English SME & SSE copy 1

Key Unit Competence: To use language learnt in the context of Human rights and Ethics

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

7.1.Describing human rights

7.1.1. Learning activities: Reading and text analysis

7.1.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Reading and text analysis

• Text 1. Universal declaration of human rights

Human rights are those rights which should be given to all persons irrespective of their religion, race, caste, gender, nationality, or any of them. The UN General Assembly adopted the universal declaration of human rights on 10thDecember 1948. This date is celebrated as the Human Rights Day. These rights include civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights that every person is entitled to.

Of all the thirty rights, article one and two are very important and these are: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, gender, language, religion, political, or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or social status.

These articles are very important because they give emphasis to the equality of all human beings and without these rights, there will be violence and conflict within and between societies and nations.

Human rights have a great impact on the constitutions of countries across the globe. Many countries in the world including Rwanda have used in their constitution many of the rights found in the universal declaration of human rights.

There are many advantages of human rights such as stopping discrimination, because they are for everyone including marginalized groups like children and women, maintain the minimum standard of living, stopping violence and related crimes like genocide. Human rights also bring peace and unity in society as well as promoting cultures of different people.

Despite the advantages of human rights, many of them are violated which means individuals are denied basic rights. A few examples of human rights violation according to the universal declaration of human rights are; the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994, the policy of ‘apartheid’ in South Africa under which the blacks were ill-treated, human trafficking and child labour.

Extracted from: Legal and policy framework for children’s Rights in Rwanda by Pamela Abbot and Francesca Sapsford.

•  Comprehension questions

1. State any specific examples of human rights violations according to the universal declaration of human rights.

2. Based on the above text, what are some of the advantages of having human rights respected in society?

3. Based on the passage, what are the consequences of human rights abuse. Explain.

4. Discuss the following statement: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

Application activities: Vocabulary and speech, summary and composition writing

1. Match words with their meaning:

2. Imagine that you have been selected to deliver a speech during a Human Rights Summit to be held in Kigali conference hall.      

      Prepare your speech on violation of children’s rights and present it.

2. Write a summary of not more than 80 words about human rights as described in the passage.

3. Write a narrative composition with the title ‘Violation of Human Rights.’

• Text 2. Right to good health and wellbeing

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

‘Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself/ herself and his/her family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care, and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.’-UDHR, Article 25.1

One of the greatest hopes of humanity today lies in realising Article 25 of the universal declaration of human rights for every man, woman and children across the world, since these modest provisions hold the key to resolving so many of our intractable problems. As repeatedly asserted in this series of studies, [i] it is imperative that Article 25 becomes a foundational law and guiding principle within each country, which is far from the current reality in both the richest and poorest nations.

The youth are engaged to adopt Article 25 as their slogan, goal and vision, for its basic requirements have undreamt of implications for the future direction of international relations and global developments. Now is the time for huge, demonstrations that uphold the long-agreed rights of Article 25- for adequate food, housing, healthcare, and social security for all-until governments reorder their distorted priorities and finally implement the principle of sharing into world affairs.

Extract from “What is the right thing to do by Michael J. Sandel, 2005

•  Comprehension questions

a. Discuss the main points in UDHR, Article 25.1 according to the above passage

b. Outline the rights of everyone as mentioned in the text above.

c. Suggest any human right that the Article did not mention, and you wish it could be included in the Article 25.1 and why?

7.1.3. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Summary, report and essay writing

1. Write a summary about the human rights as written in the passage above.

2. Observe the pictures and write an essay on how human rights are violated.

3. One of the families in your area has locked their young child inside the house. 

The child starves to death. Write a report to the police with evidence to what you have seen.

7.2. Describing children’s Rights

7.2.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Reading and analysis of the text and pictures

Picture observation and interpretation

Observe the pictures about children’s rights and answer the questions that follow:

a. Talk about the rights of children violated in the above pictures.

b. How would you protect rights of children in your community?

c. The police have invited you as a witness in the severe beating of your neighbour’s child, write a police statement on the violation of the child’s right.

