Ethnic minority An ethnic minority is a group of people who differ in race or colour or in national, religious, or cultural origin from the dominant group — often the majority population — of the country in which they live. Sometimes, minorities experience discrimination due to their (perceived) differences and they may face difficulties acquiring citizenship. It is estimated that 75% of the world’s stateless people belong to minority groups. Foundling A foundling is a baby or child who has been abandoned and whose parents are not known. They have been ‘found’ by someone else. Foundlings need extra help to acquire citizenship because the identity of their parents is not known (important for jus sanguinis) and it may also not be evident where they were born (important for jus soli). Countries can adopt special rules in their law to ensure that foundlings acquire citizenship and are not left stateless. Human Rights Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. There is also a special set of human rights specifically for children, often known as “child rights”. Country A country refers to a territory with its own borders, people, government and laws. Countries are also often referred to as “states”. Nationality See Citizenship. NGO NGO stands for Non-Government Organisation. This means that it is a group that is not part of the government, but it often does some of the things that governments do, like helping with health care, education, human rights or providing clean drinking water. NGOs are independent of government and are usually not-for-profit organisations with a societal mission. Passport An official document issued by a government, certifying the holder's identity and citizenship and entitling them to travel under its protection to and from foreign countries. While citizenship is a rather abstract notion – something that you cannot see or touch – a passport is a tangible document that can act as proof of citizenship. Racism Racism is the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. See also Discrimination. Refugee A refugee is a person who seeks protection in another country. A refugee is forced to leave their own country for various reasons. For example, because their lives, safety or freedom are threatened by violence and danger. Stateless A stateless person is someone who does not hold any citizenship. The official international law definition, found in a United Nations treaty adopted in 1954 is “a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law”. Some people are stateless because they fail to acquire any citizenship when they are born; others are stateless because they lost their citizenship and did not acquire a new one. 48