Food for a dirty thought
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MORE ON THE POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Human Rights Reader 63
MANY AMONG US THINK THAT POLITICS IS DIRTY OR NOT A VIRTUOUS
ACTIVITY. (Part 9 of 16)
83. Moralists, too often insist on quixotic actions against the
injustices of the prevalent social system --which they also
clearly condemn. But they do not seem to realize that, in the
end, they are being instrumental to its maintenance. Colleagues
cannot use social theory implicitly rather than explicitly. This
is where the challenge lies: searching for the political inter-
pretation of harsh social realities.
84. Does all this mean that the more radical among us have a
higher level of social consciousness than our moralist peers? It
would seem that the answer is yes, and it has certainly cost the
more radical an additional effort. Once a certain level of con-
sciousness is attained (is there a threshold?...) an often mark-
edly more action-oriented attitude follows. At that point we say
there is a convergence of ideology and action which makes the
difference between taking an observer's or a protagonist's role.
Knowing about injustices and blatant human rights (HR) viola-
tions does not move us. Becoming conscious about such injustices
generates a creative anger that calls for involvement in correc-
tive actions. The latter can only happen within the framework of
an ideology consciously acquired.
85. Political forces are fought with political actions, not with
morals or with technological fixes.
86. Many development professionals feel that their positions in
academe, government, international or private organizations may
be jeopardized if they 'come out of the closet' with more (radi-
cal) political positions. Is that a 'survivor's' attitude?
87. If we could, at least, begin giving priority to some key
structural interventions (e.g., employment generation and income
redistribution measures), we would be contributing more to solv-
ing assorted HR problems of deprived populations than by devis-
ing sophisticated, for instance, micronutrient interventions.
88. We have to stop thinking that we cannot contribute much to
the selection and implementation of non-technical interventions,
because they are outside our immediate field of expertise. Oth-
erwise, we will continue to be champions in denouncing trans-
gressions to the rights of women and children, for example, but
will not be half so active --and much less effective-- in doing
something about the same transgressions.
Do not a good number of the development programs many of us are
involved in only scratch the surface of the local problems and,
therefore, contribute to the status quo in these countries? (I
am aware, though. that most Third World countries' governments
would not accept foreign aid programs, at all if otherwise).
89. You and I know every donor brings with him his own ideas of
development and his development programs will reflect that ide-
ology. The influx of foreign experts tends to mystify the plan-
ning process and reinforces of people's feelings of inadequacy
about their own capabilities.
90. Doesn't this make it evident that we need to take up a new
role? Te role of denouncers of non-realistic goals of current
development programs and the methods of achieving them?
91. For those accustomed to solve problems ('wang-bang') and
putting them aside, grasping a problem as intractable as HR vio-
lations in many areas of development guarantees frustration. The
solution to these problems is not in nature, but in ourselves,
in our approach to the fundamental social relationships among
human beings.
92. We need to think about ourselves as political human beings
working as technicians, remembering that the chance of doing
something meaningful about seemingly intractable global problems
does not begin at the global level, but starts with individuals.
Many of us have initially been motivated to simply transfer
knowledge to the people; the need is now to start focusing more
on the political dimensions of the problems of mass poverty,
ill-health, preventable hunger and the many other HR violations.
93. Human rights seems to be as good (or bad) an entry point as
any other (employment, education, energy, natural resources,
ecology, health, nutrition, etc) to get involved in questions of
equity in our societies, if it is used as a tool. HR can and
does lead to global considerations --if not falling in the trap
of making it a 'single-issue' campaign.
94. There are too many substitutes for in-depth political ac-
tion, e.g., in single-issue politics: in the long-run, this ap-
proach leads nowhere. The worst is that many people do not see
this difference and a lot of political motivation and sometimes
talent in scientists or lay people is lost, because of a pseudo-
ideological approach to global issues. Single-issue politics
(pro-choice, anti-nuclear, environmental movements, etc) often
suffer from a lack of an all-embracing political vision of soci-
ety and, in particular, a lack of will to demand desperately
needed (and all-embracing) structural changes.
95. Finally, to whom should HR activists be accountable to for
their work, besides themselves? Traditionally, we have been ac-
countable to our peers and to funding agencies. We too often ne-
glect our accountability to the public at large and, more spe-
cifically, to those whose rights are being violated.
Claudio Schuftan
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn