Every human being on this earth has human rights that cannot be taken away from him or her. These rights allow us to live freely in a just and peaceful society. The Universal Declaration for Human Rights is a document that was created in 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This document specifically lists thirty human rights developed “as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations…that every individual…shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms” (http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Everyday activities such as freedom of religion or the right to a fair trial are rights that many human beings have never experienced. For example, a person in the United States is able to freely speak out about their religious beliefs, however in another country someone else might be persecuted for their religious beliefs and for standing up for what they believe in. By showing each human being the dignity they deserve, we can make the world a more tolerable place.
Youth for Human Rights International is an organization that has created thirty public service announcements to raise awareness about an individual’s human rights. These commercials are made to teach people how to create a more tolerable world and a more inclusive society. All thirty of the commercials focus on specific injustices in the world; and how prevalent they are in today’s society. One commercial in particular focuses on the human right to an education. The right to an education is a human right that cannot be taken away because each human being deserves to be shown dignity and respect.
Human right number twenty-six is the right to an education; one freedom that many Americans abuse. There are so many human beings on this earth that are denied their right to attend school. This commercial uses narration to argue that denial of a proper education is a reality. The following short conversation that occurs at the end of the commercial is the most powerful part of the movie. It shows how big of an impact education can have on someone’s life.
“How many schools are there in your village?”
“None,” she replied.
This example of narration shows that this problem really exists in the world. This conversation is so powerful because the viewer can see the excitement in the little girl’s eyes because this school is her chance to prove herself to the world.
The mother and daughter in this commercial contribute to the narration portion of the commercial. The beginning of the commercial starts off with the mom saying, “Make sure you stay with her the whole time. She’s new to the country, it’s a whole different culture.” There are several different aspects that suggest this is a whole new culture for the girl. As the exchange student is walking up to the school, she is taking in all of the new sights and sounds. The biggest change in this girl’s life is that she is going to school for the first time.
The Youth for Human Rights International organization does a great job of relating human right number twenty-six, the right to an education, to the audience. This commercial uses example by using a typical situation to show how this human right can impact someone’s life. Most viewers can easily relate to this situation because at one point they have sat through boring classes wishing they did not have to be at school. Illustration is another type of argument used in this commercial. Illustration is used to show how an education can make a difference in someone’s life. When the two girls walk into the school, it appears that there is a golden light that illuminates the building. The creator manipulates an ordinary school building into a building that looks like a dream castle. The creator enhanced the glory of the building to emphasize the rhetorical effect of illustration. To an ordinary person, it is just a building, but to this one little girl, her eyes light up because it is a dream come true.
There is also a compare and contrast aspect of this commercial. It is easy to compare the exchange student’s life to the American girl’s life. The exchange student is entering a completely new environment because she has never attended a school before. In contrast, the American girl is ignorant to the fact that not everyone has the chance to attend a “boring” school. Just like this little girl did not know about the background of her visitor, many American’s do not know that it is a human right for all to receive an education. These elements add to the persuasion effect because they are forcing viewers to go outside of their comfort zones to see reality for what it really is.
This public service announcement uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos to connect with the audience’s emotions. Emotions such as guilt may occur for some viewers because they may feel guilty that they take their educational opportunities for granted. Others might feel a sense of happiness that a child has been given the opportunity for a successful future. This public service announcement has a powerful message that will ignite feelings in everyone who watches it.
This commercial also uses the logos effect to persuade the audience through fact. Specific statistics aren’t given during the commercial; however, the fact that there are no schools in the little girl’s village is hard evidence that this human right is being violated. The rhetorical appeal of logos supports the fact that this is a local and worldly problem that needs to be fixed.
The right to an education is an opportunity that opens doors to a brighter future. Human rights give us security and a fair chance to make ourselves known in the world. Denying someone his or her right to an education is a social injustice that violates the moral order of society. Seeing the reality of a social injustice such as this, is the first thing we can do to make a difference.
Works Cited
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 Oct. 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment