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Human Rights in the Digital Age
by Mathias Klang Andrew MurrayThe digital age began in 1939 with the construction of the first digital computer. In the sixty-five years that have followed, the influence of digitisation on our everyday lives has grown steadily and today digital technology has a greater influence on our lives than at any time since its development. This book examines the role played by digital technology in both the exercise and suppression of human rights. The global digital environment has allowed us to reinterpret the concept of universal human rights. Discourse on human rights need no longer be limited by national or cultural boundaries and individuals have the ability to create new forms in which to exercise their rights or even to bypass national limitations to rights. The defence of such rights is meanwhile under constant assault by the newfound ability of states to both suppress and control individual rights through the application of these same digital technologies. This book gathers together an international group of experts working within this rapidly developing area of law and technology and focuses their attantion on the specific interaction between human rights and digital technology. This is the first work to explore the challenges brought about by digital technology to fundamental freedoms such as privacy, freedom of expression, access, assembly and dignity. It is essential reading for anyone who fears digital technology will lead to the 'Big Brother' state.
Human Rights in Theory and Practice: An Overview of Concepts and Treaties
by Ravindran DanielAppreciation of the context that advances or hinders the enjoyment of human rights would provide the basis for developing relevant strategies, including the use of concepts, laws and mechanisms to promote human rights protection. With this aim, this book facilitates reflection on the theory and practice of human rights. It deals with the historical evolution of human rights ideas, traces the evolution of international human rights law, examines the UN and other human rights protection mechanisms, discusses the growth of human rights NGOs and their contribution, and studies the changing contours of the human rights movement. Human Rights in Theory and Practice: An Overview of Concepts and Treaties includes detailed examination of the provisions of major human rights treaties. It is a revised and updated version of the 1998 publication, Human Rights Praxis: A Resource Book for Study, Action and Reflection, which was widely used by activists and other readers and was translated into Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Tamil. The present book will similarly be of interest to human rights activists and scholars of politics, law, sociology, history, international relations and peace studies.
Human Rights in this Age of Uncertainty: Social Work Approaches and Practices from Southeast Europe (European Social Work Education and Practice)
by Vjollca Krasniqi Jane McPhersonThis book, grounded in a human rights framework, takes a close look at social work approaches and practices in Southeast Europe. Human rights are central in today's understanding of social work as an academic discipline and as a professional practice. Looking at social work through a human rights lens unmasks inequality and discrimination, promotes ethical engagements, and contributes to the social, political, and economic betterment of society. Moreover, human rights and social work are interdependent and have far-reaching implications at macro, mezzo, and micro levels both in the realm of social policy and in professional practice.This collection of eight chapters provides an overview of human rights practices in social work in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Romania, and Slovenia. It presents state-of-the-art research on human rights and social work through individual country-focused chapters. In addition, it includes an integrative introductory chapter that identifies and discusses the commonalities and differences across the region as well as future directions.The book takes an integrated approach with conversations among the contributors on three main questions:What is the state of human rights in social work?How are human rights practiced in social work? What are the prospects for an integrated approach to human rights in social work in contemporary Southeast Europe?Human Rights in this Age of Uncertainty is essential reading for social work academics and practitioners in Southeast Europe due to its geographic focus and standpoints from the specific countries of the region. The book also should appeal to a wider European audience (especially as the book features chapters from both inside and outside of the European Union), as well as to an international audience of social work scholars. In addition, policy-makers may find the book a useful resource because human rights discourse features prominently in the international approaches to welfare systems across Southeast Europe as part of the Europeanisation processes currently at play.
