The Future of Society: Dystopian and Utopian Aspects in H.G. Wells

              This post is a summary of the essay with the title above published at   https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/51a5/4461ffb9d527b7f8c65f3e521d76a1957148.pdf

               The year is 1895; H.G.Wells is a 29 year-old author who has just published his first novel The Time Machine. It depict a man of the new century, a man of science and rationality, as he travels through time and discovers the future. The novel explores the futuristic ideas of a man raised in a society that is subject to great social change. H.G.Wells was at this time a biologist, a firm believer in Darwinian Theory. Throughout his career he would describe himself as a "journalist" portraying the world around him. He is today a giant of literature, the father of science fiction. This essay explores the dystopian and utopian writings of H.G.Wells, focusing on The Time Machine (1895) and Men Like Gods (1923). Both novels reflects the social discourse of the time in which the author wrote them. Further, I will argue that there is a change in the mindset of the author from the pre-war novel of 1895 to the novel written after the great war. Both novels contain dystopian and utopian elements, but that in the pre-war novel Wells does not provide a solution to the problem described. That changes in Men like Gods when Wells describes a society and culture that he wants the world to strive for, a system that would cause mankind ro evolve into a single unified society devoid of class, injustice, disease and wars through technological and educational progress. The Time Machine follows an enlightened man as he travels through time. The novel is a combined adventure-story and critique of society, a way for Wells to comment on the problems he sees in Victorian England and a call for those around him to accept a new future based on practically, pragmatism and scientific truth instead of the medieval dogmas and norms. In Men Like Gods Wells attempts to offer the solution to the problems he has experienced during his lifetime, a reporter is transported to a future where there is no centralized government, where education and demoratic freedoms form the ideal society called utopia. The purpose of this essay is that you as a reader will receive a greater understanding of the beginnings of our modern world by exploring the life-changing events and the discourse of that time through the writings of a very prolific writer. I have chosen to perceive these changes through the literature of a man who was very ahead of his time, a man who expresses a critical view on social injustice, war and class. These are also the views who believed that a total new system was needed for mankind to take the next step in our common evolution. Dystopian literature paints a bleak picture of a contemporary or future society; it describes a situation where the majority suffer greatly and a few have all essential control. Dystopian novels are concerned with the flaws of human society and how our division within leads to injustice and as unfair treatment towards those who can not defend or protect themselves. The Time Machine focuses on injustice and the ongoing fight between science and religion, to understand his writing one must look at the world that Wells lived in, and also understand the issues during the late 19th century and the years before World War I. Victorian England is described as a starting point of Western society. however, it was a turbulent time with conservative elements trying to hold back the progress that took place in every aspect of people's lives and affected everyone's reality. Religion is only one part o The Time Machine a much heavier emphasis is placed on social inequality, which Wells proclaims will lead to an escalating division between rich and poor. In The Time Machine Wells display a place that on the surface is beautiful but contains deep scars of history. The protagonist theorises that the reason for the lack of intelligence in the Eloi is because of their static lifestyle and total inability to remain curious for a longer period of time. The dystopian elements can easily be found throughout the novel. H.G.Wells wanted in The Time Machine to give the reader an insight into the problems of Victorian England. He highlight the dangers that society would encounter if it continues to hold onto the past and not accept change is inevitable, In 1917 he traveled to Italy and the front, and in both places he saw the true reality of war. After these experiences he no longer focuses on the scientific novels, his greatest success as a writer. Instead, political commitment takes the front seat. It is during this time that Wells conceptualizes a world that does not contain the waste, fruitlessness and horror he encountered during the years of war. He envisions a system based on universal ideas and the core of this new society would be the education of all people to avoid the mistakes made by previous generations. Wells is very critical to the way hereditary and privileged positions gave some people an advantage over others. This is a theme that would be the focus of his 1924 novel Men Like Gods. It spawned a massive amount of discussion during his lifetime, even to such a degree that the world-view depicted in the novel would be forever labelled as "Wellsian-Utopia." This novel follows the protagonist Mr Barnstaple to a parallel universe called Utopia. The similarities with The Time Machine are quite obvious. Mr Barnstaple is disappointed with the narrow minded people in his own time and searches for an ideal to follow. Throughout the novel Mr Barnstaple becomes educsated in the way of live of Utopia, he learns that Utopia is a democracy with no government, religion or monetary system and is based on the five principles of liberty: privacy, free movement, unlimited knowledge, truthfulness and free speech and criticism.