• Text: Children’s rights

Parents, communities, and governments need to learn how to set goals for children, create a positive discipline and create a conductive home climate for children, understand how children think and feel and learn how they can be problem solvers in challenging situations.

Children have the right to be protected from abuse, neglect and other mistreatment in homes. They should have the right to adequate food, clothing and shelter, regular medical and health services, educational, permanent homes.

They shouldn’t be discriminated and forced into labour. The UN convention has provided a detailed list on the rights of children. They include the following:

Article 1: Everyone under 18 years of age has all the right in this convention.

Article 2: The convention applies to everyone whatever their race, religion, abilities, whatever they think or say, whatever type of family they come from.

Article 3: All organizations concerned with children should work towards what is best for each child.

Article 4: Government should make these right available to children.

Article 5: Government should respect the rights and responsibilities of family to guide their children so that, as they grow up, they learn to use their rights properly.

Article 6: Children have the right to live a full life. Government should ensure that children survive and develop healthily.

Article 7: Children have the right to a legally registered name and nationality.

Children also have the right to know their parents, as far as possible, to be cared for by them.

Article 8: Government should respect a child’s right to a name, nationality and family ties.

Article 9: Children should not be separated from their parents, unless it is for their own good, for example, if a parent is mistreating or neglecting a child. Children whose parents have separated have the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this may harm the child.

Article 10: Families who live in different countries should be allowed to move between those countries so that parents and children can stay in contact or get back together as family.

Article 11: Government should take steps to stop children being taken out of their own country illegally.

Article 12: Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decision that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.

Article 13: Children have the right to get and share information, if the information is not damaging to them or to others.

Article 14: Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practice their religion, if they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Parents should guide children on these matters.

Article 15: Children have the right to meet with other children and young people and join groups and organizations, as long as this cannot stop other people from enjoying their rights

Article 16: Children have the right to privacy; the law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their family and their home.

Article 17: Children have the right to reliable information from the media. Mass media such as television, radio and newspaper should provide information that children can understand and should not promote materials that could harm children.

Article 18: Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children and should always consider what is best for each child. Governments should help parents by providing services to support them, especially if both parents work.

Article 19: Government should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them.

Article 20: Children who cannot be looked after by their own family must be looked after properly by people who respect their religion, culture and language.

Article 21: When children are adopted the first concern must be what is best for them. The same rules should apply whether children are adopted in the country of their birth or if they are taken to live in another country.

Article 22: Children who come into country as refugees should have the same rights as children who are born in that country.

Article 23: Children who have any kind of disability should receive special care and support so that they can live a full and independent life.

Article 24: Children have the right to good quality health care, clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment so that they will healthy. Richer countries should help poorer countries achieve this.

Article 25: Children who are looked after by their local authorities rather than their parents should have their situation reviewed regularly.

Article 26: The government should provide extra money for the children of families in need.

Article 27: Children have the right to standard living that is good enough to meet their physical and mental needs. The government should help families who cannot afford to provide this.

Article 28: Children have a right to an education. Discipline in schools should respect children’s human dignity. Primary education should be free. Wealthier countries should help poorer countries achieve this.

Article 29: Education should develop each child’s personality and talents to the full. It should encourage children to respect their parents, their cultures and other cultures.

Article 30: Children have a right to learn and use the language and customs of their families, whether or not these are shared by most of the people in the country where they live, as long as this does not harm others.

Article 31: Children have a right to relax, play and join in a wide range of leisure activities.

Article 32: Government should protect children from work that is dangerous or that might harm their health or education.

Article 33: Government should provide ways of protecting children from dangerous drugs.

Article 34: Government should protect children from sexual abuse.

Article 35: Government should make sure that children are not abducted or sold.

Article 36: Children should be protected from any activity that could harm their development.

