PHM-Exch> Food for a life-long thought (2)

[Claudio Schuftan]

Human Rights Reader 322



*YES, WE EVENTUALLY ALL HAVE BEGGING RIGHTS, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT IT IS ALL
ABOUT. *(part 2 of 3)



*Only social movements can push politicians to turn their promises first
into ad-hoc policies and laws and then into actually enforced social
programs.*
It is essential for us to understand the history of prior social movements
that have either assured the fulfillment or human rights or, at least,
prevented their violation. We will then see that only organization and
social mobilization ultimately create the social power needed to stop
policies that violate human rights (such as the privatization of health
care) and replace policies that meet the true needs of the people.

To give true hope to the people being mobilized, human rights work is to be
understood as a 'practice in action' . Only then can we say that the
growing human rights movement is not an intellectual-type movement, but one
that reacts *and* acts when faced with concrete situations in its
respective environment.  If we want to build up capacities in a block of
countries to follow the HR strategy, it is essential to get social
movements going within those countries and outside them.

To read the full Reader, go to
http://wp.me/plAxa-1Iy

Claudio
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