Human rights are the rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or any other condition. They are based on the principle of human dignity and the recognition of the equality and diversity of all. They are therefore universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and must be respected, protected and promoted by all states and civil society actors.

However, the reality is that many people in the world still suffer serious and systematic violations of their human rights, whether through the action or omission of states, armed conflicts, terrorism, organised crime, discrimination, poverty, social exclusion or other factors. These violations negatively affect the life, liberty, security, health, education, development, participation, culture and well-being of millions of people, and jeopardise peace, justice, democracy and the progress of humanity.

It is therefore essential that activism and the defence of human rights is a priority on the global agenda and that effective and coordinated measures are adopted at all levels to prevent, combat and remedy human rights violations, and to guarantee access to justice, reparation and assistance to victims.

In this sense, what aspects do human rights include?

Areas of Human Rights

Human rights encompass both civil and political rights, which refer to freedom, democracy, the rule of law, participation, information and expression, and social, cultural and economic rights, which refer to education, health, food, water, housing, labour, social security and culture. These rights are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and must be guaranteed equally and progressively to all people, without discrimination.

Right to Ethnic and Minority Difference

Discrimination is one of the main causes and consequences of human rights violations and disproportionately affects people belonging to minority, ethnic, religious, linguistic or national groups, such as children, women, migrants, foreigners and refugees. It is therefore necessary to combat all forms of discrimination and ensure that these people have access to the same rights, opportunities and services as other citizens, and that they are respected and valued in their diversity and identity.

At Living Tours, we promote equality and non-discrimination: employees have the right to equal opportunities and treatment in employment, training, career development and working conditions.

Rights of people with disabilities

People with disabilities are those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. It is therefore essential to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities and ensure that they can enjoy a dignified, independent and participatory life, based on the human rights approach and the principle of non-discrimination.

At Living Tours, we promote the professional rehabilitation of the worker and the adaptation of the job to their condition and the best performance of their duties.

Right to Fair Work

The right to work is a fundamental human right, which implies the right of everyone to have the opportunity to earn a living from freely chosen work and to receive fair and satisfactory remuneration. However, millions of people around the world are subjected to undignified forms of work that violate their freedom, dignity and human rights, such as slavery, servitude, forced labour, child labour, domestic work, precarious work and human trafficking.

At Living Tours, we invest in sustainable job creation, with more than 150 jobs created in just the last two years. We also guarantee a wide range of conditions and benefits for our employees, such as discounts, partnerships and corporate protocols with a wide range of entities, extra holiday days, relaxation and leisure spaces, team building events, training, flexible working hours, incentive schemes, among others.

Right to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Sexual orientation and gender identity are fundamental aspects of each person's personality and identity, which must be respected and protected in accordance with human rights. That's why it's urgent to combat all forms of discrimination, and that's why at Living Tours we support the free expression of sexual orientation and gender identity. Throughout the year we have initiatives that reinforce "being who you are", ensuring that LGBTIQ+ people can live freely and with equal treatment.

Living Tours also focuses on promoting a diverse and positive environment: the company is committed to providing a work experience free of any discrimination and harassment, promoting equal opportunities and ensuring integrity and dignity in the workplace for all.

Civil Rights and Religious Freedom

Civil liberties are the rights and guarantees that allow people to exercise their citizenship, participation, expression and opinion freely and democratically. They include, among others, freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, information, association, assembly, demonstration, movement and political participation. Civil liberties are essential for strengthening civil society, democracy, pluralism and the rule of law, and for promoting and defending human rights.

At Living Tours, we encourage voting participation through a democratic system both inside and outside the company, encouraging the free expression of ideas, whether they are about work or the business ecosystem, and we make a point of including people of various faiths, or atheists, in our team.

Permanent and global challenges to human rights

Despite progress, many challenges remain. Authoritarian governments continue to repress dissent, freedom of expression is constantly threatened, and inequality persists, depriving millions of people of basic conditions for a dignified life.

The lack of access to justice, education and health, the impunity of human rights violators and the indifference of some nations to international cooperation in dealing with humanitarian crises represent serious obstacles to the effective protection of these rights.

However, many people in the world are deprived of or restricted in the exercise of their civil liberties, whether by arbitrary, authoritarian or repressive laws, policies or practices, or by acts of intimidation, violence or censorship. It is therefore essential to protect and expand civil liberties and ensure that people can exercise their rights and duties as citizens without fear or coercion.

Everyone's responsibility

Activism and the defence of human rights is everyone's responsibility. Each individual can play a crucial role, whether through raising awareness, participating in social movements, supporting human rights organisations or simply by respecting the rights and dignity of every person in their daily interactions. Education also plays a vital role in promoting and protecting human rights. People need to understand their rights, as well as the responsibilities associated with them, in order to create fairer and more inclusive societies.

At Living Tours, we promote innovation and initiative: in line with everyone's responsibility, employees are free to adopt a committed and proactive individual attitude, suggesting and implementing innovative solutions that create added value and well-being for people and companies.

Activism and the defence of human rights around the world remains a complex and multifaceted challenge. Despite significant progress, much remains to be done to ensure that every individual fully enjoys their fundamental rights.

It is imperative that governments, international organisations, companies, civil society and every individual make an ongoing commitment to the protection, promotion and sustainability of human rights, with a view to building a world where dignity, freedom and equality are guaranteed for all, without exception.

At Living Tours we say yes to concrete support for the defence and participation of human rights, as one of the pillars of our culture and humanity.