Creating a Just Global Community

CREATING A JUST GLOBAL
COMMUNITY
NAME OF THE STUDENT
Overview of Organisation
• Human Rights Watch is a nongovernmental and nonprofit
organization that works to preserve the rights of the people.
• It boasts of around 400 members worldwide. This includes
human rights professionals such as lawyers, academics and
journalists with diverse backgrounds (Hrw.org, 2019).
• The organization was founded in the year 1978 and operates
from New York City in the United States.
• It undertakes various projects that advocate on human rights.
• The organization is on a mission to defend human rights
worldwide by investigating abuses, exposing the facts and
pressurizing those in power. Commitment, independence,
accurate, factual and ethical fact-finding, focusing in impact is
some of its core values.
• The mission is not easy to achieve but with support and
collaboration from the people across the globe, it is definitely
possible.
• The organization carries out projects to safeguard human rights
in the field of arms, business, children’s rights, disability rights,
free speech, environment, health, LGBT Rights, terrorism and
counterterrorism and so on.
• The organization puts pressure on governments, various
policymakers and abusers of human rights to respect the rights
and denounce abuse.
• Although based in the United States, the organization works
globally for protecting the human rights including Australia.
Contribution to the Common Good
 The concept of Common Good is a principle of the Catholic Social
Teaching. As John XXIII explains, it is the “sum total of conditions of
social living, whereby persons are enabled more fully and readily to
achieve their own perfection” (Engelland, 2014).
 In simpler terms, the good for the greatest number of people is what
the people should achieve for when undertaking any activity.
 Advocacy for the rights of the people, ensuring efficiency in living,
education, relief and so on are the main aspects of the common good
principle
 The organization works relentlessly for the safeguard of these
principles of the people, advocates for equal rights for everyone
irrespective of cast, religion race, ethnicity, or sexuality
 The organization also makes sure that the children around the world
have access to education, are not exposed to harsh conditions, and
are not forced to be used as weapons or tools.
 It also works towards creating an equal community where people in
every country have adequate health facilities, laws and policies that
do not interfere with the health of the poor in particular. (Turner &
Maschi, 2015)
 The principle of common good also states that people should be able
to exercise their rights and have freedom of speech
 The organization also advocates free speech and states that the
society where disfavored, hateful and minority views of the people
are tolerated or encouraged is not a society that encourages human
rights and hence, the common good.
My Professional Contribution
As a nurse, I could contribute greatly towards realizing a more just global
community by joining the Human Rights Watch organization.
Nurses are professionals who provide relentless and selfless healthcare services
to individuals, families, communities and groups.
They choose the profession of nursing not just to earn money but also to
contribute to the betterment of the community globally especially in terms of
physical and mental health both.
The Human Rights Watch organization is the perfect place where I could
professionally contribute as nurse by providing my expertise and experience of
working with people and looking after them.
The organization undertakes various projects related to wide ranging topics as
has been mentioned already. These include projects on education, LGBT
awareness, children’s rights, legal projects and so on.
My nursing profession is of good help to the organization especially in its projects
related to healthcare because it gives enough emphasis to the health of the
people.
The profession is all about enhancing health – physical and mental – and ensuring
overall wellbeing of the community worldwide (Wronka, 2016). .This aligns
perfectly with the objectives and projects of the Human Rights Watch.
Based on the six prime values of the social work profession – service, social
justice, integrity, dignity and respect for individual, importance of human
relationships and competence – it would not be wrong to state that it would
definitely benefit the projects undertaken by the organization (Aasw.asn.au,
2019)
Hence, professionally I have a lot to contribute to the organization’s efforts in
protecting and fighting for the rights of the people.
One key contribution I could make is to work at the ground level with the people
who suffer the most but who are neglected the most and present information on
which the organization could work.
Moreover, I could also us of expertise in communication, which has been an issue
with the organization workers while working in areas outside their native
language (Thrall, Stecula & Sweet, 2014).
References
• Australia. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/asia/australia
• Aasw.asn.au. (2019). Home - AASW - Australian Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from
https://www.aasw.asn.au/
• Engelland, B. T. (2014). Religion, humanism, marketing, and the consumption of socially responsible
products, services, and ideas: Introduction to a special topic section. Journal of Business Research, 67(2), 1-4.
• Hrw.org. (2019). About. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/about
• History. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/history
• Thrall, A. T., Stecula, D., & Sweet, D. (2014). May we have your attention please? Human-rights NGOs and the
problem of global communication. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 19(2), 135-159.
• Turner, S. G., & Maschi, T. M. (2015). Feminist and empowerment theory and social work practice. Journal of
Social Work Practice, 29(2), 151-162.
• Wronka, J. (2016). Human rights and social justice: Social action and service for the helping and health
professions. Sage Publications.
Introduction
 The presentation highlights the need to establish a global
community that is more just and fair.
 This could be done professionally, individually or by joining an
organization or agency that works in this regard.
 The organization chosen is the Human Rights Watch.
 The readers will first view an overview of the organization
followed by its contribution to the common good and the
contribution I have made professionally.
(Source: Hrw.org/history)