereotypes. In
addition, states should establish tribunals and public institutions to protect
women against discrimination.
Article 1 of the treaty defines discrimination against women as any distinction,
exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose
of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women,
irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women,
of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social,
cultural, civil or any other field
Article 2 requires states to enshrine gender equality into their national laws
and remove all discriminatory provisions in their laws. It also requires them
to establish tribunals and public institutions to guarantee women of effective
protection against discrimination and eliminate all forms of discriminationagainst women by individuals, organizations and enterprises.
Article 5 requires states to eliminate prejudices and customs that promote the
idea of the inferiority or the superiority of one sex or stereotyped roles for men
and women.
A text from general science and communication for Rwandan schools s6 (REB)
Comprehension questions
1. When was that convention on the Elimination of All forms of
Discrimination against Women adopted?
2. What did this convention require the government?
3. Explain in your words what the article 1 defines.
4. Discuss some prejudices attributed to women.
5. Does this convention apply in your community? Explain.
7.6.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
1. Improve your vocabulary by using dictionary and thesaurus to look
up the meanings of the following words. Exercise yourself to spell them
correctly.
a) Convention
b) Enshrine
c) Tribunals
d) Impairing
e) Nullifying
f) to guarantee
2. Use the above mentioned words to construct your own sentences.
3. Write a story of 2 pages narrating a testimonial of gender bias in yourcommunity. Share it to the whole class.
7.7 Minority rights and inclusiveness
Kalisa is a 13 young boy and was born in rural village. In his daily activities
he had inattention to accomplish tasks and was not able to follow some
instructions because of his hyperactivities. His parents had tried to take him to
the nearest school in order to help him as other children but his condition did
not become good for the classmates, due to the way he interrupted others in
class while any activities (taking notes, talking, throwing things, etc.). During
the break time he had no stop, running, jumping and driving vehicles. Even
though he was overactive he was also interested in playing music with piano or
guitar and singing. His teacher has discovered that Kalisa may be good at music
and then oriented him to the new teacher who can teach him in the way he
can perform in his helpful manner where Kalisa can sing and play music with
some instrument as well as he can. The teacher advised parents to take him to
the specialist. When Kalisa arrived there he was diagnosed ADHD (Attention
Deficit Hyperactive disorder). In three years later he was able to play piano and
sing some songs. His parents become happy because of his child’s success andhis parents want to support him to make album of his songs.
Source:https://www.fatherly.com/parenting/7-things-parents-get
-wrong-about-adhd/
1. What do you understand by ADHD?
2. What is the reason that pushed Kalisa to leave his first teacher for the
music teacher?
3. Can really children with ADHD study in the same class with other children
(with or without) disabilities? Explain why?4. Is there any strategy to educate children with ADHD?
7.7.2 APPLICATION ACTIVITY
Vocabulary, sentence and composition writing
1. Using dictionary and thesaurus to look up the meaning of the following
words and spell them correctly.
(a) Hyperactivities, (b) overactive, (c) deficit, (d) album
2. Use them to construct the sentences related to inclusion in education.
3. Write any a 300 words composition discussing how you can promoteinclusion in your class.
7.8. Language structure: Modal Verbs and passive voice
for present tense
I. Modal verbs
1. Definition
A Modal Verb is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to convey ideas
like talking about ability, asking permission, making requests, talking about
things which are desired and so on. This verb can never stand alone in the
sentence. It is always with the main verb (full verb)
Example:We can never say: I can the piano. We will instead say: I can play the piano
2. Uses of Modal Verbs
i) How to use the modal verb can
Can is used when talking about someone’s skill or general abilities. It is also
used to make offers, ask and give permission.
Examples
1. Rodgers is patient and humble, he can adapt to any situation. (Ability)
2. If children’s rights are recognized, a child can follow a career he likes.
(Permission)
3. I can play for you a nice piece of music about children’s rights if you like.
(Offer)
ii) How to use modal verb should
Should is used when giving a piece of advice, a recommendation or a suggestion.
Very often, should is used instead of must to make rules, orders or instructions
sound more polite.
Examples:
a. If we are to live peacefully with others, we should avoid prejudices.
