Storia dei Diritti Fondamentali e della Magna Charta: Evoluzione della Libertà Civile

Magna Charta

Written in June 1215

King John (worst king) "lackland" (lost territories in France) was forced to sign it because he refused to obey the law.

Clause still part of the law: all free men have the right to justice and a fair trial. Limitation: free men, most were unfree peasants.

Pope caused civil war: the king's powers given by God were limited by the M.C.

• 800 years old
• Printed in 1508
• King Charles I imprisoned anyone who opposed him, so Sir Edward Coke wrote the Petition of Rights to limit his powers
• American colonies accepted it because they wanted liberties
• Used against censorship because everyone had the right of speech
• “People's Charter” document used to fight for all men to have the right to vote, created by Chartists, people who were inspired by the M.C.
• Suffragettes
• Gandhi: freedom for the Indian settlers in S.A.
• Mandela: democracy in S.A.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights: document that states that all people are protected by fundamental human rights regardless of their citizenship, race, gender, and beliefs

Cronologia Principale

• 1215: Written M.C.
• 1508: Printed M.C.
• 1628: Lawyers used M.C. against the king
• 1776: American Declaration of Independence
• 1791: Bill of Rights
• 1831: Vote for all men
• Early 1900: Suffragettes
• 1948: Gandhi and UDHR
• 1964: Mandela’s speech

Declaration of Independence

"All men are created equal and they are endowed with the rights to 'LIFE', 'LIBERTY' and 'THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS'". These facts were written by Jefferson in June of 1776 to declare American independence, but it wasn't approved until July 2nd, 1776. It was accepted only on July 4th, 1776 after offering all the reasons why the country should be free of British rule.

• 5 men wrote it
• Thomas Jefferson borrowed some parts of his declaration from other sources
• Jefferson had accused the British King George III of being responsible for the slave trade
• George III was preventing America from putting a stop to slavery

Both of the above-mentioned points were false and Congress wanted no mention of slavery in America's founding document. After taking the concept of slavery out of this document, the Declaration of Independence was passed by Congress and sent to the printer.

Bill of Rights

• 15 December 1791
• Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition
• Right to bear arms
• Quartering amendment (colonists had to house soldiers; used to never force Americans to house soldiers)
• Right to search and seizure
• You don't have to take the witness stand against yourself
• Right to a speedy trial, impartial jury, and a lawyer that you choose
• Right to a jury with 12 impartial peers
• Prohibition of cruel punishment

Hobbes e Locke

Hobbes

If humans want to live peacefully, they must give their rights up in order to establish a civil society.

Locke

Governments were given their authority by popular consent, by a contract; they needed to protect human rights.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948
• Translated in more than 200 languages
• First time in history that a document is considered to have universal value

Civic Literacy

Participating effectively in civic life, knowing how to stay informed, knowing how to exercise rights.

• Civically literate: respect and be tolerant, listen to different points of view
• Humility, honesty, resolution of challenges

Young People and Social Media

• Regulation aim to give more transparency on how their information is used by companies and governments
• Children under 13 require a parental consent
• Young people express their opinions and learn on the internet
• Depriving this access violates their ability to participate in civic engagement
• A lack of access to the internet could interfere with the ability of some to assimilate new environments
• Not erect new barriers
• The new law encourages European teens to ignore the law and lie

Young People and the Right to Vote

• The absence, or any way for the great majority of citizens of any age to be involved in politics, is making young people stop voting
• Young people want to know how they will be able to contribute their ideas and experience to the development of policies in society
• Many of them think that voting may be a waste of time and effort, as only a small number of voters in a small number of marginal seats decide who will form their next government
• Three actions may boost political education: give students political training and support, give 16-year-olds the vote so they participate, and set up a commission on learning for democracy
• During the Scottish referendum, only a quarter of the millions in the lower age group voted
• Schools should have students acquire the knowledge, skills, and will to own, connect, and engage with their communities and society