eqi2 Flashcards
what are human rights?
the moral principles that underline human behaviour. they are fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitles simply because they are a human being regardless of nation, location, age, gender, language, ethnicity, religion, etc…
what is a decleration?
a non-legally binding agreement with no signatories
what is a convention?
is legally binding and has signatories but is less formal than a treaty and not actively policed
what is a treaty?
a legally binding and policed agreement, signed by all parties involved
what is the universal decleration of human rights?
sets out 30 universal rights e.g. born free and equal.
but as it is a decleration it is not legally bounding.
- but if countries are in the UN, they are bound to obey by it
what are problems with the UDHR?
if a country is not in the UN then they don’t need to worry
- violations of the decleration have been used as an excuse for military intervention - leads to claims that america is using is as another way to control the world
why did the UDHR faul in kosovo?
NATO launched a 6 week bombing campaign against serbia in response to allegations of HR violations and their military intervention was designed to prevent humanitarian disaster but was not allowed by the UN (because of China and russia)
what is the european convention on human rights?
if you feel that your human rights have been violated you can go to the european courts
- to join the EU, national governments must
the ECHR comprises of articles which set out specific human rights and was a response to:
- violations of human rights that occured during WW2
- post war spread of communism
what is the UKs human rights act?
it is incorporated into UK law and it means that any breach of the convention’s rights can be heard in UK courts
what is the geneva convention?
a series of 4 treaties applied at times of armed conflict to protect people not taking part in the conflict.
- soldiers who surrender are entilted to respect for their lives and integrity
- wounded and sick must be cared for by the controlling force and the red cross/ cresent must be respected
- parties to a conflict and members of their armed forces do not have an unlimited choice of methods and means of warfare
how does corruption affect development?
- bribery can influence government contracts
- bribes can be allocated for monetary benefits or in-kind benefits
- bribes can be used to reduce the amount of taxes collected from private parties
- bribes can speed up government’s granting of permissoin
- bribes cna alter outcomes of the legal regulatory processes
how does corruption threaten human rights?
- stops the right to be treated equally - if one person can afford a bribe, it stops equality
- damages the right to a fair trial due to the affected independence
- damages the right to political participation
- can reduce standard of living (embezzlement)
- can reduce economic and social right to education and limit development of society
how did corruption stop myanmar’s development?
- informal and illicit economy suggests strong links between the ruling elite and organised crime activities such as drugs, human trafficking and illegal logging
- unelected military representatives still take up 25% of seats in parliament
- veto over constitutional changes
how did corruption stop myanmar’s human rights?
human trafficking is linked to ruling elites - loss of democracy = freedom of life
how did corruption stop zimbabwe’s development?
- land reforms led to the good land to the presidents friends and badly formed land to everyone else
- bad development = no money
how did corruption stop zimbabwe’s human rights?
little care and denial over human rights
how is the rohinga crisis contravening the geneva convention?
- the geneve convention protects civilians in times of war and occupation but there is documented mass killings and sexual violence
- the convention does not allow violence, murder, torture or cruel treatment and bans forced deportation
–> the rohingans have been forcibly displaced to bangladesh, violating prohibitions against forced deportation - myanmar’s government has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the rohingan people
how is the rohinga crisis contravening the UDHR?
- UDHR guarantees rights and freedom without distinction but the rohingans face systematic discrimination due to ethnic and religious standings
- UDHR guarantees right to nationality but myanmar revoked the rohingans citizenship rendering them stateless
- guarantees the right of every persons to be treated as a person before the law but rohingans lack legal recognition in myanmar
what does it mean to be free?
broad scope for political competition and a climate of respect for civil liberties
what does it mean to be partly free?
there are clear restrictions on political rights and liberties
what does it mean to not be free?
basic political rights and civil liberties are absent or systematically violated
what are the features of high freedom?
- western
- developed
- liberal
- democracy
- human rights
- christian
- rule of law
what are the features of low freedom?
- cencorship
- dictatorship
- authoritarian
- police states
- military dictatorhip
what is democracy?
- governing system based on the will and consent of the governed
- accountable to all citizens
- rule of law
- respect for human rights
- subject to check both within and outside the state
- good for the public as a whole
how does media freedom challenge democracy?
independent media have suffered from attacks on journalists and blocks on access to information
how does perverting elections challenge democracy?
baseless fraud claims, opaque financing and manipulation of electoral rules have undercut public confidence in voting
how does undermining rule of law challenge democracy?
politicians and gov have weakened judicial judgements and independence
how does discrimination and mistreatment of migrants challenge democracy?
marginalised communties face discrimination in a varety of areas
how does SK’s capitalism help it develop?
- high income advanced economy
- powerful high-tech family owned businesses
- committed labour force
- rich human resource of tech innovation
- education, healthcare and ease of doing business
- raned 40th in GDP per capita
how does NK’s communism help it develop?
- self-imposed isolation
- forbidden to use the internet
- frequent violations of human rights
- no freedom of speech
- GDP spent on military forces
- most corrupt country in the world
what are the conditions for communism?
- cultural hegemony
- state ownership of businesses and farms, with profits returning to the state to then redstribute accordingly
- strict police presence and lack of social freedom
how should communism be great for human rights?
- socialist utopia
- no inequality = high standard
- public services are outstandin
- no war or conflict
- cultural hegemony
why does the economic growth of the soviet union stop?
after industrialisation, there is limited wealth generation because:
- no competition - state ownership
- isolated - autonomous
- limited international trade
what does communism do for economic growth?
communism has an important role to play in starting economic growth but doesn’t allow for further growth
how do TNCs affect women’s rights?
more women work in sweatshops than men
- the women are deemed lucky to have a job which leads to exploitation such as being underpaid, overworked, poor conditions and lack of provisions
how does the middle east affect women’s rights?
the middle east is very religious - the women are the homemakers and they have lost their rights
the men make the money which means there is an increased reliance on men
- the women cannot leave and cannot buy food or water or healthcare without permission
how do traditional societies affect women’s rights?
african societies and gypsy societies the women are:
- homemaker
- children young
- no education
what happened to women’s rights when the taliban returned?
- personal safety
- reduction of food availability
- increase in forced marriage and human trafficking
- denial of education
- forced out of work = increased reliance on men
- freedom of movement and speech reduced
- loss of healthcare - not allowed to see male doctors but no women doctors
how have the tutsi’s human rights been affected by the rwanda genocide?
the tutsi’s were given businesses and land but only made up 15% whereas the hutu’s were not given anything
- the tutsi’s right to life (800,000 dead in 100 days
- right to live freely - deported to congo
- forced into slavery
- right to movement - travel cards had ethnicity
- lack of representation - no political rights
how were the hutu’s human rights compromised during the rwanda genocide?
- tutsis’s exacted revenge in refugee camps
what did the federal gov introduce to protect children in australia?
- suspended the racial discrimination act
- implement income management measures
- retrospective application of modern laws
- removal of right to review
these have removed the human rights of the indigenous pops in australia
how have the palestinians human rights been impacted?
- no citizenship
- statistical data
- no freedom of movement
- no right to peaceful living
- trade blockade
- UN restrictions
how have Israeli human rights been impacted?
attacked - no regard for geneve convention
what happened in the anti-gay purges in chechnya?
- torture
- extrejudicial killings
what drives exploitation of marginal groups?
- TNC exploitation of LEDCS
- population policy (1 child)
- environmental agreements - forcing minority groups into marginal areas
- rise of the right
- superpower intentions - commitment to ideologies