(Advice, recommendation, suggestion).
b. We should experience a united community since people now respect
each other’s beliefs. (Likely situation).
c. As tolerance is encouraged in our communities, we should have a more
peaceful generation in the future. (Prediction).
iii) How to use modal verb might and may
Might is used to talk about possibilities in the present, past and future. It has
the same meaning as may but may is used when one is a bit more sure, whilemight expresses some doubts. Therefore, may” and “might” can be used:
a. To show possibility
Examples
1. There might be life on Mars, we never know. (In this sentence, the degree of
certainty is low)
2. There may be life on Mars since they found there water and micro organisms.
(In this sentence, the degree of certainty is a bit higher for water and micro
organisms are signs of life)
b. To ask for or give permission:
Examples
You may go now.
You may come at eleven if you wish.
c. To express polite offers, request or suggestions.
Examples:
1. May I borrow the car tomorrow?
2. May we come a bit later?
iv) How to use be able to
We use Was/Were able to describe successful completion of a specific action or
am/is/are able to for the ability that we have to do something now.
Examples
1. ANC was able to fight against apartheid in South Africa.
2. Even though I am a woman, I am able to drive
Exercise
Construct nine meaningful sentences related to human rights and ethics
using each of the following model Verbs: can, may and should. Then read yoursentences to the class.
II. Passive voice for present tense
The passive voice is used mostly in three ways;
1. When we don’t want to take responsibility for something. E.g. children’s
rights are not respected in some countries)
2. When we want to focus on what happened but not the one who did the
action. E.g. the laws of protecting a woman are broken every day. (We don’t
know by who)
3. When we want to avoid subjects which would make the meaning
confusing. E.g. child abuse was talked about in the meeting.
Note:
We use “by” when we want to say who did the action with verbs like build,
discover, destroy, invent, wash, cut, make, design, compose etc. (action verbs)
Exercise:
a. Transform the following sentences into passive voice
1. Waitress and waiters serve customers
2. The teacher is going to explain the lesson
3. Does professor Samuel teach that course
b. Tell the class 10 things a child should be provided with because it is his/herright. Remember to use passive voice. (example: a child should be given food)
7.9 END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Change each active voice sentence into a passive voice sentence
a) The media plays an important role in advancing the right.
b) RIB investigates into child abuse cases
c) Some communities ignore the role of a woman.
d) Our ancestors build shrines to worship from
e) We should bring up our children in the spirit of the ideals
proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations
f) Traditionalists believe in the gods
g) Africans also believed in the supreme God
2. Choose the correct Modal Verb between may, can, and should to
complete the sentences below.
a) We …………..celebrate love children rather than teasing them.
b) Different people ………..share the same beliefs towards women.
c) It………..rain today.
d) Immigrants ………... adapt to new customs.
e) Prejudices ……………. be a hindrance to peace building.
f) Political conflicts ………. be a factor to the human right abuse.
3. Read the case study below then answer the questions that follow.
Jane (not her real name) is a 25 year old girl. Jane has had a difficult
life growing up in one of the rural villages in Rwanda. She is the second
born in a family of 5, and is the first of the two daughters of the home.
Jane has always had a love for education from an early age, and she
performed well in school, where she was position 2 in class most of
the time. However, Jane’s father did not think girls needed education.
To him, a woman was supposed to grow up learning household duties
such as cooking and raising a family and not reading in school. Boys are
the ones who should learn so they can get good jobs like being doctors,
pilots and business people.
So after she got to Level 6, her father married her off to an older man.
Jane tried to talk to her husband to let her finish school but he would
not listen to her. He told her he had married her to make sure she bore
him healthy children and also take care of the home. She was also exposed to a
lot of sexual activity by this older man who was more experienced. He would
have sex with Jane every night, and would leave her badly bruised. Jane got
pregnant and gave birth to a boy who died shortly after birth due to malaria.
Her husband beat her up, blaming her for the death of their child because
according to him, she was supposed to ensure the child was healthy. She later
gave birth to twin girls, but the husband blamed her for not giving him boys.
She was constantly beaten, even in front of the children. Now that she is 25,
she looks very old because of all the hardships she has gone through. She
has tried going back home but her parents tell her that it is the work of the
woman to make her home, so she should go back and build her family.
Adapted from General science and communication for Rwandan schools s6 (p.g. 193)
Questions
1. Identify the cases of stereotyping in the case study above.
2. What is the pornographic information in the case study?
3. What, according to your understanding of the case study, is the impact
of pornography on gender stereotypes?
4. Write a speech encouraging people in your community to use peaceful
means of solving problems and discouraging violence because of thenegative effects it has.