- DEBATE: Are human rights good or bad? -

 

This is a DEBATE style class. So this is not about your opinion. You will be put on a team and you need to argue for that team. Check the teams below.

 

Are human rights good or bad? The idea of human rights is, historically speaking, a rather modern concept. And they seem to be ever expanding. What started as the right to life, food, water, shelter, has now grown to include things like the right to internet access, education, privacy, and the right to protection from offence.

 

Some people say that these expanded definitions of human rights is diluting the original intended meaning, while others say the whole concept of human rights is nonsense, claiming that criminals, for example forfeit any rights they may have when they commit a crime. Many cases are arising in the UK where foreign immigrants commit some terrible crime such as sexual assault or rape, but are not deported because of human rights claims (the lawyers argue that if they are deported to their home countries they might face abuse or discrimination, or that they would lose access to their family (the right to a family life), so cannot be deported).

So are human rights good or bad? Good for who? Bad for who? Does every just automatically deserve human rights just for being born? What about criminals? What about a lazy person who doesn't want to work? Do they deserve food and water and shelter even though they choose not to work?

 

- Japan designates 4 Japanese cities as "hometowns" for African countries -

 

As the title says, Japan recently designated several cities as "hometowns" for African countries. This has started discussions and confusion as to what exactly this mean, especially in a country that is infamously anti-immigration.

Japan hopes that this system will strengthen exchanges with the respective African countries. But what exactly this means is a little unclear. Local authorities say they hope the will increase their cities' populations, with the implication that there would be an increase in migration to Japan from those African countries.

But now media is saying that is misinformation, but the Nigerian government was the one saying that Japan was making a special visa category for Nigerians to come to Japan. The whole issue seems to be incredibly confusing and full or "he said, she said". 

So what is happening? Why is it happening? And ultimately, who is this good for?

 

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