320th Birthday of Voltaire

              Last month, precisely on 21st, the French writer known by Voltaire would complete 320 years-old, so this post is a tribute to this very important writer for the human rights and education. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire. The second was published at https://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap4d.html .The third was published http://francois-marie-voltaire.wikispaces.com/Main+Ideas+and+Contributions+to+Enlightenment. The fourth http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/dickeymf/Philosophical_Foundations_of_the_En.

       François Marie Arouet (Voltaire) was born in Paris and died in the same city with 83 years-old. He was an enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state. The youngest of the five children, his father was a lawyer. By the time he left school, Voltaire had decided become a writer. From early on, Voltaire had trouble for critiques of the government and religious intolerance. He mainly argued for freedom of thought. He believed in the concept of an enlightenment. In 1726, Voltaire responded to an insult from the young nobleman, whose servants beat him. Since Voltaire was seeking compensation, so he was imprisoned without a trial. This incident marked him. Voltaire's exile in Great Britain lasted nearly three years, and his experiences there greatly influenced his thinking. Voltaire perceived the bourgeoisie to be small and ineffective, the aristocracy to be parasitic and corrupt, the commoners as ignorant, and the church as a static force. Voltaire distrusted democracy with idiocy, given the extremely high rates of illiteracy of the time, and that it was in the rational interest to improve the education. He is remembered is a courageous polemicist who indefatigably fought for civil rights and who denounced the hypocrisies and injustices of his time.

          If the guillotine is the most negative image of the French Revolution, then the most positive is surely the Declaration of the Rights of Man. When the revolutionaries drew up the Declaration in 1789, they aimed to topple the institutions surrounding monarchy and establish new ones based on the principles of the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement. The goal of the Enlightenment's proponents was to apply the methods learned from the scientific revolution to the problems of society. Further, its advocates commited themselves to "reason" and "liberty." Knowledge, its followers believed, could only come from the careful study of actual conditions and the application of an individual's reason. Enlightenment writers, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau, influenced ordinary readers, politicians, and even heads of state. In the British North American colonies, American revolutionaries put some of their ideas into practice and in the new Constitution of the United States. The Declaration of the Rights of Man, brought together two streams of thought: one from the Anglo-American tradition of legal and constitutional guarantees of individual liberties, the other from the belief that reason should guide all human affairs. The vision of these most idealistic, perhaps truest believers in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, might best be understood not as a utopian dream or resentful opposition, but as a nascent and imperfectly formed, but broad and vibrant theory of an open and democratic society. 

       Voltaire's main contribution to the Enlightenment was freedom of speech, freedom of press and religion and opposition to monarchy, militarism and slavery. He was a crusader against tyranny and bigotry. He did not want to create a perfect world. He just wanted everyone to know that it could be a better place if we substituted ignorance for knowledge and rational thought. He was a vigorous defender of science. Voltaire had a passion for clarity and reason and he had a horror for the violence. 

         The "Age of Enlightenment" embodied tremendous intellectual and social advancement. It was a movement in philosophy. The result was much of the cherished progress of the modern world, from human rights to modern liberal democracies. The enlightenment, called the "Age of Reason" can be most appropriately understood as the extension of the same principles of reason Renaissance thinkers applied to three major branches of philosophy but now extended into the remaining, previously divinely governed, areas, ethics, and politics. Where the Renaissance was the rebirth of reason, The Enlightenment was its maturity. Voltaire posed an introspective hypothetical in "The Story of the Good Brahman," You see a good learned man anguishing over so many things he studies and he is unhappy about the world but this stupid person down the river, who never cares or thinks, lives with happiness. He asks everyone, if you can sacrifice your intellect and thought and be as happy as the idiot at the river, would you sacrifice? And none say yes, even though they all claim happiness is  the  ultimate motivation. Voltaire was probing into a much deeper question, what is the purpose or goal of happiness? Is it mere hedonistic pleasure, or cultivating a particular kind of life according to a standard of decent human potential and morality? Voltaire's conclusions would shape Enlightenment, "the only antidote to suffering and despair is to work to cultivate the human garden." Voltaire's universe was based on reason, and reading translated works on Confucianism, brought into Europe by the Jesuits of the late 1600's, Voltaire no doubt at least found parallels, if not inspiration, in the writing of the scholarly elite of China, who for centuries traveled from province to province serving as spiritual, moral, and political advisors to the ruling class. With the application of reason to every philosophical realm: truth, existence, art, morality, and politics, all the great progress of the modern world: freedom, democracy, science, would be forged, because in cultures that adopted the ideals of the Enlightenment a flourishing to an extent never before seen in the history of humanity would take root, ushering a period of unequaled material affluence, unprecedented scientific growth and unequivocal individual freedom.