Article 37: Children who break the law should not be treated cruelly. They should not be put in prison with adults and should be able to keep in contact with their family.

Article 38: Government should not allow children under 15 to join the army. Children in war zones should receive special protection.

Article 39: Children who have been neglected or abused should receive special help to restore their self-respect.

Article 40: Children who are accused of breaking the law should receive legal help. Prison sentences for children should only be used for the most serious offences.

Article 41: If the law of a country protects children better than the articles of the convention, then those laws should override the convention.

Article 42: Government should make the convention known to all parents and children.

Extracted from: Legal and policy framework for children’s Rights in Rwanda by Pamela Abbot and Francesca Sapsford.

•  Comprehension questions:

1. What do you understand by children’s rights?

2. Basing on the short text above, describe the rights of children using your own words.

3. Suggest possible advice to people who violate children’s rights in your community.

4. Discuss the importance of protecting children.

7.2.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Essay and speech writing; and presentation

1. Write an essay of three paragraphs describing how children’s rights can be protected.

2. Suppose you have been invited by ‘Save The Children’ in one of the workshops to talk about rights of children, write a speech that you would deliver during the occasion.

7.3. Talking about ethics

7.3.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Reading and text analysis

• Text: Ethics

Read the following text and answer the questions that follow:

The word ‘ethics’ is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘ethikos’, meaning ‘relating to one’s character’, which itself comes from the root word ‘ethos’ meaning character, moral nature.

Ethics or moral philosophy involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of rights and wrong conducts. The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value, and thus comprises the branch of philosophy called axiology.

Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual inquiry, moral philosophy also is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics and value theory.

Three major areas of study within ethics recognized today are; [1] meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values can be determined, [2] normative ethics, concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of actions, [3] applied ethics, concerning what a person is obligated or permitted to do in specific situations or particular domains of action.

Therefore, some ethics of a teacher include; a teacher shall place premium upon self-discipline as the primary principles of personal behaviour in all relationships with others and in all situations, a teacher shall maintain at all times a dignified personality which could serve as a model worthy of emulation by learners, peers and all others.

Extract from: A short introduction to ethics by Simon Black Burn, 2001.

•  Comprehension questions

1. Define ethics and relate it to the ethics required for a teacher as described in the above text.

2. Based on this text, how can you foster ethics among peers, students and members in your community?

3. Why are ethics important in a teacher’s profession and in his/her day to day life?

4. According to the passage, which ethical behaviour should teachers always portray?

7.3.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Summary and composition writing

1. Summarize the meaning of ethics as described in the text above. 

   Use words between 150 to 250 words.Debate on teachers’  ethics in relation to the learning / classroom environment.

2. Write a descriptive composition describing your personal ethics or morals.

7.4. Describing child abuse

Observe the above picture and read the story below then answer the questions that follow.

•  Text. Child abuse

When we were young, no one ever told us about our rights. Most children were badly beaten, denied food, and education which every child should have. It didn’t matter which offence you committed to be given such brutal and harsh punishments.

I remember the countless number of offences we were beaten for. One could be beaten for crying when you are beaten, they would beat you if you were punished and never cried. They would say you were a bad boy or a bad girl.

You could be punished if you stood when elders were sitting; beaten for sitting when elders were standing.

They would punish you if you ate with visitors. Refusing to eat with visitors would lead to being punished too. We were beaten for almost everything and nothing we did.

During those days, the child belonged to the community. Everyone in the community had the right to punish you. I remember one day as we came from school; I was in primary five, when boys drew a line across the road and challenged me with another boy that whoever crossed the line would be a ‘man.’

We stood on opposite sides and waited to see who would cross first. Because the other boy was older and bigger, he decided to cross first. No sooner had the fight begun than an old man we didn’t know arrived. What he did to us I have not forgotten till now.

The worst part is that when I reached home, I found out that they were already aware of what had happened. All was set to have me beaten thoroughly. Today as an adult, I feel I was sometimes punished unfairly yet did nothing to stop it.

