Human Rights, State Compliance, and Social Change

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khushgeet Kaur

Although youth are often thought of as targets for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programmes, they are also active partners in creating a more sustainable world and effective ESD programmes. Today, more than ever, young women and men are change-makers, building new realities for themselves and their communities. All over the world, youth are driving social change and innovation, claiming respect for their fundamental human rights and freedoms, and seeking new opportunities to learn and work together for a better future. The education sector is generally seen as the most appropriate forum for involving children and youth in sustainable development, and initiatives to this end have been adopted in many countries. The present paper puts forth such initiatives, interventions and strategies that can be undertaken to engage youth in education for sustainable development at the global as well as the local level.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 817-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn McNeilly

Human rights were a defining discourse of the 20th century. The opening decades of the twenty-first, however, have witnessed increasing claims that the time of this discourse as an emancipatory tool is up. Focusing on international human rights law, I offer a response to these claims. Drawing from Elizabeth Grosz, Drucilla Cornell and Judith Butler, I propose that a productive future for this area of law in facilitating radical social change can be envisaged by considering more closely the relationship between human rights and temporality and by thinking through a conception of rights which is untimely. This involves abandoning commitment to linearity, progression and predictability in understanding international human rights law and its development and viewing such as based on a conception of the future that is unknown and uncontrollable, that does not progressively follow from the present, and that is open to embrace of the new.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-135
Author(s):  
Alexandre Silva Guerreiro

O conceito de humanismo passou por transformações ao longo do tempo. Desde a Grécia Antiga até a contemporaneidade, formou-se um caleidoscópio humanista que abarca significados diversos e, até mesmo, antagônicos. Este artigo propõe uma investigação sobre o humanismo, tendo como objetivo a formulação do humanismo ético para, em seguida, conectá-lo aos direitos humanos. Para isso, considera-se a contribuição de Emmanuel Lévinas (1993, 2008) no que concerne à responsabilidade pelo Outro, bem como a formulação da ética como relacional de acordo com Olinto Pegoraro (2005). A partir disso, buscamos aproximar humanismo ético e direitos humanos. No entanto, é preciso entender os direitos humanos dentro de uma perspectiva polissêmica que também marca o humanismo, trazendo para essa relação a noção de direitos humanos contra-hegemônicos, conforme proposta por Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014). Humanismo ético e direitos humanos encontram-se no desejo de transformação da realidade a partir da reflexão e da ação. Assim, concluímos que os direitos humanos, em sua translação contra-hegemônica, com sua pulsão pela positivação de direitos e pela valorização das diferenças e da diversidade, são atravessados por um humanismo ético que está profundamente conectado com o desejo de mudança social e de responsabilidade pelo Outro, numa perspectiva levinaseana.   Del humanismo ético a los derechos humanos El concepto de humanismo ha experimentado transformaciones a lo largo del tiempo. Desde la Antigua Grecia hasta la época contemporánea, se formó un caleidoscopio humanista que engloba significados diferentes o incluso antagónicos. Este estudio propone una investigación sobre el humanismo con el objetivo de formular el humanismo ético y luego conectarlo con los derechos humanos. Para eso, consideramos la contribución de Emmanuel Lévinas (1993, 2008) con respecto a la responsabilidad para con el Otro, así como la formulación de la ética como relacional según Olinto Pegoraro (2005). A partir de esto, buscamos aunar el humanismo ético y los derechos humanos. Sin embargo, es necesario entender los derechos humanos desde una perspectiva polisémica que también marca el humanismo, trayendo a esta relación la noción de derechos humanos contrahegemónicos, como propone Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014). El humanismo ético y los derechos humanos se encuentran en el deseo de transformar la realidad a través de la reflexión y la acción. Así, concluimos que los derechos humanos, en su traducción contrahegemónica, con su afán por la positivación de los derechos y por valorar las diferencias y la diversidad, están atravesados por un humanismo ético que está profundamente conectado con el deseo de cambio social y con la responsabilidad por el Otro, en un perspectiva levinaseana. Palabras clave: Humanismo. Ética. Lévinas. Derechos humanos.   From ethical humanism to human rights The concept of humanism has undergone transformations over time. From ancient Greece to contemporary times, a humanistic kaleidoscope was formed that encompasses different and even antagonistic meanings. This article proposes an investigation on humanism, aiming at the formulation of ethical humanism and then connecting it with human rights. For this, we consider Emmanuel Lévinas contributions (1993, 2008) regarding responsibility for the Other, as well as the notion of ethics as relational according to Olinto Pegoraro (2005). Also, we seek to bring together ethical humanism and human rights. However, it is necessary to understand human rights within a polysemic perspective that also marks humanism, bringing to this relation the notion of counter-hegemonic human rights, as proposed by Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014). Ethical humanism and human rights come together with the desire to transform reality through reflection and action. Thus, we conclude that human rights, in their counter-hegemonic translation with their drive for positivation of rights and differences and diversity valorization are crossed by an ethical humanism that is deeply connected with the desire for social change and responsibility for the Other, in a Levinasean perspective. Keywords: Humanism. Ethic. Lévinas. Human Rights.


2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (877) ◽  
pp. 9-18

AbstractMary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland (1990–1997), former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002), and current President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, has spent most of her life as a human rights advocate. As an academic (Trinity College Law Faculty), legislator, and barrister, she has always sought to use law as an instrument for social change. The recipient of numerous honours and awards throughout the world, Mary Robinson is a member of The Elders, co-founder and former Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders, and Vice President of the Club of Madrid. She chairs the GAVI Alliance (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) Board and the Fund for Global Human Rights and is Honorary President of Oxfam International, Patron of the International Community of Women Living with AIDS (ICW), and President of the International Commission of Jurists.


2019 ◽  
pp. 223-230
Author(s):  
Bai Guimei

This comment on the contribution by Hilary Charlesworth and Christine Chinkin focuses on three apparent antinomies of women’s rights: margin–mainstream, specialist–generalist, and family–individual. Adding a Chinese perspective to these discussions, the comment highlights the importance of choice of terminology in a particular cultural setting. It also questions the positioning of actors in terms of centre–periphery and shows how various actors can work across limits and perceived locations. Going beyond the discussions in UN bodies, the comment emphasizes the local social contexts and persisting stereotypes that need to be at the centre of social change. This requires a translation of international normative endeavours into local public and private spheres of civil society, economy, and government.


The Drone Age ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 195-233
Author(s):  
Michael J. Boyle

Chapter 7 argues that drones will enable international organizations, NGOs, and advocacy groups to monitor human rights abuses, deliver relief, and pressure governments for change. Small surveillance drones are ideally suited for taking on the “dull, dirty, and dangerous” jobs that are needed in these situations. In the future, drones will be able to transport and drop food and medicine in response to crises in places where humanitarian organizations are reluctant to send their own personnel. Drones will ultimately give these actors another tool with which they can monitor events on the ground and possibly shame governments into stronger action. But drones may also increase the ambitions of IOs/NGOs to intensify the pace of humanitarian relief and social change, even if doing so is unsustainable.


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