HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS.   Term Paper ID:26606 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Evolution, concerns & operations of public & private human rights movement since founding of U.N. after WWII.... More...

7 Pages / 1575 Words 19 sources, 24 Citations, APA Format $28.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Evolution, concerns & operations of public & private human rights movement since founding of U.N. after WWII. Paper Introduction: THE HUMAN RIGHTS BUSINESS This research paper discusses the principal human rights commissions and committees, public and private, their charters, activities and performance. The cause of human rights has probably been advanced more by the actions and example of exceptional and dedicated individuals, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Andrei Sakharov and Harry Wu, among many others, than it has by the activities of professional human rights organizations. Some of the latter, such as the European Commission on Human Rights in the public sector, and Amnesty International among private organizations, have made substantial contributions at the margin to man's slow and frustrating progress toward a more civilized world. Since the 1970s, the human rights movement has become larger, better organized and more influential. Important elements Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. 8-11. . Korey, W. Draper, T. no one gives a damn. . (1989). . Bonner says that AI "is not as meticulous as itonce was, that it is concerned with responding to quickly to a crisis as itonce was in preparing an unimpeachable report" (1995, P. New York Times, p. U.S. A. . The European Commission on Human Rights and the European Court ofHuman Rights in Strasbourg did some impressive work in remedying abuses byEuropean members, such as in their decisions condemning excesses committedby the British in Northern Ireland against Irish Republican Army suspects.The rights in ECHR were made binding on all European Community Membersunder the Treaty of Maastricht of 1992. (198 ). Novak, the Americanrepresentative to the Commission, told it in 1981 that "lies destroy humanrights far more effectively than assassins or bombthrowers . In the UN these rights can be enforced byindividuals through what is called the 15 3 procedure, complaints to the 43Member UN Commission on Human Rights, a commission of the UN Economic andSocial Council which can "carry out a thorough study of the situation or .. Meisler, S. Nation, p. Foreign Policy, 97,121-132.----------------------- 11 Nation, pp.9-1 . AIvolunteers also "mobilize their communities, put pressure on governments, support the victims and their families, lobby for legal reform, . (1998, February 2 ). It has been criticized for taking the principle of self-determination to ridiculous extremes, and for fomenting discontent amongminorities in Yugoslavia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe (Tonelson, 1994,p. Today, there arehundreds of such organizations" (p. Helsinki's uncertain future. New Leaderpp. (1992, March 9). New York:Atlantic Monthly Press. H. The 1996 report on human rights aroundthe world. Kirkpatrick, Jeanne. It conducts broad single issue campaigns suchas its current campaign against the use of landmines. Human rights. 1559 & 15581). Thedarkness of Orwellian doublespeak swirls over precious achievements of thehuman spirit" (1982, pp. AI's 1994report on the massacre by one tribe of members of another tribe in Rwandarepresented, according to Bonner, "a profound shift" in AI policy becausethe report was based on second hand media reports, rather than on AI's ownresearch (1995, P. Spillane, M. . Nevertheless, they remind us of manyabuses around the world which many of us would just as soon ignore. However, critic Evans said in 198 that "it [AI]handles many overtly Communist and other Third World dictatorships withexquisite deference, while piling into non-Communist regimes, authoritarianand otherwise, with unconcealed distaste" (198 , p. F. The Council of Europepassed in 195 the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rightsand Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). LosAngeles Times, p. 129). The European Conference on Peace and Security inEurope (CSCE) with the help of a private group known as Helsinki Watch,discussed infra, did a good job in monitoring human rights violations ofthese accords in the Eastern bloc. Interview. . Since the 197 s, the human rightsmovement has become larger, better organized and more influential.Important elements of it have also some taken on some of the moreunattractive features of the modern world. (1989, May-June). The 1997 version appeared last month to barely suppressed international yawns" (1998, p. 496-497). Kissinger, H. (1994, Winter). 16547; Amnesty, 1996, pp. . Wilson. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading servitude . The squandering of moral capital. Encyclopedia of associations Vol.1. N4). 13). It has important chapters in Europe and in the United States,where its budget in 1997 was $22.7 million; and it operates in 14 countries (Encyclopedia, 1998, p. (1981, March 2). 