Poverty Eradication:A Basic Human Right

Poverty generally refers to material destitution, namely, conditions under which a person＇s or a family＇s life is not up to the lowest socially acceptable standard. Lacking some necessary means of livelihood and services, they live in great difficulty. Poverty deprives a person of his or her naturally endowed value and of life＇s basic necessities. Poverty is a deprivation of the most basic human right and an insult to human dignity.     

Right to Environment:A New Human Right Of Modern Times

Human rights are the fundamental rights. The right to environment is derived from human rights. The right to life lies in the central core of human rights. Without a sound environment it would not be possible to sustain an acceptable quality of life or even life itself. The right to environment therefore originated in the right to life, but transcends lite. Thus it is a new human right of modern times.     

LETTERS

The topic of＂dreams＂ reminds me of a text by the late Chinese writer Shi Tiesheng who was paralyzed when he was 21, in whichhe elaborated on his devotion to sports. He loved track and field the most, more than writing, and his favorite star was Carl Lewis whom, with a strong body and super speed, he regarded as the luckiest man on earth. Shi once thought that he would do anything to have Lewis＇ physique and vigor in another life, if there were one. But observ- ing the athlete＇s rise and fall after a doping scandal, he gained fresh understanding of success, happiness and life in general. He said his dream was to have a healthy body, a beautiful soul and life wisdom. While acknowledging that many think one should not be too greedy or ambitious, Shi＇s overriding belief was that everyone has the right to dream big, and to look forward to the best in the world.     

Migration for Prosperity： Human Rights Theory and Practice Reflected in the Whole-village Relocation of Ethnic Minorities in Lincang,Yunnan Province

Since 2003, the Municipality of Lincang in China＇s Yunnan Province has launched a whole-village relocation project, which has un- precedentedly changed the living conditions of tens of thousands of ethnic minority people and greatly improved their cultural life. Lincang＇s practice is an effec- tive response to Article 13.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states： ＂Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.＂ It has thus enriched the theory of the right to free migration.     

On China＇s Protection of Citizens＇ Right to Be Informed and Construction of Government Information Publicity System

I. The Unfolding Situation of the Philosophy of Right to Be Informed in China and Early Construction of Government Information Publicity System The origin of the thought,known as China’s protection of right to be informed and the construction of government information publicity system     

China＇s Private Economy：Challenges and Solutions：An Economy Matures

For the first three decades of the People＇s Republic, the Chinese economy consisted solely of state-owned or collectively owned enterprises.The emergence of private businesses following China＇s reform and opening-up in 1978 ushered in a private economy that has since grown to account for up to 50 percent of the country＇s GDP,70 percent of its jobs and 30-40 percent of its tax revenue.     

Protection of Freedom of Expression by Chinese Laws

Article 35 of the Constitution provides that citizens of the People＇s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration. This accords with provisions of Articles of 19, 21 and 22 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In his report at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC）, General Secretary Hu Jintao urged to guarantee the people＇s right to freedom of expression. The right to free expression, apart from freedom of speech and of the press, includes the right to use slogans and posters to express political views.     

Lin Zhixin＇s Alternative Approac to Charitable Works

LIN Zhixin, head of Honghua Concentric Masonic and president of Hong Hua Children＇s Home in China＇s Taiwan, is distinct from other philanthropists and charitable workers. This is partly due to his focus on vulnerable groups not included under the government budget, and partly because Honghua Concentric Masonic funds come from self-motivated voluntary donations, rather than governmental aid or appeals to the general public.     

To Guarantee Lawyers' Right to Practice is to Protect Human Rights——An analytical review of the new Law on Lawyers

Power balance is a systematic frame- work that facilitates the forming and existence of rule of law and is also a direct precondition for the forming and existence of rule of law. It is designed for restriction of the State power, and it is also for those who have the administrative power to use their power for safe- guarding the social justice. The lawyers＇ right to practice is an important part of social balance mechanism and is also an internationally accepted form.     