Human Rights Day 2014

                Last 10th December all the world celebrated the Human Rights Day. So this post is a tribute to all person that fight for these fundamental and essential rights.This day we can not forget the victims of human rights's violation, their suffering, their humiliation, and  their search for justice. When a serious human right violation happens, we all should fight against impunity, because this precedent could mean a danger to democracy, to the rule of law, and open path to more abuses. Sometimes it is difficult to gather evidence of the violations, but once there are so many with so many witnesses, we all only have to have the courage. This post is a summary of three articles. The first with the title above was published at  http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/HRDay2014/Pages/HRD2014.asp. The second was published at www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/commemorate-human-rights-day-rightsed. The third was published at http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/secretary-generals-statement-human-rights-day-2014

              On 10 December every year, Human Rights Day, commemorates the date on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR). This year's slogan, Human Rights 365, encompasses the idea that every day is Human Right Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the UDHR that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values. In 2014 the message from Human Rights 365 is unequivocal: the UN Human Rights Office stands by its mandate and stands with the millions of men and women globally who take risks for human rights.

             December 10 is the anniversary of the adoption by the UN of the UDHR. The UDHR sets out a certain set of rights that are the basic and minimum set of human rights for all citizens. Setting aside a day to commemorate, educate and reflect on the principles that form the UDHR means celebrating the rights we exercise everyday as citizens, and acknowledging that enjoying those rights carries with it the responsibility of promoting these rights for all people. Things that many of us take for granted, such as the right to education, the right to receive medical care, and the right to privacy, are not equally available to all citizens. Many individuals and communities will be commemorating and celebrating December 10, and pledging a commitment to maintain and improve people's human rights wherever possible.

           Human rights are universal, enduring, and inalienable. They belong to all people at all times in all places, irrespective of nationality, of class, of race, of gender, of sexual orientation, or any other distinction. These universal rights are all interrelated, interdependent, and indivisible. Human rights bear upon all aspects of our lives. They accord protection by emphasising the freedom of the individual from undue interference by the state, by proscribing behaviour that is injurious to personal dignity and liberty, and by according to all the freedom to participate in civic and political life. They relate to fundamental elements of human well-being concerning work, social security, family life, access to housing, food, water, health care, education. They define clearly the expectation each and every individual should have for a meaningful, dignified and secure life. They are a measure and a demarcation designed to prevent abuse of power, to reduce avoidable suffering, and to empower the disadvantage. Human rights must be more than mere aspirations and declarations. Nor are they discretionary, they are fundamental. The central importance of human rights to all that we do is increasingly being recognised. We see evidence of this in many encouraging achievements. Human rights must be at the core of all we do, and advancing them is our collective responsibility. This commitment can unite us, as we demand responses that are equitable and empowering for all. We welcome the encouragement and support that solidarity brings, and remain resolute in our determination to secure the decent, safe and dignified lives that are the right of every citizen.