Day of Fighting injustice - 2020

              Today, 23rd of August is being celebrated in Brazil, the day of fighting injustice. We all must defend justice, because when there is some injustice happening for so many years, a dangerous precedent can happen, destroying democracy, undermining rule of law and the fundamental feeling of justice of the people. So, the public trust in our institutions is severely harmed. Besides, when there is not justice, the abuses tend to grow and spreading and affecting many more people. So if you have witnessed any violation of human rights, record it and help fight injustice. You can send the images to the victims and help them to do justice. You should help to do justice, because if not you can be the next victim.  I have been fighting for justice, democracy and human rights for so many years and intend keep this work for more years ahead. I'll never give up to make Brazil a better country, more democratic, fairer, and where human rights are truly respected. The systematic violations, the impunity, the daily bullying in the mainstream media, the threats online and offline exist to do the victims give up to fight for justice and reparations. Besides, the violations, the systematic abuses, the daily humiliation and the impunity can have a dehumanizing effect in the population, trying us accept what can not be accepted, do not let this happen to you, the solidarity and the emphaty are the essence of the human beings. We all should recognize who have courage to lower the hipocrisy and speak the truth. Because always there are costs to do this, so help who is losing to defend your right. This post is a summary of one article published at https://namati.org/bend-curve-towards-justice/. And a prevace of the book,"Sins of Silence",  published at https://www.amazon.com.br/Sins-Silence-Stories-Injustice-Remain/dp/B08BDX

               It was in a small kitchen in Transylvania when I first felt the sting of injustice. Eta, a retired doctor in her 80s whose twinkly eyes and cheeky laugh reminded me my grandmother. We sat chatting and she told me how much she loved talking with young people and how she would have loved to have had children. "Sadly, not possible because of the sterilizations". Eta was a survivor of Awschiwitz and I was there document her story. She continued to tell me how Joseph Mengele had chosen her for his sterilization program and ordered 10 members of her family to the gas chambers. I listened, growing angry at the now-familiar story of the many who turned a blind eye, and at the system which made this injustice. She was worried the world would forget her family's story. I promised her I would not. I have carried Eta with me since that day, but in the last 12 months she has been all the more present as every day I feel that sting of injustice. With politicians scapegoating complex issues and the birth of "alternative facts" and too many silently watching these events unfold. Injustice is not new, but rather than making progress towards solving the issues, we are seriously at risk of sliding backward. Populist leaders often run on the promise of addressing injustice, but we know this to be a false promise. A functioning democracy which serve the people requires accessible and effective justice systems at every level. We need millions of activists, lawyers, civil servants and governments officials offering a spread of legal remedies. Around the world today, these are the people shaping the law to reduce corruption and reform the systems. Justice needs these people as much as people need justice. Justice needs the nameless Polish lady who passed a piece of soap through a barbed wire fence to Eta with a note saying "we are here for you". Justice needs the millions of people who marched to stand up and say that what is happenning today is not normal. Justice needs you. 

                  In the face of injustice why do some act and others remain silent? This is the nagging question I have asked over and over and about people in general. It is the motivation for this book. Of course, both personal ethics and social ethics are part of the answer to the question above because one can not exist without the other. Social justice flows out of personal integrity and real personal integrity expresses itself in social justice. My intent is to better understand what actually motivates someone to personally reach out beyond self-interests and to speak for the defenseless, ignored, oppressed and hurting. The heart of this book is a group of simple stories that have ethical themes and truths. These stories give a human face to academic ethics and illustrate the personal pain of injustice. The stories tell that kindness and mercy are qualities that are always present when the silence is broken and when someone acts in the face of injustice. It were chosen stories that touch hearts and minds where both good and evil, and courage and cowardice, find shelter and lodging. The stories remind us to act in a moral way within the hard context of social problems and the harsh reality of our own weaknesses. In some of these stories, the beauty of ethical living starkly contrasts with unthinkable circumstances and ugly persecution. Holocaust survivor, Eli Zborowski, saw a puzzling mystery about who speaks and who remains silent in the face of injustice. These are not all "feel good" stories that provide easy and confortable answers. In fact, some od the stories may raise aditional questions about why some people remain silent and some speak out in the face of the personal pain and suffering of others. These stories are part of history from its ethical people perspective. History is people and people live within the context of good and evil and memories and dreams. In the tension between good and evil, we all leave an ethical footprint in the journey of history. While searching for answers about injustice, I continually ran into a wall of silence. It became obvious that injustice and silence are the sides of the same coin of indifference. Edward Yashinsky was a poet who survived the Holocaust only to die in a communist prison in Poland. He understood first-hand the evil consequences of silent indifference. These stories from World War II, slavery and oppression tell how some reacted with courage and some with silence in the face of injustice. So, as you read these stories, listen for the silence. Because it is there, in the far and near past and in our present.         