LETTERS

As an avid reader of China .Today to which I first sub-scribed in 1981 at the Guangzhou Fair, I would like to take the liberty now to put something right concerning Valentine＇s Day. This is not a Westem festival and it has nothing to do with a saint or religion. It used to be an Anglo-Saxon habit to dedicate one day per year to present flowers to a person you treasure （friend, lover, nice colleague, etc.）,     

Private Enterprises Contribute Greatly to China＇s Economy

The past three decades of China＇s reforms have witnessed the conception,birth and growth of private enterprises,which now play an important role in optimizing the country＇s economic structure and mode of economic growth, expanding state revenue and providing employment opportunities.     

Constructing an Environment for Sustainable Human Rights Development

THE realization of human rights not only requires lay- ing claims to rights, but also demanding a social environment tavorable to human rights de- velopment. China＇s priorities for the cause of human rights protection are to create a social order favorable to the full realization of human rights, and to construct an environment for sustainable human rights develop- ment,＂ said Luo Haocai, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies （CSHRS）, during his opening- ceremony address at the Sixth Beijing Forum on Human Rights.     

IVlao＇s Hometowr to Embrace More＂Red＂ Tourists

THE 116th anniversary commemoration of Mao Zedong＇s birth, held on November 15, 2009 at Beijing＇s Great Hall of the People, had an unusual twist. This year＇s ceremony included a seminar on how to promote Mao＇s philosophy and the ＂red culture＂ that his charisma has inspired, reflected in the construction of a 12-hectare theme park.     

Nuptials That Can Last Three Years

The Qiang are a monogamous people. Before a couple become husband and wife, they go through a good many rites such as engagement and wedding ceremonies. When a young man takes a fancy to a young woman, he sends a matchmaker to sound out her family. After getting approval from the head of the family, the husband-to-be goes to his fiancé＇s home to organize an engagement banquet and consults to fix the date of the wedding. At the appointed time he entertains his fiancé＇s relatives and friends at her home, and prepares the betrothal gifts. During the whole engagement process, the bride-to-be is supposed to keep out of public view, hiding away in her room or at the home of a relative.     

Combat Terrorism, Protect Human Rights

September 11 terrorist attacks resulted in thousands in death or disappearance and property losses measured in billions of US dollars. The psychological scars suffered by people caused by the scenario of terror can not be measured in numeral terms. The indifference of terrorism to human lives and property created by humankind constitutes serious threat to and violation of human fights, especially the right to life and the right to property, and poses threat to     

2005： Better Protection of Right to Life

The right to life is the essen-tial and most important ofall human rights. For anindividual, it constitutes theprerequisite for the enjoy-ment of all other rights to which he orshe is entitled. In 2005, the Chineseauthorities planned a series of legal mea…     

WEEKLY WATCH

OPINION Mental Health of the Old Recently, an 88-year-old lady in Zhejiang Province sued her son for not allowing her to move to an old age home. She believes her son and daughter-in-law are expressing their filial responsibilities, but she just wants to have more privacy. Nowadays, while children do offer their parents a life with more materialistic support, they are too busy to care about the old people's psychological needs or respect their will. This can lead     

Dilemma and Solution for Relief in the Right to Equal Employment— From the Perspective of Rectifying Private Law with Social Law

At present, the legal remedies in terms of the right to equal employment in China are mainly related to private law, that is,laborers seek direct legal remedies for personality rights liability and infringement liability according to typical private law, supplemented by indirect remedies for labor contract liability under special private law. However, there are many challenges in private law remedies for the right to equal employment, which are manifested in the misunderstanding of the general t...     

Fhe Many Lives of Furniture

HAN Ping, aged 58, is about to move into the new apartment he just bought. He wants to live together with his parents, and new furniture is on his decorating list. Meanwhile, he worries about how to dispose of the old stuff. Seeing that the old furniture has held up for several decades, his aging mother is not convinced it＇s a good move and keeps asking herself, ＂Do we give them up or not？＂ To her, this is a serious question.     

Respect for Human Rights： a Fundamental Foundation for a World of Peace, Security and Harmony

Peace, security, harmonious development and human rights are closely related. Firstly, peace and security are premise and precondition for the insur-ance of human rights. It is obvious that when human beings continue to be threat-ening by wars, conflicts and chaos, their right to life is faint and insecure, and other human rights would not be fully respected or protected. On the other hand, peace and security are foundation for everyone to pursue his or her own objectives. In other words, in a society where peace and secu-rity are maitained, people will have oppor-tunity to enjoy their human rights and to affirm their own ego.