PHA-Exchange> Food for a wrongly accepted thought (3)

[Claudio]

From: Elias Davidsson, Iceland 

Judith is  right about the inflationary point for the $1/d MDG. The whole exercise stinks. For human dignity is not measured by dollars, but the capacity of people to live in dignity. 

I have proposed - elsewhere - that the absolute minimum of human dignity be defined as the norms applicable to prisoners of war. This might sound strange to some. However, if you read the norms agreed by most States regarding the conditions of life for POW (in the Geneva Conventions), you'll find a very detailed list of the type and quality of food, water, clothing, accomodation, facilities for learning and sport, etc. Similar, though less binding norms have been adopted by the UNGA for general incarcerated persons, which also require penitentiory facilities to ensure minimal standards of existence to their population. 

I contend that these minimal standards - which are even applicable to convicted murderers - are the absolute minimum that any human being should be accorded, regardless of monetary value. 

One may, however, contend that standards for innocent (non-convicted) persons should be higher. But even if the standard on prisoners would be used, it would be substantially higher than those discussed today in alleviating poverty.


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