International Anti-Corruption Day

              Last Tuesday, 9th December, all the world celebrated the fight against corruption. This post is a tribute for everyone who help in this fight: journalists, judges, lawyers, whistleblowers, activists, public servants that work directly with this crime and anyone else that could have done something to help this fight. This post is a summary of four articles. The first with the title above was published at http://www.anticorruptionday.org/actagainstcorruption/en/about-the-campaign/ed-message-on-anti-corruption-day-2014.html. The second with the title of, "Time to act together to end corruption." It was published at  http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/act_together_to_end_corruption. The third http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2013/09/25/the-role-for-anti-corruption-and-governance-looking-to-2015-and-beyond-http. The fourth was published at http://www.un.org/en/events/anticorruptionday/

               Corruption reaches into boardrooms, governments, law enforcement, education, healthcare and sport, among many other areas. No country, region or field of endeavour escapes the pull of this crime. Corruption drives up prices, erodes business credibility, diverts public funds and undermines equity and fairness across societies. It may be seen in missing tracts of forest, lost classrooms, absent hospitals and building effective institutions. In the face of these challenges, our global resistance to corruption hinges on every country ratifying and implementing the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), as well as entering into its peer review mechanism. This tool funded on the mutual trust of nations working side by side has proven to be a transformational experience for participating countries and is delivering tangible results. These range from meaningful reform to the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions all over the world. But other also have a nurturing role. Business, and business groups need to speak out, and in doing so, acknowledge that a company's brand is driven by good practices, ethical behaviour and sound procurement rules. Civil society is also working to ensure that corruption is confronted. This work is crucial and UNODC will continue to work closely with civil society in the future. On the International Day against Corruption, I welcome the efforts against corruption undertaken by governments, UN agencies, the private and public sector, civil society and the media.

            Corruption is one of the most serious challenges of our time. Nearly all of us are victims of corruption: whether we are poor and can not afford to pay a bribe for basic services or taxpayers whose hard-earned money gets misappropriated. Victims of conflict, voters whose democratic rights are stolen or factory workers who lose their lives working in unsafe building all suffer from the same scourge. Nothing feeds corruption more than apathy, or the belief nothing can be done and it is "just the way life is". This portrayal of corruption allows impunity to flourish, it allows the corrupt to get away with it. But not for long. There is compelling and overwhelming evidence that people throughout the world have had enough and are willing to take action to stop corruption. Two in three people believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption and more than 90% of people would be willing to be engaged in the fight against corruption. When people act, then change will happen. The Declaration Against Corruption seeks to inspire, nothing more or less than a global wave of people standing up to corruption and demanding dignity for themselves and others.

              Making anti-corruption policies part of daily life and create more accountability at national and international levels were at the core of a global panel discussion held in the 68th U.N. General Assembly. The panel gathered to debate the role of anti-corruption and governance in the post-2015 Development Agenda and launch the anti-corruption web-portal WWW.ANTI-CORRUPTION.ORG, a UN agency tool led by UNDP to contribute to the discussion on the role of transparency and accountability in effective service delivery. "UNDP has learned from experience that works best are specific anti-corruption measures integrated into basic service delivery systems coupled with an increase in the engagement of civil society," said Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP Administrator. She adds, "development goals to be achieved, not only economies need to grow, but revenues must be invested back in better services and improvements for all people." The panel also discuss the correlation between corrupt practices and key development indicators such as gender equality, youth empowerment, universal access to water, health and education. There is a growing consensus among member states representatives on the importance of integrating transparency and accountability measures in development policies as a way to prevent waste of crucial resources that are aimed at financing development. "Opening data is key to combating corruption. We are opening our data and showing where corruption is, and sharing lessons learned on what we can do to improve," said Heiki Holmas, Minister of Norway. "It is important to focus more on building strong institutions rather than new frameworks for anti-corruption," said Ngozi Okonjo, Minister of Nigeria.

               Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon. Corruption undermines democratic institutions and slow economic development. Corruption attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes.