Now that you know your rights, always remind whoever wants to punish you that you have rights and they should be respected. This does not mean you misbehave. You should also fulfil your responsibilities as a child.

Extract from: English for Rwandan schools (SBD publishers)

• Comprehension questions.

1. List at least three children’s rights that have been abused not respected in the passage.

2. Which offences would children be beaten for?

3. What caused the two boys in the story to fight?

4. What were the consequences of their fight?

5. What is your opinion of this community?

6. Using the picture above, suggest appropriate disciplinary measures that parents with undisciplined children would adopt. Why do you think your suggestions are suitable?

7.4.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Report and composition writing

1. Write a report to the human rights commission about cases of child abuse in your community.

2. As a teacher, one of the students in your class has misbehaved, how would you impose positive discipline on that student.

3. Write an argumentative composition with the title ‘fighting abuses.’

4. Write a newspaper article entitled, ‘abuses against children.’ 

Use adjectives and adverbs to describe certain incidents of child abuse.

7.5. Fighting abuses

Read the passage below and answer questions that follow. ‘Non-violence in civil rights struggles has meant not relying on arms and weapons. It has meant non-cooperation with customs and laws which are institutional aspects of the regime of discrimination and enslavement’, said Martin Luther King in his 1965 speech.

He added saying ‘Non-violence has also meant we do not want to instil fear to others or into the society of which we are part. It has meant that we don’t seek to win victory over anyone.

We seek to liberate our society and share in the self-liberation of all the people’.

Violence often brings momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But despite temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problems: it merely creates new and more complicated ones. ‘Violence is immoral,’ he said, ‘It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible.’

According to Martin Luther King, practicing non-violence shows that we have reached a superior level, that we have escaped the blind fear that arouses panic and violence. Non-violence, for him, requires courage and self-denial. Martin

Luther King exposes how useless and harmful violence is. It is impractical and immoral because it develops hatred and ends in destruction for all.

He pointed out that violence has been ignored as a means of solving problems.

There are issues of looting, pillaging, killing and setting free criminals everywhere. 

They might feel happy and victorious. But this violence which engenders violence might bring permanent peace. He also declared that we must exchange ideas and opinions in peaceful dialogues. We must set an atmosphere of understanding and tolerance, an atmosphere of goodwill and love.

Extract from: Children in family by Jane Tibbs.

•  Comprehension questions:

1. Did Martin Luther King believe in non-violence to get one’s rights? Give evidence.

2. Why is violence useless and harmful?

3. What are the effects of using violent means to get one’s rights?

4. Give two examples from your community of how people used non peaceful ways to solve problems.

5. What should be done to ensure harmony in society? Speech writing and word pronunciation

1. Using information from the comprehension text above, write a speech encouraging people in your community to use     

    peaceful means to solve problems.

2. Classify the following words according to the pronunciation of their final’s’

3. Victories, results, exposes, reaches, customs, brings, solves, creates, makes, destroys, shows, ensues, engenders, has, arms,

aspects, others, arouses, requires, develops.

7.6. Discussing gender equality

7.6.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Reading and text analysis

• Text: Gender equality

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

My mother does not eat eggs, pork, fish, goat meat and chicken or any other bird. She believes these are ‘dirty’ food not meant to be eaten by women. She always discouraged my sisters from sitting with legs stretched when peeling bananas. My sisters were often sung songs to discouraged them from climbing trees, sitting on the pounding mortar and not allowing anyone to jump over a pregnant woman.

My sisters being educated have refused to accept everything my mother tells them. They eat all the foods my mother considers to be ‘dirty’. However, they have retained some of the taboos like not climbing trees, stretching their legs and sitting on the pounding mortar and grinding stones.

In contrast, the boys could eat all the above. My mother knows how to cook them very well without any complaint. As a boy, I was taught not to sleep away from home because I had to protect my sisters. I would be seriously punished if I fought with my sisters, but it was not the same case for my brother. When he was involved, they would give us sticks to cane each other.