Mapping Accountability: Origins, Contexts and Implications for Development

         This summary is a summary of the book published at   https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/20.500.12413/3930/Wp168.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

         This paper provides an overview of the political uses and implications of the term accountability in contemporary discourses and practices of development. The first part reflects on the historical origins of competing narratives of accountability and what it means for actors, and the processes in which they are embedded, to be accountable. The second section looks at tools, strategies and processes of accountability in formal and informal arenas, assessing the role of law, protest and a variety of managerial approaches in the creation of mechanisms of accountability. The third section looks at how the narratives of accountability, manifested in these diverse practices of accountability, apply to key development actors, traditionally the nation-state, but increasingly also public authority and the private and NGOs sectors. The argument developed here is, firstly, that the function of accountability is to ensure that those that wield power on behalf of others are answerable for their conduct. Secondly, these power relations are in a state of flux, reflecting the contested basis of relations between the state, civil society and market actors. In so far as an enquiry into the practice of accountability in development is de facto an enquiry into how to control the exercise of power. Political thinkers have worried about how to restrain power, prevent abuses, and keep it in line with established rules. During the last decade, the language of accountability has gained increasing prominence in development debates. Constructing accountability requires, therefore, a definition of the relationship between actors, effectively delineating respective positions of power. To apply accountability principles is to define who has power to call for an account and who is obligated to give an explanation for their actions. The construction of accountability, the definition of the rights and duties that flow from relations of accountability, is of course a political process driven by broader political agenda. The challenge of ensuring accountability is multiplied when political authority is shared, as it increasingly is, across a number of levels from the local to the national to the global. The term multi-level governance describes the layers of overlapping authority that characterise decision-making in the current system. Mechanisms of accountability can take a diverse range of forms from formal top-down processes of elections, hearings and consultations to bottom-up strategies such as popular protests or participatory budgeting.  Traditional notions of political accountability are derived from the responsibilities of delegated individuals in public office to carry out specific tasks on behalf of citizensIt is this understanding of accountability, in which rulers explain and justify actions to the ruled, which traditionally distinguished a democratic society from a tyrannical one. Thus, democratic accountability is characterised not only by elections to determine who runs the affairs of society, but also by the obligation of these officials to explain and justify their conduct in public. Contemporary discussions of accountability have focused on issues of transparency and openness, linking scrutiny with access to information. Mechanisms of political accountability can be both horizontal and vertical. Horizontal mechanisms amount to self-imposed accountability within the state machinery. Vertical accountability, on the other hand, is that which is demanded from below by citizens and civil society groups. To be effective, horizontal accountability should be buttressed by strong vertical accountability, in which citizens, mass media and civil association are in a position to scrutinise public officials and government practice. Answerability and the dual pursuit of information and justification help to promote enforcement of government commitments. Different forms of accountability rely on different enforcement mechanimsms. In politics, for example, removal from office is punishment. Yet accountability is only as effective as the mechanisms it employs, and 'inconsequential accountability' is not accountability at all. To deliver answerability effectively, sanctions are key. This paper shows that while the concept of accountability is an increasingly crucial reference point in development debates, its use in diverse discourse remains loose and under-specific as a result of the essentially contested nature of the term and the political agendas that it is used to advance. This, indeed, is what makes it important and interesting for our enquiry into the relationship between citizenship, participation and accountability. Citizenship is in many ways the concept that brings accountability and participation together. Who has the right to hold to account? and who should be held to account? The answers to these questions will tell us something about the different uses of the term citizenship. Power define accountability, and power to create and enforce the mechanisms of accountability. It is this power that constructs citizenship and the web of obligations and duties that flow between citizens. Ensuring that the power is exercised in the interests of all, is where participation comes in. Creating spaces where the rights and obligations of governments and corporations can be contested, negotiated and continually evaluated is crucial. This is important for responsive governance and it is key for the maintenance of checks and balances on those who exercise power. We have seen throughout the discussion how that power operates at different levels, reinforcing itself through discourse, process and actions. 

