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<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2>Human Rights
Reader 147<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoBodyText2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIVERSALITY, SOVEREIGNTY MUST
SOMETIMES COME SECOND TO HUMAN RIGHTS. </FONT></STRONG></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">
</SPAN></B></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">
Are we here to make a
point </SPAN></B></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">
or are we here to
make </SPAN></B></FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">
a
difference?</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt">(Kul
Gautam)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>1. NGOs
purporting to promote the human rights-based framework (HRBF) are actually often
using an incremental-change-approach too slow to really lead to the paradigm
shift needed to put human rights (people’s rights) center stage in development
work. In practice, this ends up being more a rhetorical incorporation of the
HRBF. Such NGOs must be made to look critically at themselves. Very few of them
have actually changed at all as a result of this ‘gradual’ or partial adoption
of a HRBF.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>2.
Even if they promote a new development ethics, they seldom use human rights
principles as its underpinning. Do they still regard human rights (HR) as too
‘political’…? The true problem, I contend, is that such NGOs lack the
familiarity or are reluctant to analyze the politics of what they do.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>3. But it is
ethics, as well as politics that underlie the HR discourse. HR are all <SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">human constructs</SPAN>; true; they have all
been made up by society, they have not been discovered. (This is the essential
difference between science and ethics). I wonder, may this be the barrier these
NGOs have a problem overcoming? Or do they find it difficult to accept the
universality of HR as overarching human and social values? [But the HR discourse
demands (not only appreciates) diversity with regard to the values of others…].
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>4. [To set the
record straight, HR are yet more: they are an ethical, political <U>and</U>
legal matter! This is another difference between the human rights-based
framework and development ethics. In fact, a<SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">ccess to the legal system </SPAN>for people
who are poor, <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">to demand justice
</SPAN>and fairness, is as important as the laws themselves].
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">5. Let’s face
it: Many NGOs are not truly democratic and will not be able to contribute to
democratization and the realization of HR if they continue to do business as
usual. We have to identify and confront those NGOs, because the aid they manage
influences governance and human rights positively or negatively; it all depends
on their attitude (their vision and their mission) and, of course, on the
context. Moreover,</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">trade-offs, we had said in earlier Readers are, in
general, not accepted in a HRBF <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For
example, saying that
‘some-sacrifice-is-necessary-in-order-to-make-it-better-for-future-generations’
ís not a valid HR argument. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>6. NGOs cannot forget that there is a
difference between ‘having a right’ and ‘having a right <U>realized</U>’. All
human beings have all rights all the time! However, in order to have a right
realized, there must be a mechanism the claim holders can (and do) use to
enforce the realization of their rights. If such a mechanism is missing --even
if a desirable outcome has been achieved (e.g., access to primary health care)--
it is no longer about a realized right, but about having received a privilege<I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">.</I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic"> The role of committed NGOs is to help set
up such mechanisms so as to </SPAN>develop the capacity of duty bearers and
claim-holders bringing up their responsibility and the attributes of their power
(i.e., their authority, influence and control over needed
resources).<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>7. [Caveat No.1: Be clear that not all
‘social struggles’ are progressive and contribute to the realization of human
rights. HR have to be made explicit to pave the way for <SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">people’s claims to be enforced]</SPAN>.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">8. We have
often said that HR work of NGOs and of others has to focus both on process and
outcomes. But little </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">progress has been made in
monitoring the quality of such <SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">processes</SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">--</SPAN>largely because ‘good process’ has
seldom been defined. In the HR discourse, process criteria include all human
rights principles </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">(i.e.,
non-discrimination, participation, gender equality, etc.)</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>9. The
training of NGO staff comes out as perhaps the single most important action in a
more in-depth introduction of the HR-based framework. In almost all past cases,
the training has been too short, pedagogically sub-standard and sometimes
simplistic. Two to three 5-days workshops per year for 3-4 years are probably
needed to be capable of understand, internalize and apply the HRBF to
development work. (UNICEF has produced a CD with proposed training
contents).<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>10. In this
training, there is now a growing consensus that capacity development for the
‘progressive realization of human rights’ is a better approach than an approach
primarily centered around denunciating the different HR violations --at least as
far as economic, social and cultural rights are concerned. In reality, perhaps a
mix of or a harmonization between both approaches is
needed.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>11. [Caveat
No.2: The fact that introducing a HRBF needs ‘more than money’, does not mean
that it will need less money. Money is as crucial in HR work as in any other
development approach].<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=2>Claudio
Schuftan, <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Ho Chi Minh
City</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><A href="mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam,vn"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=2>claudio@hcmc.netnam,vn</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2>Adapted from U.
Jonsson,<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> </B>Comments on the book “Human
Rights and Development” by Peter Uvin, mimeo, September 2006.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>