                     

How to Improve Governance

                 This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published with the title above at        http://www.brookings.edu/research/books/2009/howtoimprovegovernance. The second was published at  www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/12/fiscal-transparency-better-accountability-development. The third was published in December 2013 at  http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/16/fiscal-transparency-policy-outcomes

                In recent years, the developing world has seen a burst of efforts to reduce corruption, increase transparency and accountability and improve governance. Needless to say,this is an important and encouraging development. However, the lack of a reliable compass to describe where a country is a given moment, and where it could be heading in the absence or acceptance of proposed reforms, can result in disastrous missteps. The unfortunate absence of such a guide has helped lead to innumerable failed governments or ineffective regimes. This important book aims to fill that void. The book, "How to Improve Governance," emphasizes the need for an overall analytical framework that can be applied to different countries to help analyze their current situation, identify potential areas for improvement, and assess their relative feasibility and the steps needed to promote them. A country-specific analysis needs to be comprehensive, in the sense that it includes the four concepts of transparency, accountability, governance, and anticorruption throughout the cauculus. Without such analytic framework, any reform attempt is likely to flounder for lack of a shared understanding of the underlying problems and of the feasible reforms. The book gives special emphasis to the potential for civil society groups to play a stronger role in holding governments accountable for their use of public resources, and to the importance of developing politically, prioritized country strategies for reform. "Whether one looks at how to increase domestic demand for good governance, how to make government more accountable to the public, or how to build democratic processes that deliver results, the underlying issues are essentially the same....As development actors of various types....seek to help, more and more of them are calling for clearer conceptual framework to guide their efforts." From the introduction.

                The last few years have seen a flurry of international initiatives aimed at promoting transparency in a variety of areas of government action. The Open Government Partnership, launched in 2011, already has more than 50 member governments who have undertaken to promote transparency and openness and to allow for independent reviews of their efforts.Transparency initiatives have existed for longer in the extractive industries and foreign aid sectors, two areas that are both sensitive and very important for international development. In the more specific area of fiscal transparency, the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency has brought together key actors - governmental, non-governmental and inter-governmental - to design and promote improved global norms for transparency and citizen participation in the management of public resources. All of these efforts stem from two inter-related convictions. First, that having access to government information, including budget information is a right of every citizen. Second, that transparency and access to information will allow citizens to engage with policy processes and monitor government action, leading to improved accountability and better development outcomes. Research surrounding these questions shows that four main factors stand out as contributing to improvements in fiscal transparency and participation. These are: 1) Processes of political transition towards more democratic forms of contestation and alternation. 2) Fiscal and economic crises that forces governments to put in place enhanced mechanisms for fiscal discipline and independent scrutiny. 3) Widely publicised cases of corruption that give reformers political space to introduce reforms that improve public access to fiscal information. 4) External influences that promote global norms and empower domestic reformers and civil society actors. This body of research shows that while fiscal transparency can contribute to positive development results, such results and transparency itself can not be taken for granted. Many governments continue to resist calls for more transparency and responsiveness to their citizens. And transparency`s  impact on accountability relations and development outcomes depends on a host of additional factors, from active oversight institutions to a free and engaged media.

               The World Bank is launching a new Open Budgets Portal as part of its efforts to advance fiscal transparency and open data arround the world. High-quality budget data that can be easily accessed, visually compelling and used by a wide variety of stakeholders is essential to inform the decision making processes around public expenditures, and help citizens know how and where governments are spending their money. The Portal showcases a subset of countries that have released their entire public spending datasets and are dissemination them in accessible formats. This information will help evidence-based monitoring, analysis, and advocacy so citizens can hold their governments accountable for more efficient spending and improved services. Access to quality data supports the work of governments, civil society, media and development partners.

