- Two questions arise in relation to the objectivity of our work:
a). Would the outlook for eliminating human rights (HR) violations in the world be any better if the people involved in this work go through a concomitant process of more in-depth political awareness acquisition and creation?
b). Would more efforts towards demonstrating the futility of assorted ongoing development programs trigger such a new, more militant, political approach?
- The possible answers to these two questions are, again, ideologically charged.
- The needed creative anger to address so many of the injustices at hand can only be mustered within the framework of an ideology consciously acquired.
- HR activists should be searching for a new ethos, a professional, more explicitly political ethos. The sense of (general) social responsibility found in many (good) scientists and development workers does not seem to be sufficient to see necessary changes occur; alone, it leads nowhere. It may solve the conscience problems of the person who devotes time and effort to doing “something” to solve HR violations. But it has little effect on the real problems of the poor. An isolated emotional commitment is loose and romantic; ideological commitment is militant.
- Popular involvement is absolutely fundamental to success in HR work. What is therefore needed is more dedication to working directly with the claim holders so they can tackle the violations they are victims of themselves. This calls for us to go, as much as possible, back to fieldwork to learn from the people’s perceptions of their problems, and to participate in their consciousness raising. As outsiders, our role is to ask the right questions and not to point at what we think is wrong: It is only through praxis that political consciousness can be strengthened.
- In our work with communities, we have to pass from mutually understanding the local immediate determinants to the analysis and understanding of the local and then general basic determinants of their condition. It is important to demonstrate to the claim holders that it is in their power to change, not only the physical reality that surrounds them, but the social reality as well.
- Local felt needs and claims have to be converted into concrete issues so that a course of action to address them can be mapped out. This may involve people becoming more keenly aware of their rights, as well as through challenging public agencies, landlords and/or other duty bearers (individuals or institutions) by placing specific demands.
- The question that pops up at this point of our discussion is whether this approach is realistic or not. If it is not, let us keep in mind that not being ‘realistic’ is a judgment that history can change: what may sound unrealistic today can very well become true tomorrow –if we work for it with decision.
Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
cschuftan@phmovement.org