Human Rights in Turkey: Assaults on Human Dignity (Philosophy and Politics - Critical Explorations #15)
by Winston Langley Hasan AydinThe book provides the historical setting of Turkey related to the development of democracy, human rights issues, the treatment of cultural and ethnic minorities, and the short- and long-term consequences of the crackdown including impacts on individuals, institutions like education and the media, the criminal justice system, the economy, and Turkey’s standing in the international community. Since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, the military and the media have been the main traditional powers of oppressive, secularist, and nationalist regimes in the country. After a period of initial reforms, rather than eliminating the structures of the authoritarian state, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seized the levers of power and used them aggressively against his political enemies. He turned Turkey into a one-man regime after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and his actions included the widespread violation of human rights.This book tells the tale of the consequences of the measures taken after the failed coup attempt that have adversely impacted the development of democracy and human rights in Turkey, altering the nation’s course of history. Beginning with a State of Emergency that was declared in July of 2016, Turkey has moved to a more authoritarian state. Among the consequences of the actions taken have been imprisonment of hundreds of thousands, the shuttering of media, the dismissal of public employees, the dismissal of academics, jailed elected Kurdish politicians, and the misuse of the criminal justice to victimize the population. Adverse effects have included widespread violations of human rights, torture, and mistreatment of prisoners, false imprisonment, and the absence of the right to a fair trial. This book examines some of the thorniest questions of Turkish democratization and human rights, including the underlying reasons for the decay of democracy and what has happened as a result of this decay. Among these is a deterioration of the educational system, a reduction in economic stability, the absence of the rule of law and due process, a radical transformation of the country, and violations of universal human rights.Endorsements:As one who knows people who have been victimized by the authoritarian regime in Turkey, “Human Rights in Turkey” provides unique insights and perspectives on the changes that have befallen his wonderful country. It is truly insightful. David L. Carter, Ph.D., Michigan State UniversityHuman Rights in Turkey: Assaults on Human Dignity fills a major gap in contemporary political scholarship. Its elucidation of Turkey’s democratic backsliding into a one-man authoritarian regime is insightful and unique. Absolutely required reading for anyone who cares about this beautiful country, its wonderful people, and its uncertain future. Kati Piri, Member of the European Parliament and Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary CommitteeAydin’s and Langley’s book addresses critical issues in a critical case. Turkey had been regarded as a rising democracy in a troubled region, but in recent years the country has experienced troubling signs of democratic erosion. Central to that decline is the precarious status of basic human rights of expression, association, religion, and due process. This book explores what has happened and how it affects individuals and the Turkish polity more broadly.John M. Carey, Ph.D.. Wentworth Professor in the Social Sciences, Dartmouth College, NH, USATurkey was once a poster-boy of the league of modernizing countries – a staunch ally of the West, an almost-democracy that would become better soon enough. It might even be the first Muslim country to join the European Union. That image now lies shattered under the erratic one-man-show of Tayyip Erdoğan. The police state reigns supreme, opposition is cowed, the courts are in shambles, and more journalists are jailed for their opinions than in any
Human Rights in War (International Human Rights)
by Damien RogersThis volume is the most comprehensive and up-to-date compilation of in-depth analyses on human rights violations committed in war. It offers myriad perspectives on the content and application of legal protections offered to civilians, including women, children and the elderly, and to others who are ‘no longer active in the fight.’ A series of carefully researched case studies illustrates the extent to which human rights violations occur in recent and current armed conflict, and signals the ways in which these violations are dealt with. Each of the contributing authors has been selected on the basis of their international academic reputation and/or professional standing within the human rights field. Given the alarming numbers of people harmed in recent and current armed conflict, this book will be of great interest to researchers, policymakers and opinion-shapers alike.
Human Rights, Iranian Migrants, and State Media: From Media Portrayal to Civil Reality (Routledge Studies in Media, Communication, and Politics)
by Shabnam MoinipourThis book offers a detailed analysis of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s approach towards human rights in the media. It looks at the state-owned and state-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), employing content analysis and multimodal critical discourse analysis to explore its underlying strategies in portraying the international rights norms. The book also features analysis of surveys and interviews of recent Iranian migrants to determine the extent to which the Iranian public is aware of human rights principles and their views on whether and how the international rights norms are portrayed on IRIB.
