As we have said in previous Readers, most democracies are sham democracies, where the exploited are easily fooled, have little money and cannot push for their own interests. Western-style electoral…
In the above case, it has been said that individual human rights (HR) may be in conflict with social benefits. But the fact is that one can respect individual HR…
Underdevelopment, with its flagrant violations of human rights, can and does persist with the full connivance of the exploited and of those who purport to work on their behalf. As…
Human Rights Planning and Programming Although HR are equal and cannot be prioritized based on intrinsic merit, actions to realize the rights can be. It is not enough that planning,…
Some general truisms A human right is both a right to something and a right against somebody. Human rights (HR) dignify rather than victimize or patronize people….plus they make people…
Today, too much emphasis is placed on representative rather than direct democracy. We forget that the beginnings of democratic development in Europe were not marked by elections, but by struggle…
Who will live and who will die has already been decided by the economic structures brought about by globalization (P. John) These days, bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) are totally…
If you recognize and agree with a) the indivisibility of rights, b) the equal importance of people’s socio-economic entitlements, and c) the principle of equity, you must accept that this…
Are we here to make a point or are we here to make a difference? (Kul Gautam) NGOs purporting to promote the human rights-based framework (HRBF) are actually often using…