7. Human Rights Watch has a broader agenda than AI. References Amnesty International, (1996). However,as the human rights movement has come of age, it has also become abusiness, in which careers are made through prosecutorial-like, stridentand not always well-substantiated accusations and manipulation of the massmedia. You can't do that to me. Clarke, J. 218). 8). 7). In 1971 AI was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In Ed. 29). (Ed.). Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law . N4. 14). Posner, N. It deals with humanrights abuses of all kinds, including those committed by corporations andother non-governmental organizations, such as female circumcision and otherviolations of women's rights. . New York: Amnesty International USA. 48). . Korey notes "the enormous impact theHelsinki process had on Eastern Europe," and its contribution to ending theCold War (1992, p. In 1994, itcriticized the outgoing director of the UN Office of High Commission onHuman Rights for his inaction and called for a replacement who would "put arelentless searchlight on those who float their ship of state on seas ofblood" (Spillane, 1997, p. Wilson. New York: Macmillan. Conclusion We have entered an era in which the human rights movement has takenon the characteristics of an interest group, with a singular agenda andinsistent and often extreme demands. (1982). In 1977Congress established in the Department of State an Office of Human Rightsand Humanitarian Assistance (OHRHA). As themovement has become a career path for ambitious professional activists,competition among private human rights organizations for media and publicattention has become more intense. Dark horses. 47-48. Cockburn, A. Human Rights Watch has been particularly virulent in criticizingthe administration of President Bill Clinton for its alleged timidity indealing with human rights abuses in China, East Timor, Myanmar, Rwanda,Turkey and elsewhere. (1997, November 1 ).Newsweek, pp. Between 1991 and 1995, AI lost 12 , members from its Americanchapter, largely because of competition from Human Rights Watch. Basic facts about theUnited Nations. (198 , January 25). Evans, M. (1997,February 2). Detroit: Gale Research. Biko's case now offers justice from a travesty. United Nations the first fifty years. The clamor of angry voices is not themost effective way to bring about needed changes in policy and the zeal ofsome human rights activists appear to be inconsistent with the originalspirit of the human rights movement. National Review, p.113. 113). Other large human rights organizations include New York-based, HumanRights Watch, formerly Helsinki Watch, which was founded in 1987 and had anannual budget of $14 million in 1997 and the Lawyers Committee for HumanRights, which was founded in 1978, and had an annual budget in 1997 of $2.2million (Encyclopedia, 1998, pp. Bonner, R. In 1974 it passed theJackson-Vanik amendment which denied most favored nation trading status toany nation which denied its citizens a right to emigrate, a measure whichwas applied to the Soviet Union, but not to other nations such as Haitiwhich might have dumped unwanted immigrants on American shares. 122). No one shall be held in slavery or servitude . No one shall be subject to arbitrary detention or exile" (Draper, 1982, p. put together by publishers, lawyers and some civil rights veterans" which concentrates on "using the media and lobbying politicians," and is funded by large philanthropic organizations of liberal persuasion such as the Ford Foundation (1997, p. . AIrelies on private contributions and the efforts of more than one millionmembers, including doctors, lawyers, police officers, trade unionists andothers (Amnesty, 1996, p. . JeanneKirkpatrick, President Reagan's Ambassador to the United Nations, saidCarter's human rights policy failed because "it was utopian, because it wasconducted outside of the political and historical context, and because itdidn't work" (Kirkpatrick, 1981, p. 49-5 . . As the composition of the General Assembly changed, the UN Commissionon Human Rights began to display partisan bias and to employ a doublestandard. . Jettison the policy. Burns, J. Underthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the world communityin 1948, the global community committed itself to uphold the followingprinciples: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights . A1 . Winter before spring. ." AI also "cooperates with other non-governmental organizations . . The cause of human rights has probably been advanced more bythe actions and example of exceptional and dedicated individuals, such asMahatma Gandhi, Andrei Sakharov and Harry Wu, among many others, than ithas by the activities of professional human rights organizations. A new era of activism. Human Rights Watch pursues more militant stances than AI. name an ad hoc committee to investigate" them (Department, 1989, p.15 ). New York Times, p. (1998). S. Outrage is not a policy. The emphasis placed by President Jimmy Carter on human rights as acritical element of its foreign policy provoked controversy. Today, . Draper, Human rights,494-497 New York: H. . Until recently, AI focused primarily onmonitoring and documenting state-sponsored illegal detentions and tortureof individuals imprisoned for their political or religious convictions. As to AI'soverall effectiveness, Bonner says that "thousands of people around theworld owe their freedom letter-writing campaigns by Amnesty International'smembers" (1995, p. raise public awareness through the news media and human rights education work . Reagan largely ignored OHRHA andput it under Assistant Secretary of State Eliott Abrams, later convicted ofillegal activities in Central America. Others are more dynamic but pursuetheir agenda with ideological fervor and narrowness of viewpoint. The decay of human rights. (1997, June 16). Foreign Policy,97, 133-139. In spotlighting human rights abuses, these private committees performa useful service often under difficult and dangerous conditions. . 