Human Rights, Islam and the Failure of Cosmopolitanism (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by June EdmundsCosmopolitanism, as an intellectual and political project, has failed. The portrayal of human rights, especially European, as evidence of cosmopolitanism in practice is misguided. Cosmopolitan theorists point to the rise of claims-making to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) among Europe’s Muslims to protect their right to religious freedom, mainly concerning the hijab, as evidence of cosmopolitan justice. However, the outcomes of such claims-making show that far from signifying a cosmopolitan moment, European human rights law has failed Europe’s Muslims. Human Rights, Islam and the Failure of Cosmopolitanism provides an empirical examination of claims-making and government policy in Western Europe focusing mainly on developments in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. A consideration of public debates and European law of conduct in the public sphere shows that cosmopolitan optimism has misjudged the magnitude of the impact claims-making among Europe’s Muslims. To overcome this cul-de-sac, European Muslims should turn to a new ‘politics of rights’ to pursue their right to religious expression. This book is a theoretically challenging re-evaluation of cosmopolitan arguments through a rigorous discussion of rights-making claims by Europe's Muslims to the European Court of Human Rights. It combines sociological and legal case analysis which advances understanding of one of the most pressing topical issues of the day.
Human Rights Journalism and its Nexus to Responsibility to Protect: How and Why the International Press Failed in Sri Lanka’s Humanitarian Crisis
by Senthan SelvarajahThis book takes a holistic approach by capturing the various perspectives and viewpoints concerning the theory and practice of Human Rights Journalism. Firstly, this book helps fill the epistemological vacuum present in Human Rights Journalism by proposing ‘pragmatic objectivity’ within the critical constructivist epistemology. Secondly, it defines the Human Rights Journalism-Responsibility to Protect nexus by identifying five key elements. Thirdly, it proposes a Human Rights Journalism-Responsibility to Protect conceptual model, which illustrates how an embedded human rights focussed media strategy can be designed. Fourthly, this book proposes two novel quantitative analysis tools called the ‘Framing Matrix’ and the ‘Multimodal Discourse Analysis Matrix’ that are equipped to deal with a big sample size over a long period of time. These tools are used to examine the practice of Human Rights Journalism and the typology of news stories of distant sufferings. Finally, it provides a scientific explanation for those in search of the answer to why one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, which took place in Sri Lanka in 2009, did not create any global compassion or garner attention.
Human Rights Law and Evidence-Based Policy: The Role of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (Routledge Research in Human Rights Law)
by Han Entzinger Rosemary ByrneThe EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) was established to provide evidence-based policy advice to EU institutions and Member States. By blending social science research with traditional normative work, it aims to influence human rights policy processes through new ways of framing empirical realities. The contributors to this volume critically examine the experience of the Agency in its first decade, exploring FRA’s historical, political and legal foundations and its evolving record across major strands of EU fundamental rights. Central themes arising from these chapters include consideration of how the Agency manages the tension between a mandate to advise and the more traditional approach of human rights bodies to ‘monitor’, and how its research impacts the delicate equilibrium between these two contesting roles. FRA's experience as the first ‘embedded’ human rights agency is also highlighted, suggesting a role for alternative and less oppositional orientations for human rights research. While authors observe the benefits of the technocratic approach to human rights research that is a hallmark of FRA’s evidence-based policy advice, they also note its constraints. FRA’s policy work requires a continued awareness of political realities in Brussels, Member States, and civil society. Consequently, the complex process of determining the Agency’s research agenda reflects the strategic priorities of key actors. This is an important factor in the Agency’s role in the EU human rights landscape. This pioneering position of the Agency should invite reflection on new forms of institutionalized human rights research for the future.
