PHM-Exch> Food for a quickly spreading thought

[Claudio Schuftan]

Human Rights Reader 225



*OPPOSING **COUNTER**-POWER **TO** **POWER…*



1. Public sector interventions impinge on a vast array of human rights
issues. Quite predictably, these interventions reflect the distribution of
power in our societies.  Therefore, changes have systematically benefited
some groups to the detriment of the wellbeing and the rights of others. As a
matter of fact, these interventions have benefited some classes at the
expense of other classes; some ethnic groups at the expense of other; one
gender at the expense of the other; and some nations at the expense of other
nations.



2. As a matter of yet another fact --and due to the overwhelming power of
the dominant class-- *class analysis* has been replaced by more superficial
categories of analysis that are less threatening to the prevailing social
order.



3. Let it be said: It is not the North-South wealth divide per-se, it is not
globalization per-se, it is not scarcity of resources --it is the *
power-differentials-between-and-among-classes* in these countries (and their
influence over the state) that are at the base of the perpetuation of
disparities that underlie human rights (HR) violations.



4. The question this raises is: Do the main bearers of obligations regard or
take note of this truism?  My view is that the problem with development
agencies or with government institutions is that they too often get hyped-up
with or by ‘promising innovative policies’ (often imported) without giving
the underlying power politics, of where the same policies are to be
implemented, due consideration. This may, of course, be deliberate.* But,
not infrequently, these duty bearers do recognize the underlying need to
redistribute resources more fairly… the problem is they are silent on the
topic of whose resources and how  to do it, i.e., through what mechanisms.
So, in the end,  all remains as mere lip* service.*

*:  Those at the top have an especially large number of interests to
protect.



5. [Conversely, as HR practitioners, we think real innovations start small
and they seldom, if ever, start  at the center].



*A few additional words on empowerment as the catalyst for our growing
counter-power in HR work: *(complementing what was said in HRR 224)



6. The World Bank’s definition of empowerment totally ignores considering
power relations and true social change. (Conversely, the definition by
Wallerstein does see empowerment as a process to change the social and
political environment so as to improve equity).



7. Therefore, *becoming agents of social change* is a key objective of the *
process-of-empowerment* (and of HR work). This requires us to reject using
the said process in any way to reconcile community participation with the
prevailing, top-down-controlled social order!



8. Three insights are called for then, at this point:

i) Empowerment is about power (excuse the redundancy) and thus is a
political issue that recognizes HR work as an avenue to challenge the
established power relations. Therefore, in HR work, power conflicts have to
be dealt with resolutely and have to be resolved in a manner that paves the
way for HR-principles-and-standards to prevail.

ii) The platform or stage for empowerment work is much broader than local
communities; it encompasses the larger social and political context so that
action at state level is also needed. This means we have to broaden the
horizon of the empowerment discourse. (The local struggle is thus
inseparable from the national and the global struggle). [But, beware, the
state can, and often does, hijack the empowerment approach under bogie
pretenses].

iii) Ultimately, it is the class struggle that is intimately related to
empowerment work. Therefore, class analyses need to be performed together
with ‘the under-powered group’ so as to help them transform themselves into
genuine agents of social change, i.e., into claim holders actively demanding
their rights.



Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City

cschuftan at phmovement.org
Adapted from V. Navarro, IJHS, 39:3, 2009; D+C, 35:6, June 2008; and P. de
Vos et al, Social Medicine, 4:2, June 2009.
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