Corporations that Support Human Rights

Companies that support human rights worldwide deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts. Our website intends to give such companies their just due. Human rights are the basic freedoms and rights to which every man, woman and child is entitled to. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human rights say, "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."

The notion of human rights originated from Christian theology’s idea of "natural rights". Today, most people don’t discern any distinction between the two terms, but originally natural rights based its rationale on the idea that God had provided such rights to all men, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Human rights is a term that has been freed of religious connotations.

Human rights philosophy describe several important facets. "Security rights" prohibit violence between people. "Liberty rights" protect the freedom of association, movement and beliefs. "Due Process rights" protect man against the abuses of the legal system, such as imprisonment without a just trial. "Equality rights" guarantee equal citizenship and non-discrimination. "Welfare rights" protect against poverty and starvation and provide for paid holidays and education.

What Principles Should Companies Follow in Regards to Human Rights?

Global companies increasingly have to bear more responsibility for ensuring that human rights are not abused. As the world economy has become more globalized, the decisions of giant multinationals have taken on a whole new import. No longer is it good enough for companies to solely look after their shareholders, but they must consider their stakeholders (employees, suppliers, customers and other groups).

Every company must have policies in place to make sure that it does not violate human rights. Companies with a strong social conscience go above and beyond and investigate their suppliers, contractors and customers to help keep human rights violations to a minimum in its sphere of influence. For instance, a company manufacturing arms should not sell its weaponry to countries and groups known to regularly desecrate human rights. The following represent companies taking a stand on behalf of human rights.