Human Rights Law in Egypt and Malaysia: Freedom of Religion and Expression, Volume 1 (Political Economy of Islam)
by Asif MohiuddinThe discourse surrounding freedom of religion and expression in Muslim-majority countries is complex and multifaceted, shaped by a myriad of factors including cultural, political, and legal dynamics. This volume examines the complex interplay of these factors within the contexts of Egypt and Malaysia, offering valuable insights into the challenges and advancements in safeguarding these fundamental freedoms. From the diverse interpretations of Islamic principles to the varying legal frameworks and the influence of global events, such as geopolitical conflicts and terrorism, on human rights dynamics, this volume provides a comprehensive exploration of the complexities involved. Moreover, it delves into the historical, social, and political contexts that shape the protection and limitation of these freedoms, offering a nuanced understanding of the evolving discourse surrounding human rights in Muslim-majority countries. Through comparative analyses and discussions on the role of civil society and advocacy groups, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and activists seeking to deepen their understanding of the multifaceted realm of freedom of religion and expression in Egypt and Malaysia.
Human Rights Law in Egypt and Malaysia: Minorities and Gender Equality, Volume 2 (Political Economy of Islam)
by Asif MohiuddinIn Muslim-majority countries, safeguarding minority rights and advancing gender equality are vital components of the broader human rights discussion. Minority rights encompass various groups, including ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, who often face discrimination, marginalisation and unequal treatment within society. These challenges are rooted in historical, cultural and socio-political factors that shape legal frameworks and societal attitudes towards minority communities. Similarly, gender dynamics play a significant role in the human rights discourse in these nations, as women encounter various forms of discrimination and inequality, such as limited access to education, employment, and participation in decision-making processes. This volume explores the legal frameworks concerning minority rights and gender equality in Egypt and Malaysia, shedding light on the challenges faced by marginalised groups in these countries. It evaluates the effectiveness of legal instruments and mechanisms in addressing discrimination and promoting inclusivity within these societies. Furthermore, it examines laws, government policies and court rulings related to women’s rights, covering essential topics such as education, employment and political engagement. This volume offers valuable insights for policymakers, legal practitioners, academics and activists dedicated to understanding and advocating for human rights in these societies.
Human Rights of Older People
by Claudia Martin Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón Bethany BrownThis book focuses on descriptions of the developments in legal frameworks and policies regarding the human rights of older persons. First, it covers the policies adopted and practices developed at the universal system, particularly within the sphere of the United Nations. Second, it includes a side-by-side comparison of the work of regional human rights mechanisms, which have picked up some momentum in the past decade. Through its inclusion of law, policy, and current processes, the widest net possible has been cast to collect a descriptive resource for advocates. Overall, we hope that this book contributes to a better understanding of the current limitations and possibilities that international institutions offer to uphold the human rights of older persons. We expect that this information will allow states and other policy makers to move forward with the international recognition of the human rights of older persons. We know this is only a first effort in compiling and reporting the standards that are being produced by different international institutions. But we have no doubt that many others will follow with their expert analysis of these emerging standards, and that the ongoing discussion will finally crystalize in international human rights binding instruments explicitly recognizing the universal rights of older persons.
Human Rights of the Third Gender in India: Beyond the Binary
by Lopamudra SenguptaThis book engages with the discourses on human rights as they apply to the transgender or the hijra community in India, capturing not only their larger struggle for legal rights and dignity but also their personal hardships. It situates the issues and concerns of the Indian transgender community within a global context to explore the extent of social justice in independent India. By narrating stories of individuals, local movements and activities of groups like the Association of Transgender/Hijra in Bengal (ATHB) and others, the book gives context to the changes that globalisation has brought to the narrative around transgenders in India. This shift has challenged their marginalisation and has led to stories, films and queer individuals like Chapal Bhaduri – the jatra rani – and the iconic filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh to flourish and become relevant. This book brings these literatures and personal stories to the fore, allowing readers to perceive the changes and the challenges that Indian society faces when it comes to ensuring the rights for transgender people. This volume will be of interest to scholars of gender studies, queer studies, literature and social work along with readers who want to engage with the transgender movement and community in India.
