Writing Convincingly About Fairness, Equality, and Dignity
Definition
Human rights
The basic freedoms and protections that every person is entitled to, simply because they are human. These include rights to life, safety, education, freedom of expression, and equality before the law.
- Here, you're expected to communicate about rights and justice issues in a way that is both persuasive and balanced, while matching your tone to the audience.
- This is less about solving a technical problem (like sustainability) and more about showing you can argue with moral authority and empathy.
Exam Relevance
This theme is common in Paper 1 tasks that ask you to persuade or defend, in Paper 2 texts that highlight social issues, and in IO images that show injustice or activism.
Paper 1 (Writing)
- The most common text types here are speeches, opinion articles, and formal letters to authorities.
- You might be asked to write a speech for Human Rights Day, or a letter to a government official about inequality.
Strong answers adopt a clear moral stance and use rhetorical devices: appeals to fairness, dignity, and shared values.
Paper 2 (Listening & Reading)
- Texts usually come from NGO reports, campaign leaflets, interviews with activists, or news coverage of inequality.
- The challenge is to spot how writers combine facts and emotional appeal
- An article may cite statistics on unequal pay and then shift to a personal story of discrimination.
- The task tests whether you recognise how both are used to persuade.
- Fact: “One in five children…” → gives authority, makes the argument credible.
- Emotional appeal: “gaps in education can be compounded by the trauma of conflict and displacement.…” → humanizes the statistic, makes the reader care.
Individual Oral (IO)
- Common images include protests, schools, campaigns, diverse groups of people, or symbolic visuals like scales of justice or peace doves.
- The key is to avoid simply describing the image.
- You must use it as a springboard to show awareness of the theme, target culture, and global significance.
- Useful phrases:
- “This image symbolises the struggle for…”
- “This links to the right to…”
- “In [target culture], this is reflected in…”
- “The wider significance is that…”
Language & Moves
You will be rewarded for precise vocabulary that signals rights, fairness, and responsibility.
- Core vocabulary: justice, dignity, discrimination, equity, reconciliation, advocacy, legislation, violation, empowerment.