137). B9). Abuses of Chile, Israel,Rhodesia and South Africa's apartheid were condemned, but the abuses ofArab and other terrorists were ignored or downplayed. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person . Another international organization, the South African Truth andConciliation Commission, which offers amnesty to past human rights abusersin return for confessions has exposed many of the abuses of the apartheidperiod, such as the beating and slaying of black freedom fighter StevenBiko (Burns, 1997, p. Pagan says that "as the public becomes sensitized to more and moreissues, the trek from the activist literature to the nightly news becomesshorter and shorter" (1989, p. A1 ). Novak, Michael. Tonelson says that "a systematic and dedicated policy to promotegreater respect for human rights dates back only to the 197 s" (1994-1995,p. Archer, J. Public Entities After the end of World War II, the United Nations took the lead indefining minimum standards of human rights and in sponsoring along with thechurches, the International Red Cross and other private groups,humanitarian aid to victims of human rights abuses and war refugees. Defining and proving rights abuses: debate. . AI's bi-weekly and annual reports on human rights abuses havegenerally been considered to be based on its own solid research andobjective reporting. T. As a manifestation of the Post-Vietnam War syndrome, the AmericanCongress became much more vocal on the subject. . rights agenda. N. A1 ). The U. . Rally round human rights. According to Meisler, the resolution which was adopted by theGeneral Assembly in 1975 condemning Zionist Racism made the UN look "like awarren of Third World crazies" (1995, p. Some ofthe latter, such as the European Commission on Human Rights in the publicsector, and Amnesty International among private organizations, have madesubstantial contributions at the margin to man's slow and frustratingprogress toward a more civilized world. (1997, April 21). It was at the forefront of the mediacampaign to send American and UN troops on a humanitarian mission toSomalia. Other lawsadopted in the 197 s forbade American military, security or foreign aidassistance to nations which persistently violated human rights. (1995, July26). . New York: H. Tonelson, A. THE HUMAN RIGHTS BUSINESS This research paper discusses the principal human rights commissionsand committees, public and private, their charters, activities andperformance. Futurist, 23,12-13. Private Committees According to Posner (1994), "in the 197 s there were perhaps a fewdozen human rights organizations around the world. Since then the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a numberof supplementary Conventions dealing with the rights of prisoners of war,against genocide and discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities,prohibiting torture and barbaric medical treatment, on the status ofrefugees and on the rights of women and children. (1994, Winter). News & WorldReport, pp. However, the linkage of the human rights issue withCold War politics had further politicized the human rights movement. Pagan, R., Jr. Clarke said that office has largelybecome ineffective: "After its debut in 1978, the State Department's annual human rights report was a major event in international politics. Cockburn describes itas "the archetypal second-generation human rights organization . 188). The 1975 Helsinki accords committed the United States, the SovietUnion and 33 other nations to "respect human rights and fundamentalfreedoms, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief"(Archer, 198 , p. . A1 ). . H. 29-3 ). B9. . 9). Similar regional commissions have been set up in other parts of theworld. New York: United Nations. As to the impact of organizations likeHuman Rights Watch on American foreign policy, Henry Kissinger commentedthat in connection with their recent efforts to bring about changes in theClinton administration's policy toward China, their demands were pressed"to the point that threatened other important objectives and [were]advanced with a self-righteousness destructive of the dialogue the issuedeserved" (1997, p. Department of Public Information. . 49). [to build] strong civil institutions and a powerful human rights constituency within every country" (Amnesty, 1996, pp. 29-3 ). The first and still the mosthighly respected is Amnesty International (AI), which was founded in Londonin 1961. . Some agencies have become morebureaucratic and hobbbled by inertia. (1995). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.