In terms of work, my mother didn’t discriminate anybody. Sometimes my sisters went to pray on Sunday and the boys would cook; that was when my father was not around. My father never allowed girls to do any work that required physical energy. He also never punished girls seriously. I don’t know why but that is how it was.

Extract from: English for Rwandan schools (SBD publishers)

•  Comprehension questions:

1. In your opinion, do you think it was right to prohibit certain things from women? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Give four activities women were prohibited from doing in the Rwandan culture.

3. Which statement shows that the mother of the speaker has accepted her position created by society?

4. Do you think the mother of the speaker knew her rights as a woman? Give reasons.

7.6.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Composition writing

Write a composition on gender equality at school. include the following.

       - Availability of girls and boys in the classroom

      - Number of female and male teachers

7.7. Minority rights and inclusiveness

7.7.1. LEARNING ACTIVITY

Reading and text analysis

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

•  Text: Different colour-one people.

When I was young, I had never heard of any other language except my mother tongue. I used to think all black people in the world spoke Kinyarwanda except whites. One day while walking to school, I met a man and woman speaking a language which up to today I do not know.

At first when I heard them, they sounded like they were calling my name. This drew my attention to them, only to realise they were talking to each other. When I listened further, they sounded like they were going to fight. To my surprise, they started laughing happily which made me laugh too. They came close to me and I ran very fast to tell my parents because they had always told us that some strangers were cannibals.

After reaching home, I told my parents that I had met two strange people who ran after me. My parents asked what the people I had met looked like and I described them. They told me those were our neighbours and were very nice people.

Today, it is not surprising to meet people from all walks of life in my village Ugandans, Kenyans, Sudanese, Chinese, Americans; almost every country in the world is represented. Some people from the same country cannot speak and understand each other. There are many religions as well and some with just few people. I wonder if they pray to the same God.

Despite all these differences, we are living together in peace. As the UN recommends, nations must create favourable conditions for minorities to practice their culture, religion, customs and language if it does not violate national laws. In fact, knowledge about the rights of those minorities in our villages have helped us to be united and respect each other.

Extract from: English for Rwandan schools (SBD publishers)

•  Comprehension questions.

1. In which ways have minority rights been violated in society?

2. If you were the writer, how would you make sure the rights of minorities in the story are protected?

3. With clear examples from the passage, describe how the writer respected minority rights.

4. From your point of view, why do you think coexistence is important in every community?

7.7.2. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Dialogue composition and report writing

1. Imagine there are people who have run away from their countries because of war and your community wants to send them away, you are asked to speak on their behalf to the village leader. Prepare a dialogue of all that happened and present it to the class.

2. Your village has called for a meeting to discuss problems faced by genocide survivors in Rwanda. You are asked to take minutes as the secretary.

7.8. Language structures: model verbs (Should, could, can, may, be able to)

Write a modal verb sentence for each of the following situations

i. Persuade someone to eat a meal you have proposed.

ii. Ask someone to return food he/she has taken.

iii. Get a noisy neighbour’s child to keep quiet while eating.

iv. Explain to your teacher why you don’t have your homework.

v. Convince your friend to go to the movie you have chosen.

vi. Ask for directions to a table in a restaurant.

7.9. END UNIT ASSESSMENT

1. Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the following words

a. Indigenous people

b. Marginalized minorities

c. Linguistic minorities

2. Give a synonym and opposite of the words below

i. Committed

ii. Punishments

iii. Misbehave

iv. Responsibilities

v. Offences

3. Discuss the Rwanda National policy about rights of children.

4. What is the difference between Human Rights and Children’s Rights?

5. The National policy of children in Rwandan is guided by the 

following principles. Choose one of the following topics and write a argumentative composition.

a. Every child matters.

b. Children can and should participate in decision making.

c. Abuse, exploitation and violence against children are intolerable.