As individuals, groups, and communities engage in political agency, conflicting claims for justice inevitably emerge. The discourse about rights and needs is central to resolving these conflicts.
We can understand participatory rights as a vehicle for empowerment and conflict resolution. However, how do participatory rights manifest themselves in a global setting, such as the so-called Arab Spring or Wikileaks? Do institutions such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) bring new meaning to claims for justice in global affairs?
The International Criminal Court and other global institutions, such as the European and Inter-American Courts on Human Rights, raise questions about individual civil rights and the pursuit of justice for victims of human rights violations, in a global setting. The rights-needs debate underscores the significance of socio-economic class and contemporary slavery. This unit ultimately centers on how global justice applies to civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights and needs. Simply stated, does the recognition of needs supersede claims for rights even when the cost is justice?
Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.
The adage "think globally, act locally" urges people to consider global issues while acting within their communities to affect change. This section considers some on-the-ground challenges of addressing human rights under widely-differing local circumstances and how local actors work on behalf of human rights in their own countries and contexts.
Read this article, which examines some complex applications of the laws and rights we have discussed in this course. What does the right to self-determination mean in states where multiple ethnic, religious, and political groups all lay claim to the same territory? What about when the responsibility to protect causes one state to intervene in another state's civil war, where the outside state ends up taking sides in the conflict? How can we differentiate between a legitimate humanitarian intervention and an attempt to turn a conflict into a proxy war? How do we protect human rights and promote justice in such complex situations?
The authors of this article work at a national human rights organization in Argentina. They discuss how international, regional, national, and local approaches to human rights have changed over the decades, and how the promotion of human rights works in their local context.
This article explores how local, often indigenous, activists are building solidarity with similar communities around the world so they can learn from each others' struggles and support each others' activism and organizing. In this case, the experience of Colombian native peoples helps inform the quest for justice by an indigenous community in Kenya. As you read, think about how these direct, peer-to-peer type activist relationships differ from and change the power dynamic of seeking global justice.
Thus far, we have dealt with human rights issues associated with socioeconomic inequality. These sources dig deeper into how poverty, inequality, and development are issues of global justice.
This short interview with the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty discusses some of the proposed policies to address the problem of poverty worldwide and addresses how poverty is a political problem everywhere.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes "freedom from want" as a fundamental human right, in practice, the global human rights movement has often been separate from movements seeking to address poverty and development. Since the 1990s, there has begun to be some reconsideration of this rift and attempts to connect human rights work with poverty alleviation.
This article discusses three different ways of theorizing about poverty as a violation of human rights. The author argues that the best current argument for this idea conceptualizes poverty as a result of violations of more traditionally-understood human rights. As you read, consider whether you agree with that assessment or whether other ways of thinking about poverty and human rights are more persuasive to you, based on your own experiences and what you have learned so far. Keep in mind your earlier readings, such as Amartya Sen's arguments about freedom as capabilities.
Read section III of this guide, which focuses on how one state, Canada, actually tries to incorporate the human rights law you have been learning about in this course in its programs to alleviate poverty. How well do you think the guidelines here meet global justice requirements as you understand them now?
While poverty remains a major issue, much of the world's population also has disposable income that generates demand for more consumer goods. As suppliers push to meet that demand, they often fall back on age-old production methods, including slavery and forced labor. These remain a significant obstacle for those of us interested in promoting global justice.
This talk introduces some experiences of people who have been enslaved in modern times. How does it match up to your previous ideas of what slavery looks like?
This video gives a broad overview of the many forms modern slavery can take. It investigates how slavery impacts our lives due to the products we consume, the sports we watch, and the services we receive in the modern economy. Think about your understanding of slavery before and after this video. How has it changed? How can people interested in global justice and human rights approach this problem?
This article discusses two ways of thinking about modern slavery: as relation and as structure. They are not presented as two competing ways to analyze slavery, but as two ways to assess the problem. As you read, pay special attention to the idea of slavery as a structure and how it relates to other ideas in this course. Consider the strengths and weaknesses the authors discuss for centering businesses as a way to address modern slavery. What role do you think businesses play in this process, and what additional societal actors need to be involved? Who is most at risk, and how do we best protect them? What are the biggest obstacles we face?
While this exercise is optional, you are strongly encouraged to complete it. This activity is designed to deepen your understanding of course material by linking such material to current events. Follow the instructions in the document. It may be beneficial to present your findings and answers to the questions by posting to the course discussion forum and responding to other students' posts.