PHM-Exch> Food for an allergizing thought

[Claudio Schuftan]

Human Rights Reader 288

* *

*HUMAN RIGHTS ARE COMPELLING IN THE ABSTRACT, BUT IMPOSSIBLE IN PRACTICE AS
LONG AS THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY.*



-It seems our peers have an allergy to enforcing   human rights
accountability.

-To be effective, accountability needs to be demanded; therefore, effective
mechanisms to demand accountability are badly needed. Are we fostering such
mechanisms?



Monitoring and evaluation both serve accountability purposes, but must be
directed towards human rights standards and principles if they are to have
even a chance to improve the human rights situation. (So beware: *Monitoring
does not automatically lead to demanding accountability!)**.* In human
rights work this means we need to foster bottom-up monitoring systems.
Examples of the same are: citizens report cards, social audits, human
rights impact assessments, public hearings and active complaints mechanisms
plus direct interaction between service users and providers. All these
empower poor and marginalized citizens and make the needed naming and
shaming possible. If this is not achieved, accountability risks becoming
just another development buzzword.



To access the full Reader, go to

http://wp.me/plAxa-1zZ

Claudio
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