-For the HR paradigm to impose itself, small is beautiful, but big is necessary. (F.H. Abed)
-The thinking that created the problem cannot be the same as that which will solve it. (Albert Einstein)
1. For this Reader, allow me to get back to my files and put together a few not necessarily connected ideas extracted from different sources.
2. As this Reader has argued before, the (not so) veiled attempt to castigate the emerging human rights (HR) paradigm is but one more aggression of the ‘Development Establishment’ that adds insult to injury to the debate on how to achieve real sustainable development.
3. But the debate and our struggle continues its relentless advance. Here is just a sample of the issues it comprises.
A. When can we expect the widespread introduction of human rights standards and principles to become a reality? … When most players agree
4. The most facetious response I ever heard from a recalcitrant duty bearer was: “Yes, hmmm, human rights… we think it is urgent to wait”. This is just one extreme example of how the elites have failed to connect the ivory tower they live-in to main street. Whether they are based on reason, conjecture or delusion, they embark in a string of patch solutions that may be partially effective, but ultimately, effective only to buy the haves some time. Let us be clear: In HR work, trite, banal or cliché as it may sound, a cookie-cutter-approach does not work.
5. Being basically silent about HR violations is to-all-intents-and-purposes accepting HR violations as a fait-accompli. It is a political fact that the height of indifference, of lack of social consciousness and of concern has no known ceiling. (Jerome Koenig)
6. For example, as self-interested-outsiders to the development process, transnational corporations (TNCs) are simply not adhering to the ‘triple bottom line’ of profit, planet and people they say they are willing to abide by, i.e., trying to improve environmental and workers conditions as they make a profit. Although they claim to abide by this triple bottom line in their glossy brochures (full of value-laden words and ambiguities), this is yet another example of one of those empty buzz phrases of corporate social responsibility for which TNCs are so well known.
7. Two further examples come to mind here: a) many of our rulers defend the idea of immigration, but hate immigrants (don’t they?), and b) on top of that biased inconsistency, yet another one: when they talk about citizens rights, they invariably leave out migrants and refugees. (Isabel Allende)
(This, of course, goes against HR principles).
8. The fact that key duty bearers do not really care is not intuitively appealing. But this is the reality we face. The evidence is there to show it. Therefore, given the current gap between people’s aspirations and the results of past and current development initiatives, we have no choice but to rise to the challenge, i.e., we have to embark in a critical tactical counterattack –an attack for equality*, for social justice and for dignity ergo for human rights. (Albino Gomez)
*: Note that equity is a justice term; equality is the equivalent human rights term.
9. The problem with such a counterattack is our own hesitant attitude towards it and, in general, the way we are. Whether we call it a lack of commitment or a lack of will is irrelevant here; it is just a semantic difference. (I am aware this causal argument of mine may well be only partially true, but I am here just expressing an inconvenient truth that flies in the face of the argument that most of our fellow development workers are indeed adopting the HR-based framework in their work. The truth is they are not –yet.
10. This brings us to consider what we are told versus what is really happening with the current development process. The fate of what is ‘true’ in development work is quite sad: variously manipulated, it too often ends up being a lie**. (But although not really a consolation, deep down, for the liar, every lie implies a tacit recognition of the truth). (A. Gomez) The problem is that many of our colleagues do not mind being lied-at, as long as the lie does not affect them directly…and that, I am afraid, is the problem with some of our fellow development workers.
**: Note that myths are not necessarily lies (even if many are…). They can be great stories that entice us to believe we can actually achieve what we set out to do. (Susan George)
11. At this point, it is worth borrowing from Albert Einstein. He reminded us that “the real purpose of [human rights] is precisely to overcome and advance beyond the predatory phase of human development”.*** (He actually used socialism instead of human rights).
***This reminds me of an old joke: Here is a definition of dialectics: Hello, is this the Hegel residence? … “Yes and no”. (A. Gomez)
12. Jokes aside, what it all boils down to is: We may be intelligent, but do we have the right experience? If we do, have we learned from that experience? (F. Stern) Does that experience tell us that the HR-based approach is the strategy whose time has come? Do any of you hesitate? If yes, why?