Culture Matters

             This post is a summary of an article with the title above, written by Former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias and published in February 2011 at  http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67202/oscar-arias/culture-matters  

            Nearly two centuries after the countries of Latin America gained their independence from Spain and Portugal, not one of them is developed. Where have they gone wrong? Why have countries in other regions, once far behind, managed to achieve relatively quickly results that Latin America countries have aspired to for so long? Many in the region respond to such questions with conspiracy theories or self-pitying excuse. They blame the Spanish empire, or the American empire. They say that financial institutions have schemed to hold the region back, that globalization was designed to keep it in the shadows. In short, they place the blame for underdevelopment anywhere but on Latin America itself. The truth is that so much time has passed since independence that Latin Americans have lost the right to use others as the excuse for their own failures. Various outside powers have indeed affected the region`s fate. But that is true for every region of the world. Latin America nations began with conditions equal to, or even better than, those prevailing elsewhere. We are ones who fell behind. When Harvard University opened its doors in 1636, there were already well-established universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. In 1820, the GDP of Latin America as a whole was 12.5% greater than that of the U.S. Today, with a population of about 560 million, some 250 million more than U.S. the region has a GDP that is only 29% of its northern neighbor. Tired of empty words and meaningless promises, people in the region are disillusioned with politics in general. Recognizing their own share of responsibility for the situation, however, could be the start of rewriting history. The key is accepting that four regional cultural traits are obstacles that need to be overcome for development to succeed: resistance to change, absence of confidence, fragile democratic norms, and a soft spot for militarism. Latin Americans glorify their past and instead of a culture of improvement, they have promoted a culture of preservation of the status quo. Constant, patient reform, compatible with democratic stability is unsatisfying. Latin Americans preferring a certain present to an uncertain future. Some of this is only natural, entirely human. But the fear is paralyzing, it generates not only anxiety but also paralysis. To make matters worse, the region`s political leaders rarely have the patience or the skill to walk their people through the processes of reform. In a democracy, a leader must be the teacher, someone eager to respond to doubts and questions and explain the need for and the benefits of a new course. But too often in Latin America, leaders justify themselves with a simple "because I say so." Latin America has more controllers than entrepreneurs. The region lacks effective mechanisms to support innovative projects. Someone seeking to start a new business must begin by wading through waves of bureaucracy and arbitrary requirements. Entrepreneurs get minimal praise or cultural reinforcement, little legal protection, and scarce academic support. The region`s universities, meanwhile, are turning out the kinds of professionals that development demands. Latin America graduates six professionals in the social sciences for every two in engineering and every one in the exact sciences. Visiting a Latin American university is like traveling to the past, to an era in which Russia and China had yet to embrace capitalism. Instead of giving students practical tools, such as technological and language skills, to help them succeed in a globalized world, many schools devote themselves to teaching authors no one reads and repeating doctrines in which no one believes. For development to occur, this has to change. Latin America countries must begin to reward innovators and creators. Their universities must reform their academic offerings and invest in science and technology. They must attract investment and promote the tranfer of knowledge. The second obstacle is the absence of confidence. No development project can prosper in a place where suspicion reigns, the success of others is viewed with misgiving, and creativity and drive are met with wariness. Latin americans doubt the true intentions of all those cross their paths. We believe that everyone has a secret agenda and that it is better not to get too involved in collective efforts.  We are captives to a prisoner`s dilemma in which each person contributes as little as possible to the common interest. It has been said that legal security is the protection of trust. They must be able to antecipate the legal consequences of their actions. The third obstacle blocking development is the fragility of the commitment to democracy. To be sure, with the exception of Cuba, the region is entirely democratic today. But the truth is that the victory is incomplete. Despite carefully crafted constitutions, Latin America still has a soft spot for authoritarianism. If Latin American democracies do not live up to their political and economic promise, if their citizens` hopes remain deferred, then authoritarianism will rise again. The way to prevent that is show the public that democracy works, that it truly can build more prosperous societies. Moving beyond political sclerosis, becoming more responsive to citizens`demands and generating fiscal resources. Increasing public income is no sufficient, those funds must also be spent wisely, to promote human development. Each year, the region spends $60 billion on arms and soldiers, double what it spent just five years ago. Why? Who is going to attack whom? The enemies of the people in the region are hunger, ignorance, disease and crime. They are internal, and they can be defeated only through smart public policy. Latin Americans must look in the mirror and confront the reality that many of our problems lie in ourselves. We must lose our fear of change. We must embrace entrepreneuship. We must learn to trust. we must strengthen our commitment to democracy. Only then will the region attain the development it has so long sought.