Human Rights Policing: Reimagining Law Enforcement in the 21st Century (Routledge Series on Practical and Evidence-Based Policing)
by Peter Marina Pedro MarinaRelying on intense ethnographic research and extensive experiences teaching human rights policing to police officers, this book teaches law enforcement professionals how to apply human rights to their everyday interactions with community members. The data collected throughout this research process offers the reader first-hand accounts of police officers addressing the most important human rights as they relate to policing, telling stories of using their human agency while on the job, and providing insights into their discussions with community members on human rights, among other important topics. Human rights remain a relatively new concept in human civilization, but one largely unrealized at this point in history. Can police officers serve as the harbingers of human rights in a world that desperately needs it? We say yes. It starts with applying human rights to police work. But this book does more than teach police officers how to apply human rights to their careers. It reimagines the institution of law enforcement as we push toward the later stages of modernity. Refusing to tell readers what to think, this book provides the intellectual tools on how to think about policing in new and creative ways. It seeks to bring out the readers’ full creative potential as law enforcement agents, police officers, and criminal justice professionals and activists. This book advances new ideas throughout each chapter on how to make human rights policing a reality. The ideas in each chapter build on each other, offering a small piece of the puzzle and all the steps necessary to advance the goals of human rights policing. The book (1) analyzes the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and how it applies to policing, (2) develops a three-fold typology called “Human Rights Policing Social Interactions,” (3) discusses the relationship between the use of power and human rights, (4) explains the power of human agency to transcend the ordinary, (5) uncovers the creation of folk devils that threaten human rights, (6) describes how to use the sociological imagination to understand community members, (7) reveals the importance of storytelling to see the world from the actor’s point of view, (8) discusses the double consciousness and the creation of the “other,” (9) describes what we call “soulful policing” and engaging with the community— Chicago style, and (10) provides social policy suggestions at both the national level and local policing level. This book will challenge the reader in fascinating and highly surprising ways to think about, and, further, to reimagine policing as we push toward the future. It will appeal to professionals at all levels of law enforcement, and will be useful in programs offering degrees and/or certificates to students of criminal justice.
Human Rights Politics: An introduction (Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Rights #12)
by Michael KrennerichThe book offers a comprehensive and clear introduction for students and those interested in human rights, written by a renowned human rights expert. It not only provides an introduction to the diversity of issues, actors and institutions in human rights policy and politics, but also offers assistance and suggestions on how the complex reality of human rights politics can be described and analysed with the help of political science and related disciplines. It deals with civil society engagement in human rights as well as state obligations and international efforts to protect human rights.This is an open access book.
Human Rights Praxis and the Struggle for Survival
by William T. Armaline Davita Silfen GlasbergAsserting a critical sociological perspective, Human Rights Praxis and the Struggle for Survival reveals the contested historical processes through which fundamental human needs are constructed as “rights” under international law, and how those rights are confronted by the ruling relations and crises inherent to contemporary global capitalism and the waning American hegemonic world order.Put simply, the book explores why human rights as a formal legal project has failed to deliver on guaranteeing human survival, let alone universal human dignity. Rather than stopping at critique, the authors propose a specific, materialist intellectual and political agenda for the preservation of collective human survival that can achieve the historically unique notions of common humanity and human emancipation. The authors build on previous work, further developing the sociology of human rights as a distinct field at the intersection of Social Sciences and International Law. They take on several provocative theoretical debates, such as those over connections between racism and capitalism; the existence of a global or “transnational” police state; the control, growth, and exploitation of migrants/migration; and the complex relationship between political repression and various forms of domination.Human Rights Praxis and the Struggle for Survival offers critical analysis of contemporary politics and options for students, scholars, organizers, and stakeholders to grapple with some of the most pressing social problems of human history.
Human Rights, Race, and Resistance in Africa and the African Diaspora (Routledge African Studies)
by Toyin Falola and Cacee HoyerAfricans and their descendants have long been faced with abuse of their human rights, most frequently due to racism or racialized issues. Consequently, understanding shifting conceptualizations of race and identity is essential to understanding how people of color confronted these encounters. This book addresses these issues and their connections to social justice, discrimination, and equality movements. From colonial abuses or their legacies, black people around the world have historically encountered discrimination, and yet they do not experience injustice opaquely. The chapters in this book explore and clarify how Africans, and their descendants, struggled to achieve agency despite long histories of discrimination. Contributors draw upon a range of case studies related to resistance, and examine these in conjunction with human rights and the concept of race to provide a thorough exploration of the diasporic experience. Human Rights, Race, and Resistance in Africa and the African Diaspora will appeal to students and scholars of Ethnic and Racial Studies, African History, and Diaspora Studies.
Human Rights, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity
by Anne HellumHow human rights principles, like the right to gender identity, freedom, integrity and equality, respond to the concerns of different groups of adults and children who experience gender harm due to the binary conception of sexuality and gender identity is the overall theme of this book. The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity are analysed in the light of the dynamic jurisprudence of different human rights treaty bodies. Whether and how the status quo of gender duality is reproduced, in spite of international law’s growing recognition of the multiplicity of sexualities and gender identities, is discussed. How transgender men, in countries that permit legal gender change, have been successfully prosecuted for gender fraud by female partners claiming to be unaware of their gender history is given attention. While human rights discourse related to LGBTI persons so far has been moulded on the experiences of adults this book gives voice to the concerns of gender-non confirming children. The jurisprudence of the Child Rights Committee, with focus on the complex social and legal issues faced by gender non-confirming children, is addressed. Through narratives, that give voice to these children’s experiences, the book demonstrates how the legal gender assigned at birth impacts on their feeling of recognition, self-confidence and self-respect in the private, social, and legal spheres. This book was previously published as a special issue of the Nordic Journal of Human Rights.
Human Rights, Social Movements and Activism in Contemporary Latin American Cinema
by Mariana Cunha Antônio Márcio da SilvaThis edited collection explores how contemporary Latin American cinema has dealt with and represented issues of human rights, moving beyond many of the recurring topics for Latin American films. Through diverse interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches, and analyses of different audiovisual media from fictional and documentary films to digitally-distributed activist films, the contributions discuss the theme of human rights in cinema in connection to various topics and concepts. Chapters in the volume explore the prison system, state violence, the Mexican dirty war, the Chilean dictatorship, debt, transnational finance, indigenous rights, social movement, urban occupation, the right to housing, intersectionality, LGBTT and women’s rights in the context of a number of Latin American countries. By so doing, it assesses the long overdue relation between cinema and human rights in the region, thus opening new avenues to aid the understanding of cinema’s role in social transformation.
Human Rights Struggles in Twentieth-century France: The League of the Rights of Man and Causes Célèbres (Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements)
by Max LikinThis book provides an introduction to human rights controversies in twentieth-century France, from the Dreyfus Affair at the beginning of the century, to the arguments over women and immigrants’ rights at its end. Using the Ligue des Droits de L’Homme (LDH) - or the League of the Rights of Man - as a narrative thread for this chronological study, the book tracks the gradual expansion of human rights in France in the wake of the two world wars, the Algerian quagmire and decolonisation more generally. Examining the capital role of the LDH whilst also highlighting the role of individuals and key activists, the book helps us to contextualise the quandaries faced by unseen minorities, particularly colonial subjects and women. The analysis also demonstrates the influence of French human rights activism on key international documents of human rights law, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The LDH occupies a central place in French justice debates and is therefore an ideal template to analyse the rising influence of humanitarianism and crimes against humanity in French causes célèbres from the 1970s onwards. However, the author goes further to look beyond the LDH and even France itself, offering wide-ranging surveys of dominant rights issues across Europe at any given period. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with key members of the LDH, this book provides an accessible overview of human rights struggles in twentieth-century France.