13. I contend that too many of our colleagues are not rescuing what is substantial from the things they have experienced to apply it to what matters for HR. Maybe this is an exaggeration, but it is becoming part of the local folklore in our guild in many places the world over. (Z. Acevedo Diaz)
14. For instance, in terms of experience: What have we learned from the corruption of the ‘hambourgoisie’? (If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys; if you pay truffles, you get pigs). What have we learned from public-private-for profit partnerships (PPPPs)? (Best characterized by two brothers who own one cow: one feeds the cow, the other enjoys the benefits of milking the cow).
15. We have to bring such experiences (and many other) to a level of ‘impertinent consciousness’ (Sub-comandante Marcos) where we will be so disturbed that we will act. The crucial role of Human Rights Learning cannot be emphasized enough here.
B. Earth Rights
16. A topic I have hardly covered before in the Readers is that, along the lines of HR, one can speak of the rights of nature. Nature is also being neoliberalized. As a consequence, we can say we are living in a planet that has already started to die –faster than its inevitable cosmic fate.**** (Faced with such a fast degradation of the environment in our little planet, one can say the relentless process is like a child sitting in a chocolate house who starts to eat its walls without understanding that at any time, if anything is left, the house will collapse on him/her. (C. Castoriadis and A. Gomez) A new tough-hitting Green Movement has emerged strongly though. Indeed a welcome development in the direction of the rights of nature.
****: Il n’y a que le provisoire qui dure. (F. Stern)
17. But beware: As a matter of fact, some tendencies in the ecological movement can also sometimes be quite reactionary –not always in sync with HR standard and principles. This controversy has a clear ideological tint to it and is not meant in a judgmental sense here…I think outlier tendencies like that will eventually die out.
18. Bottom line: I am actually an optimist. Nature’s protection drive will win over its abuse. (…As hopefully also the movement for women’s rights will displace patriarchy).
C. Science and human rights
19. Just for your reassurance: The new HR paradigm has a strong foundation in the philosophy of sciences: It can be soundly and scientifically applied to achieve veritable social change.
20. Now, because the dynamics of change is often different for science (and technology) than for society*****, we do need a drastic change in this domain. (Just consider how many scientific conferences where the best meet the brightest have become so awfully elitist and disconnected from society’s urgent needs. Also, and not facetiously, keep in mind that to steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research).
*****: In society, all we describe as reality is always an interpretation since ideology plays a key role in finding what one looks for. (A. Gomez)
21. As opposed to the one way flow of charity, if we apply the HR principles of universality-inalienability, individuality, interdependence-interrelatedness, equality-nondiscrimination, participation-inclusion, accountability-rule of law and empowerment, our actions in development work will not be open to ambiguous interpretations; these principles are scientifically sound and are clearly established in international HR law.
22. Moreover, as you know, we are called to make sure HR are respected, protected and fulfilled (facilitated and provided for). In other words,
• Respect means to do no harm to others.
• Protect means to prevent harm to others by third parties.
• Facilitate means to help others to meet their own rights.
• Provide for means to meet others’ needs when they cannot do that themselves.(G. Kent)
23. The bottom line here is that, for progress to be made in HR work, what we really need then is research-for-HR as opposed to HR-research. The former, importantly focuses on the multi-tiered actions needed to achieve HR impacts using HR-based processes.
Epilogue
24. To quote Isabel Allende yet again, by now, I have lost the arrogant certitude I had in my youth. I have learned the hard way that there is a distance between what is necessary and what is indispensable. I nowadays go for the latter. As Leo Tolstoi did, I now understand that every human tragedy is unique for those who suffer it –and this is what is at the core of the HR-based approach.
25. Due to its vital force, in our youth, we are inspired more by hope than by confidence. (Ortega y Gasset) If there is one thing I have gained as I reach the golden age, that is confidence. The question is: Have I been plowing in the ocean though? I see a future not so bleak; I do not dare to be pessimistic. (Dean Acheson) Reason will eventually be instilled into ‘homo sapiens/demens’ and (as the song goes…) we shall overcome….some day. (Leonardo Boff)
Claudio Schuftan in Ho Chi Minh City
cschuftan@phmovement.org