120th Birthday of Aldous Huxley

             A little more than four months ago, precisely on July 26th, the British writer Aldous Huxley would complete 120 years-old, so this post is a tribute to him. His writing contributed to reinforce the importance of education, an effective and inclusive democracy and human rights. This post is a summary of three articles. The first published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley. The second was published at http://answerparty.com/question/answer/what-is-a-brave-new-world-by-aldous-huxley-about. The third was published at http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/themes.html. The quotes were published at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/aldous_huxley.html

      Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894-1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He is best known for his dystopian novel "Brave New World" and the book, "The doors of Perception", which recalls experiences when taking a psychedelic drug. He also published a lot of essays, short stories, poetry, travel books and scripts. He spent the later part of his life in Los Angeles, from 1937 until his death. Huxley married Maria Nys, a Belgian in 1919. They had one child, Matthew, who had a career as an author and prominent epidemiologist. In 1956, he married Laura Archera, an author who wrote his biography. In 1960, Huxley was diagnosed with cancer and, in the years that followed, with his health deteriorating, he wrote the utopian novel "Island"  and gave lectures on Human Potentialities, which were fundamental to the forming of the human potential movement. Despite his interest in spirituality and mysticism, he called himself an agnostic. Huxley was a humanist and pacifist. He became deeply concerned that human rights become subjugated through the sophisticsted use of the mass media or mood-altering drugs or misapplication of sophisticated technology. In 1937 he pubished "Ends and Means" where he examines the fact that although most people in modern civilisation agree that they want a world of "liberty, peace, justice, and brotherly love", they have not been able to agree on how to achieve it. During 1939, Huxley started to earn a substantial income as a Hollywood screenwriter, and he used much of it to bring over Jewish, left-wing writer and artist refugees from Hitler`s Germany to the U.S. In 1949, Huxley wrote to George Orwell, author of "1984" congratulating him on "how fine and how profoundly important the book is." Huxley had deeply felt apprehensions about the future the world might make for itself. From these, he made some warnings in his writings and talks. Huxley outlined several major concerns: the dangers of world overpopulation; the tendency toward distinctly hierarchical social organisation; the importance of evaluating the use of technology in mass societies susceptible to wily persuasion.                                                                                            The book "Brave New World" is about the use of technology to control society and the dangers of an all-powerful state. It is published at 1932 and set in London in the year of 2540. The novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and operant conditioning that combine to profoundly change society. In literature, especially in science fiction, genetic engineering has been used as a theme or a plot device in many stories. In 1999, the Modern Library, an American publishing company that polled its editorial board to find the best 100 novels of the 20th century. They ranked "Brave New World",  fifth on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the last century. "Ulysses" by James Joyce topped the list.

       The main themes of this dystopian novels are: the use of technology to control society. The book warns of the dangers of giving the state absolute control over new and powerful technologies. Including medical, biological and psychological tech. At the same time, however censor and limits some technologies that could be used as threatening to the state`s control. The consumer society, in which individual happiness is defined as the ability to satisfy needs. The incompatibility of happiness and truth. The novel is full of characters who do everything they can to avoid facing the truth about their own situation. The state prioritizes happiness at the expense of truth by design: people think that they are better with happiness than with truth. What are these two abstract entities that the state in this novel juxtaposes? It seems clear enough that happiness refers to the immediate gratification of citizens desire for food, sex, drugs, and other consumer items. It is less clear what the state means by truth. Truth and individuality thus become entwined in the novel`s thematic structure.The main theme is All-powerful State. Like George Orwell`s 1984, this novel depicts a dystopia in which an all-powerful state controls the behaviors and actions of its people in order to preserve its own stability and power. But a major difference between the two is that , whereas in 1984 control is maintained by constant surveillance, secret police and torture, power in Brave New World is maintained through technological interventions that start before birth and last until death.  Below there are some quotes from Huxley.