Human Rights Trade-Offs in Times of Economic Growth: The Long-Term Capability Impacts of Extractive-Led Development (Latin American Political Economy)
by Areli ValenciaThis book uncovers a historical dependency on smelting activities that has trapped inhabitants of La Oroya, Peru, in a context of systemic lack of freedom. La Oroya has been named one of the most polluted places on the planet by the US Blacksmith Institute. Residents face the dilemma of whether to defend their health or to preserve job stability at the local smelter, the main source of toxic pollution in town. Valencia unpacks this paradoxical human rights trade-off. This context, shaped by social, historical, political, and economic factors, increases people’s vulnerabilities and decreases their ability to choose, resulting in residents' trading off their right to health in order to work. This book shows the deep connection of this local dilemma to the country’s national paradox, arising out of Peru's vision of natural resource extraction as the main path to secure economic growth for the entire country at the expense of some groups.
Human Rights Transformation in Practice (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)
by Tine Destrooper Sally MerryHuman rights are increasingly described as being in crisis. But are human rights really on the verge of disappearing? <P><P>Human Rights Transformation in Practice argues that it is certainly the case that human rights organizations in many parts of the world are under threat, but that the ideals of justice, fairness, and equality inherent in human rights remain appealing globally—and that recognizing the continuing importance and strength of human rights requires looking for them in different places. <P><P>These places are not simply the Human Rights Council or regular meetings of monitoring committees but also the offices of small NGOs and the streets of poor cities.In Human Rights Transformation in Practice, editors Tine Destrooper and Sally Engle Merry collect various approaches to the questions of how human rights travel and how they are transformed, offering a corrective to those perspectives locating human rights only in formal institutions and laws. <P><P>Contributors to the volume empirically examine several hypotheses about the factors that impact the vernacularization and localization of human rights: how human rights ideals become formalized in local legal systems, sometimes become customary norms, and, at other times, fail to take hold. Case studies explore the ways in which local struggles may inspire the further development of human rights norms at the transnational level. <P><P>Through these analyses, the essays in Human Rights Transformation in Practice consider how the vernacularization and localization processes may be shaped by different causes of human rights violations, the perceived nature of violations, and the existence of networks and formal avenues for information-sharing. <P><P>Contributors: Sara L. M. Davis, Ellen Desmet, Tine Destrooper, Mark Goodale, Ken MacLean, Samuel Martínez, Sally Engle Merry, Charmain Mohamed, Vasuki Nesiah, Arne Vandenbogaerde, Wouter Vandenhole, Johannes M. Waldmüller.
Human Rights, Tribal Movements and Violence: Tribal Tenacity in the Twenty-first Century in Central Eastern India
by Debasree DeThis book sheds light on the issues of structural violence perpetrated against the tribes and analyzes the infringement of human rights of the tribes in the neo-liberal hegemonic context, due to which the tribes are going through massive upheaval – induced displacement and dispossession from livelihood. They are unable to advance their existentialist interests and fulfil their aspirations, because of which they are taking recourse to extremism and get caught into the battle of state sponsored militia and forces on the one hand, and the extremists on the other. The mechanism of structural violence is embedded in the global capitalism, which has its roots in colonialism and imperialism. Tribal movements of the central-eastern India, inspired by human rights exigencies, are up against this imperial project that violates the trajectories of state-led development initiatives for the reason that these movements have been brutally suppressed by the military forces. This has given a political impetus to the tribes for self-assertion. Similarly, tribal activism in the central-eastern India during the twenty-first century addresses the issue of violence in nature and the infringement of human rights in the context of development-induced displacement and the spread of extremism. The book is based on the collection of data from the field investigations done during the last seven years, and it will definitely fill the vacuum in the history of tribal movements in the neo-liberal era.
Human Rights under the African Charter
by Allwell UwazuruikeThis book critically examines the civil, political, socioeconomic, and group rights protected under the African Charter and its Protocol on women’s rights. It then examines the institutional protection of these rights through the African Commission and African Court. The book builds on the concept of regionalism within Africa and the recent drive for finding “African solutions to African problems” by tracing the development of human rights within Africa and assessing the effectiveness of Africa’s core regional human rights institutions. In turn, it critically analyses the obstacles to the full implementation of human rights in Africa such as the lack of political will, jurisdictional issues, lack of resources and funding, poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and customary practices that violate human rights. In closing, the book discusses possible solutions to these problems.