JAKARTA — Human rights are often discussed through the language of laws, institutions and serious violations. But there is another, less visible test: how people treat one another in everyday life.
That perspective emerged during Diskusi di Tebet #6, titled “Hak Asasi Rakyat, Masih Adakah di Indonesia?” — “Do People Still Have Human Rights in Indonesia?” — featuring Sandra Moniaga, former Commissioner of Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), at Baca di Tebet Library in South Jakarta on October 7, 2026.
The discussion examined the principles of human rights, national and international mechanisms, and the role of civil society in advancing and protecting them. But human rights do not begin and end in courtrooms or government institutions. They begin with a simple recognition: Every person has equal human dignity.
The Everyday Test
Consider something as ordinary as a queue. Respecting someone’s turn may appear to be simple etiquette. But it also reflects a deeper principle: recognizing that another person has the same right to fair treatment. The same principle applies when we listen to opinions we disagree with, reject discrimination, respect personal boundaries, or give others an equal opportunity.
These actions may seem insignificant individually. Collectively, they help shape a society’s human rights culture. This is why human rights education should not only teach people to ask, “What are my rights?” It should also teach them to ask: “Do I respect the rights of others?”
From Individual Rights to Civic Responsibility
A democracy cannot be sustained by people demanding their own freedoms while ignoring the dignity of others.
Freedom requires responsibility. Equality requires fairness. And democracy requires the ability to live with differences. For a diverse country like Indonesia, this is particularly important. Human rights education therefore needs to move beyond legal terminology and become part of everyday civic education — at home, in schools, workplaces and communities.
Civil Society’s Role
Civil society can help bridge that gap by turning human rights principles into practical understanding.
Jeni Suryanti, Chairwoman of ASJB — Alumni SMA Jakarta Bersatu, believes education should begin early and involve communities beyond formal institutions.
“Human rights are inherent in every human being and must be respected, upheld and protected by the state, the law and the government. As part of civil society, ASJB hopes to collaborate with various parties to provide human rights education from an early age. Respecting the rights of others can begin with simple things in everyday life.”
The message is clear: human rights education should begin before a violation occurs, not only after someone becomes a victim.
A Measure of National Character
The strength of a nation is not measured only by its economy, infrastructure or political institutions.
It is also revealed by how people treat those around them — particularly those with less power, different opinions or different backgrounds. How a manager treats an employee.
How a majority treats a minority. How citizens behave when no authority is watching.
These moments rarely make headlines, but they reveal the character of a society. Human rights, therefore, should not remain merely a legal concept.
It should become a daily habit.
Because the human rights record of a nation is written not only in laws and courtrooms, but also in classrooms, workplaces, homes and public spaces. And sometimes, it begins with something as simple as respecting someone else’s turn. The real question is not only whether we know our rights — but whether we are willing to respect the rights of others.
