New Dimensions in Human Rights Movement

Presented By:

Agenda of the presentation The initial universal declaration adopted

by the United Nations The subsequent modifications The current stand of the UN on the issue Further emphasis on New issues recently

recognized The conflict between personal economic

interests and the human rights Agriculture and human rights

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Adopted by the UN on December 1948

The preamble states “….Whereas disregard and contempt of

human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human rights shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear as want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people”

Universal Declaration of human rights

Adopted by the UN in January 1976 Its preamble states that

“….recognizing that in accordance with the Universal declaration, the ideal of free human being enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy economic, social and cultural rights. As well as civil and political rights…”

New Dimensions of human rights

Adopted on September 2007 It concerns the following

Rights of indigenous people who have suffered because of colonization, dispossession of their lands

Respect and promote, inherent rights of people which they derive from cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies

New Dimensions of human rights

Indigenous people and right to have control over the factors affecting their lands, territories and resources will be able to better maintain and strengthen their culture and traditions

The right of all people to be different, to consider themselves different and be respected as such

New Dimensions (contd)

Some other interesting changes in definition of human rights Indigenous people shall not be forcibly

removed from their land No relocation to take place without the

prior consent of the indigenous people and without proper compensation

States shall consult indigenous people through their own institutions

New dimensions

The right to natural resources also brings up another dimension to the question of human rights

Worth Mentioning is the case of the dongria konds and the Nyamgiri hills

Mega trans nationals backed by their own governments and international treaeties are practicing a new form of slavery

Those whose rights are either not aware of it or Are unable to fight this subversion since a false

legitimacy is crafted

Some shocking statistics

In human development index India ranks 119th amongst 169 countries

In human hunger index India is ranked BELOW THE FOLLOWING PAKISTAN NEPAL SRI LANKA

Agriculture and human rights The emergence of genetic Engineering and

genetically modified (GM) food The case of Bt cotton India, which claimed the

following Increasing yield Decrease in expenditure on pesticides

The truth about bt cotton It cost more then traditional cotton seeds It was tactically forwarded by big companies There was a nexus between regulators and

corporate It was gross violation of human rights

Conclusions

The definition of human rights needs to change with changing environment

The need for such changes generally arise because of some gaps in the current definitions

Human rights should not be in accordance with economic elites but with everybody

Definition of human rights ought to be progressive