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Actually, he’s a few days late: May 3rd is the official press freedom day. More on Putin. More human rights ads.
Category Archives: human rights ads
human rights ads
Human Rights Ads (85): Gender Violence in Saudi Arabia
This ad for the King Khalid Foundation says that female abuse is “a phenomenon found in the dark”, cunningly – or involuntarily – mocking Saudi dress code rules. The veil does indeed cover more than the female body.
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More on the Foundation’s No More Abuse page. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (84): It’s Work We Want
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Work is indeed a human right, but it’s not true that free trade is a major cause of violations of this right. When trade barriers are removed, some jobs will indeed be outsourced overseas, notably to countries where the relative labor cost is lower. But the people overseas who benefit from this outsourcing arguably need the jobs more than citizens of wealthy western welfare states. Also, it’s not because some jobs disappear that others aren’t created. Furthermore, lower production costs often translate into lower retail prices for many consumer goods, something which may compensate for job losses or for shifts in labor markets.
The alternative to free trade is protectionism, and protectionism is a major cause of poverty in developing countries. Absence of poverty is also a human right. We have therefore two human rights that need to be balanced against each other. In this case, I think the right not to suffer poverty should take precedence, for the following reason: on the one hand, protectionism aggravates poverty mainly in developing countries and those countries often don’t have robust social security systems; on the other hand, to the extent that free trade and outsourcing do produce job losses they do so mainly in developed countries that offer social security. The harm caused by protectionism is therefore greater than the harm caused by free trade. Also, let’s not forget the numerous positive effects of free trade:
- more specialization
- more use of comparative advantage
- better access to technology and knowledge
- better and cheaper intermediate goods (raw products etc.) and capital goods (machines etc.)
- benefits of scale
- and increased competition.
It’s very difficult if not impossible to cite a similar number of positive effects of protectionism.
Here’s another advert making the same mistake:
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More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (82): Gay Marriage
Billboard by St.-Matthew-in-the-City church in Auckland, New Zealand
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More on same-sex marriage rights. More ads.
Human Rights Ads (81): The Power of Books
Books apparently make you smarter and keep you from committing or endorsing human rights violations:
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I’m not so sure… Here’s a similar one:
(source)
More human rights ads are here.
Human Rights Ads (79): Non-Public Execution
(source unknown)
It’s a bit of a strange one, this. I understand what they are trying to say: governments perform executions only because people acquiesce in them (don’t oppose them) or because they actively approve of them (this approval can be intellectual or moral, or it can manifest itself through active participation as viewers in the process of a public execution). If the public were to turn their backs on the whole affair – not because of apathy or acquiescence but because of opposition - then capital punishment would probably disappear, even in non-democratic states.
However, the image used here conveyes the opposite: people turn their backs, and governments are left in peace to carry on. In light of the massive presence of people at the scene, they could easily stop the execution if they had not decided to turn away.
But perhaps I’m reading this the wrong way. Other interpretations are welcome.
This, by the way, is the original image that inspired the ad. More on capital punishment and on public executions. And more ads.
Human Rights Ads (78): Indifference Kills
“indifference kills”
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More on homelessness, the bystander effect, inattentional blindness, and apathy. More ads.
Human Rights Ads (77): Famine in Our Backyard
“would you care more if it happened on your doorstep?”
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More on famine, hunger, the right to food, and the role of distance in morality. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (76): Pro Choice
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Wire clothes hangers, because of their use in performing illegal or self-induced abortions (by unfolding and inserting one in the uterus), have become a symbol of pro-choice protests.
This is the original poster from communist Poland:
“we greet the women who work for peace and fatherland”
More on abortion, and on self-induced abortions more specifically. More ads.
Human Rights Ads (74): Rape (“Viol”)
"rape, a crime against humanity"
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More on rape. More on crimes against humanity. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (73): Child Abuse
Chinese anti-child abuse ad: "Only cowards beat their children"
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A similar one is here. One can question the wisdom of such campaigns, comparing violence to a healthy pastime. Even more dubious is the fact that these punching bags have been placed in the streets, not in order to “try them out” but some won’t be able to resist.
More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (72): The Power of Pencils
Reporters Without Borders "Power of pencils" campaign featuring Robert Mugabe
(source, where you can find some variations)
If only this were true. An interesting although completely unrelated story about Mugabe and balloons is here. And this is a weird variation on the pencil theme:
The power of pencils … to erase the police??
More about Mugabe and Zimbabwe, and about press freedom. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (71): Confrontational Anti-Homelessness Campaign
Anti-Homelessness campaign from Poland
(source, click image to enlarge)
An interesting setup:
Caritas, a Polish homeless charity got the permission of the several Warsaw office buildings to build these mannequin installations in their lobbies. The sign reads something like: “I let myself spend the night here since I was cold. The only address I have is www.bezdomni.pl.” (Caritas’ homepage. bezdomni means homeless.) From the agency press note: ”The same day the homeless appeared in the offices, the employees working in the very same buildings received an e-mail with the bank account number to which contributions for Caritas could be made. After the event a 100% increase of donations was noted comparing to the previous year.” (source)
Some people touched the mannequins to see if they were alive. They must have guessed by then that these weren’t really homeless people since we don’t actually touch those, do we?
Here’s a campaign from the U.K.:
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And one from France:
“The longer you live on the street, the harder it is to get off it.”
(source, source)
More on homelessness. More human rights ads
Human Rights Ads (70): Sex(ist) Toys
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An interesting double entendre, mixing a gendered children’s toy with a certain unspeakable manly use of the appliance. A pink vacuum cleaner, so it must be for girls, right? Gendered toys like this are often used to instill gender roles at a young age. I guess you need to be kinky these days in order to get people’s attention focused on serious things.