  "Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself,

to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting."

            

                   "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."

        "It is with bad sentiments that one makes good novels."

Teaching Human Rights

               This post is a summary of a teaching material published at http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/visitors/shared/documents/pdfs/Pub_United%20Nations_ABC_human%20rights.pdf

         Teaching Human Rights talks about us as human beings. It talks about the process of teaching and learning the significance of the inherent "dignity and worth of the human person" which is the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, preamble). And it talks about the rights that belongs to us all. These are lessons for life. In this sense, human rights education means not only teaching and learning about human rights, but also for human rights: its fundamental role is to empower individuals to defend their own rights and those of others. The realization of human rights is our common responsibility, and its achievement is entirely dependent on the contribution that each and everyone will be willing to make. Human rights may be generally defined as those rights which are inherent in our nature. They are based on humankind`s increasing demand for a life in which the inherent dignity and worth of each human being are accorded respect and protected. Their denial is not only an individual tragedy but also creates conditions of social and political unrest, sowing the seeds of violence and conflict within and between societies and nations. Since the adoption of the UDHR, human rights have become central to the work of the United Nations. Within the United Nations system, human rights are furthered by a myriad of different mechanisms and procedures. Not least of these activities to promote human rights is human rights education. The U.N. assembly affirmed that "human rights education should involve more than the provision of information and should constitute a comprehensive life-long process by which people in all strata of society learn respect for the dignity of others and the means and methods of ensuring that respect in all societies. Central to this text is the idea that teaching about human rights is not enough. For this reason the largest part of this text consists of activities. These create opportunities for students and teachers to examine the basic elements that make up human rights - life, justice, freedom, equality and the destructive character of deprivation, suffering and pain - and then to use them to work out what they truly think and feel about a wide range of real-world issues. Teachers carries a great responsibility for communication of the human rights message. Opportunities to do this may vary: human rights themes may be infused into existing school subjects, such as history, literature, arts, geography, or may have a specific course allocated to them. Human rights education may also be pursued through less formal education arenas such as after-school activities and youth forums. Ideally, a human rights culture should be built into the whole curriculum, as part of the established curriculum in the social and economic sciences and humanities. The history of human rights tells a detailed story of efforts made to define the basic dignity and worth of the human being and his or her most fundamental entitlements. These efforts continue to this day. Research has shown that some upper primary and secondary school students suffer from lack of confidence that limits their ability to socialize with others. It is difficult to care about someone else`s rights when you do not expect to have any yourself. Where this is the case, teaching for human rights could require going back to the beginning and teaching confidence and tolerance first.The focus of human rights education is not outward but also inward on personal values, attitudes and behaviour. For the basic principles of a human rights culture to survive, people must continue to see a point in defending them: "I have a right to this. It is not just what I need. It is my right."  Unless people have the chance to work out such reasons for themselves, they will not claim their rights when they are with-held or taken away, or feel responsibility to defend the rights of others. At its most complex, hypocrisy raises profound questions about how to protect and promote the human dignity. The fact that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have global validity and applicability is very important for teachers. By promoting human rights standards, the teacher can honestly say that he or she is not preaching. Teachers have a second challenge, however: to teach in such a way as to respect human rights in the school itself. For learning to have practical benefit, students need not only to learn about human rights but to learn in an environment that models them. This means avoiding any hipocrisy. At its simplest, hypocrisy refers to situations where what a teacher is teaching is clearly at odds with how he or she is teaching it. A human rights culture attempts to define principles for the positive conduct of all human behaviour. What follows are issues involved in realizing these principles. As some of these issues may prove to be controversial, the teacher`s sensitivity and discretion are required. Teachers who want to concentrate on specific issues ( e.g. world development, prisoners of conscience, privacy, anti-racism or anti-sexism ) should present them in a human rights context. This general understanding will provide depth. Teachers who specialize in different aspects of human rights should work side by side to provide understanding in depth.