International Justice Day

    A little more than two weeks ago, precisely on 17 July, all over the world celebrated justice. We all must fight for justice, because otherwise injustice and suffering can spread and reach you. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at   https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-day-for-international-justice-2020/. The second was published at https://www.india.com/festivals-events/world-day-for-international-justice-2020-history-and-significance-of-the-day-4087353/. The third was published at https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/17/celebrating-international-criminal-justice-day. The fourth was published at   https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/83002/day-international-criminal-justice-2020-fight-against-impunity-continues_en

          Every year on July 17, World Day for International Justice is observed all around the world. The aim of the day is to promote international criminal justice and as a way of supporting the work of the ICC. What is the ICC? ICC stands for the International Criminal Court. It came about when 120 states adopted a statute in Rome. It was known as the Rome Statute. All the countries that agreed to adopt the statute were accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC, with regards the prosecution of very serious crimes. The idea was not for the ICC to replace national courts. It is only able to intervene when a country can't or won't carry out investigations and prosecute. The aim of International Justice Day is to unite everyone who wants to support justice as well as promote victims rights. There are a number of different ways you can play a part. Why not write an article or a blog to highlight the need for justice where you live? You could send a communication to your local elected representative and voice your opinion. Speak to members of your government. 

           The date July 17 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, which seeks to protect people from crimes against humanity and others. This was in the year 1998. The day is celebrated to highlight the importance of the ICC and the work it does to bring about justice for the victims. This day calls on all countries to jion the fight against impunity, and to help prevent future occurrences of these crimes. 

            July 17 marks International Justice Day, This is a moment to reflect on the importance of obtaining justice for victims of serious international crimes. The ICC faces an unprecedented threat after the Trump administration set in place asset freezes and visa bans that could be used against ICC officials and others supporting the court. Robust member country support is needed to overcome this blatant attempt to obstruct justice. An ongoing review of the court's performance, as well as upcoming elections of the next prosecutor and several judges, have key roles to play in strengthening the court. but the past year also saw significant advances for justice worldwide. In November 2019, Gambia brought a case against Myanmar before the ICC, alleging Myanmar's campaign of atrocities against the Rohingya violated the Genocide Convention. In Germany, a landmark trial against former Syrian officials for widespread torture began in April, with crucial support from civil society organizations, Syrian lawyers and survivors. An increasing number of judicial authorities in Europe are investigating and prosecuting crimes committed in countries outside the ICC's reach. In June, the former leader of the "Janjaweed" militia in Sudan, known as Ali Kosheib, surrendered to the ICC with the cooperation of several member countries and U.N. peacekeeping forces. He is the first suspect in custody on charges of government-backed crimes in Darfur. At the ICC, judges authorized investigations in Afghanistan, including crimes by U.S. nationals. On July 14, a trial began against Al Hassan Ag Abdoal Azziz for alleged crimes in Mali. Despite a challenging global landscape, these strides towards accountability for crimes show that victims and their supporters are undeterred in their pursuit of justice.

               Since 17 July 1998, those who commit violations of human rights around the globe have no safe haven: they can run, but can't hide from international justice. That day, 22 years ago, 120 states adopted the Rome statute, the founding treaty of the international Criminal Court (ICC), which seeks to protect people from genocide, crimes against humanity, was crimes and the crime of aggression. On Day of International Justice, we mark the anniversary of a milestone for humankind that has made our planet a more just place where impunity is no longer tolerated. The E.U. reaffirms its longstanding support towards the ICC system and in particular its unwavering commitment to the ICC, as part of the E.U's wider commitment to a rules-based international order. International criminal justice is a key tool to build a future free of violence, as it contribute to long-term peace, stability and equitable development in post-conflict societies. Currently, the ICC holds 13 situations under investigations in the following countries: Congo, Uganda, Sudan, Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte d'Ivore, Mali, Georgia, Burundi, Bangladesh/Myanmar, Afghanistan. Each year the EU contributes to the promotion of international criminal justice with over 38 millions Euros since 2014. Worldwide, the EU contributes to wider justice sector reforms through programmes aimed at complementing and reinforcing national justice systems. and will continue engaging in efforts to support human rights workers, lawyers, prosecutors and all contributors to the international justice system who relentlessly work to bring justice and protect human rights.