168 DO STATISTICS SERVE THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAUSE WELL?
When the same data are pored over many times, there is a danger we will find patterns that are there by accident. (R. Rajan) 1. Statistics today essentially serve lead…
167 THE RECOGNITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SUCH AS THEY ARE EXPRESSED IN INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THEIR REALIZATION
-Human rights are timeless and are the expressions of fundamental entitlements of human beings. -Unless poor people are accorded their rights, their lives will inevitably be short, desperate and unfree.…
166 IT IS ONLY WHEN POTENTIAL INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS ARE SEEN MORE CLEARLY AS BEING HIGH THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE WILLING TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN WORK LEADING TO THE REALIZATION OF THEIR RIGHTS.
1. Let us recall that human rights (HR) originally encompass four main principles: participation, inclusion, accountability and the rule of law*. The sequential steps we envision in a truly progressive…
165 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE NOT SOCIAL ENGINEERS; THEY ARE PUBLIC MOBILIZERS.
-It is unlikely that the naysayers and nitpickers will be able to overrule committed human rights activists. -It is difficult to be an actor, but easy to be a spectator.…
164 FROM A HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE, PUBLIC HEALTH STANDS AT A CROSSROAD.
1. The currently prevailing public health paradigm is suffering from myopia. It mostly embarks in analyzing what really are only the symptoms of the present public health crisis (i.e., non-performing…
163 HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE TO GO FROM THE CONCEPTUAL, TO POLICY TO ACTION.
The pathetic belief in the collective wisdom that there simply is widespread individual ignorance about human rights and we can do nothing about it will lead our work nowhere. (Adapted…
162 HUMAN RIGHTS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
Human rights may seem distant ideals for families starving or unable to protect themselves from preventable illnesses or provide their children with basic education. Yet it is in these circumstances…
161 HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS RICH COUNTRIES ARE NOT HONORING.
With few exceptions, rich countries: Are not taking into account their international human rights (HR) duties when engaging in international assistance and cooperation programs, when they do not follow the…
39. Visionaries in health and nutrition
February blog Claudio Schuftan Halfdan Mahler, pictured above, is a cherished friend, and a member of the People’s Health Movement. He was the Director-General of the World Health Organization for…
160 EXPLORING A CRITICAL, SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO HEALTH RIGHTS. Summary of a paper by Abhay Shukla * (part 4 of 4)
Beyond the conventional human rights approach, towards a radical view of rights The standard conception of human rights relies significantly on the international legal framework discussed earlier. But the same…