Human Rights Quote (75): Real and Normative Universality of Human Rights

No doubt the commitment of many countries to human rights is less than authentic and whole-hearted. Yet, the fact of the commitment, that it is enshrined in a constitution, and that it is confirmed in an international instrument are not to be dismissed lightly. Even hypocrisy may sometimes deserve one cheer for it confirms the [...]

Human Rights Facts (43): Genocide

(photo showing the excavation of mass graves in Srebrenica)
Genocide is the deliberate, systematic and violent destruction of a group (an ethnic, racial, religious, national or political group). This destruction can take many forms:

the outright murder of (the majority of) the members of the group
inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about destruction
measures intended to prevent [...]

Human Rights Quote (59): Be Free to Damn Yourself

“The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do [...]

Human Rights Quote (53): Double Standards

Double Standard 1. a rule or principle applied more strictly to some people than to others (or to oneself). – The Concise Oxford English Dictionary.
I think I made it clear in this blog how I feel about the importance of promoting democracy and human rights worldwide. However, often it is difficult to decide how to [...]

Human Rights Facts (25): Enforcement of Human Rights

Complaints, verdicts, judgments, condemnations and recommendations are not enough. Words do have some power. They may be able to influence those who violate rights or those who are unwilling to protect rights. And the language of rights is a tool that victims can use to recognize their predicament, to organize their struggles, to rally supporters [...]

Human Rights Facts (22): Humanitarian Intervention

Humanitarian intervention is an armed intervention in one state by another state or states with the objective of ending gross violations of human rights, such as genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Whereas the moral case for such an intervention is very strong, it remains controversial because of the fact that violence is used and that the national sovereignty of [...]

Human Rights Facts (17): Conditional Development Aid

In the previous post, I cited some numbers on development aid. Many donors have started to attach conditions to the aid they give (much like the conditions that are often attached to loans, see this post on foreign debt). Some of these conditions are respect for human rights, democratic government and good governance.
Indeed, development is [...]

Human Rights Cartoon (84): Double Standards

(copyright unknown)
Some countries use economic sensibilities to escape condemnation of their human rights record. China is a notorious example of a country with such an appealing market that export countries dare not insult the Chinese government. This government knows all too well that a mere hint of economic consequences is enough to silence most criticism. [...]

Human Rights Cartoon (67): Intervention

Violations of human rights must be countered by way of international intervention of one kind or another. This intervention in the internal affairs of states may take place without the consent of the state where the intervention takes place, especially when this state is the primary violator. However, it must also take place when violations [...]

Human Rights Cartoon (63a): China and Tibet

(copyright Mike Luckovich, http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/luckovich/)
It is unacceptable that countries intervene only when their economic, strategic or other interests are at stake, or that they do not intervene when abstention better serves their interests. Some countries in particular can use economic sensibilities to escape even condemnation. China is a notorious example of a country with such an [...]