Title: COVID-19 and Human Rights

Author: Ikuro Anzai, Honorary Director, Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ristumeikan University

Abstract: The global spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has not only claimed the lives of over 800,000 people to date, but has also caused serious human rights violations in many parts of the world. Discrimination and prejudice against Asians and mask wearers led to violent incidents, but soon, heartless discrimination and prejudice was directed against COVID-19-infected people, the health care workers treating them, and their families.

On the other hand, in the United States, not only does COVID-19 affect the poor and blacks and Hispanics at a predominantly higher rate than whites, but the discriminatory reality of the discriminatory situation, which has a more serious impact on professional life than the Howean community, became clear, and human rights violations caused by the new coronavirus infection were a "natural phenomenon" and was shown to be deeply related to the "structural and cultural violence" of modern society.

He also pointed out that the lack of medical equipment to supply oxygen to the critically ill has led to a "selection of lives" that places the elderly in a lower priority in terms of life-saving measures than their younger counterparts.

This web exhibition was created to examine what the Peace Museum can do to help overcome this situation.