More on sexism. More human rights ads
Human Rights Ads (69): Tienanmen Tank Man Spoof
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The original is here. For the story on the Tienanmen Square protests and the violent crackdown, see here. More on freedom of the press here.
This is another one:
(source, where you can find even more)
The original. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (68): Some Human Rights Statistics
some human rights statistics
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More human rights statistics here. More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (67): Child Marriage
Unicef's child marriage awareness advert
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Human Rights Ads (66): Organ Donation
organ donation advert
(source unknown)
A slightly creepy yet also very moving advert encouraging people to donate their organs after death. More on the human rights implications of organ shortages and – in particular – organ trade is here, here, here and here. More human rights ads are here.
Human Rights Ads (65): Throwing Pies at Dictators
(source, source)
More on Mugabe, Zimbabwe, Ahmadinejad, Iran, Kim Jong Il, and Korea. More on pie throwing. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (64): Osama Hearts Guantanamo
(source, source)
In one sense this is a bit out of date, and yet in another it’s still relevant. The war on terror is a war of terror: terrorists have succeeded in terrorizing large portions of western populations and their governments, and in provoking them to “show their real faces”. The “imperialists” are still waging war in other countries, detaining people without a trial, torturing them etc. And as long as they do so, the terrorists have what they want.
More on Osama bin Laden, Guantanamo, and the war on terror – especially its counterproductive effects. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (62): Landmine Stickers
(source, click image to enlarge)
These landmine-stickers with self-adhesive topsides are placed on the floor and are invisible until they stick to your feet. While removing them, people discover the landmine-picture on the bottom side and are informed that in many other countries they would have been mutilated at this moment.
More on landmines here and here. More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (61): Labor Conditions
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If you wonder why labor conditions are a human rights issue, go here. More on labor conditions here. More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (59): See How Easy Feeding the Hungry Can Be?
(source, Advertising Agency: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg, South Africa Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton Creative Directors: Adam Weber, Hennie Stander Art Director: Wihan Meerholz Copywriter: Dan Parmenter Photographer: Seppi Hochfellner Released: May 2008)
More on hunger and charity. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (57): Child Labor
(source)
More on child labor here. A counter-intuitive take is here. More human rights ads are here.
Related Articles
- Child Labor, A Collection of Images (2) (filipspagnoli.wordpress.com)
- European Parliament Supports Forced Child Labor (humantrafficking.change.org)
- Child workers in Yemen given back their childhood (cnn.com)
Human Rights Ads (56): Learning is a Human Right
(source, source)
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration says:
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
More on human rights and education here and here. More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (55): Domestic Violence
(source unknown)
More on violence and on domestic violence. More human rights ads.
Related Articles
- The Most Absurd Human Rights Violations (65): Beat Them But Don’t Leave Marks (filipspagnoli.wordpress.com)
Human Rights Ads (54): Homelessness
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More on homelessness and on the recession. More human rights ads.
- Calif. Senate OKs homeless civil rights protection (sfgate.com)
- Killings Of Homeless Hit Highest Level In A Decade (huffingtonpost.com)
- Hate crimes against the homeless | Sadhbh Walshe (guardian.co.uk)
- Vancouver Declares War On The Homeless (huffingtonpost.com)
Human Rights Ads (53): Child Labor and Child Trafficking
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More on child labor, sweatshops, human trafficking and child marriage. More on children’s rights in general. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (52): Animal Rights?
A good excuse to link back to one of my older posts on animal rights. I’m personally very concerned about animal wellbeing and condemn all kinds of cruelty against animals. (I’m also a vegetarian). I believe that humans have certain duties towards animals, but it doesn’t follow from this that animals have “rights”. The main problem I have with proponents of animal rights is that they fail to see that rights are inherently discursive. Rights exist so that people can claim them, can criticize those who violate their rights, and can join efforts with like-minded people in order to improve each other’s wellbeing or the wellbeing of third parties. Animals can do none of this.
More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (51): What Goes Around, Comes Around
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Here and here is more on the often counterproductive nature of many government policies. Here is more on Iraq. And here are more human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (50): Stoning
Human Rights Ads (43): Neglected Children
(source, they used mannequins for this campaign, in case you’re wondering…)
More on children’s rights. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (41): DesegreGAYtion
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Here’s another version:
More on gay rights, and some statistics. And here is the famous picture of racial segregation that inspired this ad. More on segregation. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (39): Ten Easy Steps to Create a Suicide Bomber
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In fact, the statement that poverty and lack of education are causes of terrorism is probably wrong. Read more about it here and here. I also think it’s wrong to put the blame for terrorism – specifically Middle Eastern terrorism – solely in the camp of Israel and the U.S., as is done in this advert. People have choices and have a responsibility for what they do. Not all poor, oppressed, humiliated and hopeless people choose to – or have to – become suicide bombers. Which doesn’t mean that the advert doesn’t make any valid points, or that it is an example of badvertising. More on suicide bombers and on terrorism. More on the Middle East, Israel and Palestine. More human rights ads.
Human Rights Ads (38): Hate Crime
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More on hate crime:
- on the question whether hate crime laws constitute thought crime
- the reasons for having hate crime laws
- the difference between hate crime and hate speech
- some statistics on hate crime
- is hate crime caused by poverty and lack of education?
- hate crime in Russia
- a general post on hate crime.
More human rights ads here.
Human Rights Ads (37): The Rights of Human Rights Defenders
(source, an Amnesty International ad)
See here for some more information on the catch 22 of human rights defense: you need some level of freedom to monitor the absence of freedom, and when the rights of those who monitor and defend human rights are violated, this has a knock-on effect on the rights of everyone.
More human rights ads here.
