Module 2 Flashcards
What was the context to the industrial age?
- Growing social hardships as the rural poor migrated to industry causing urban poverty
- Rebellion led to a revival of rights discourse, which was fueled by liberal intransigence
How did aristocrats try to counteract revolution?
Reimplementing religion
What was the most advanced society in the industrial age?
Britain, industrially and socially
what was the 1848 French Revolution at the Paris Commune?
- Blanc and socialists established workshops for unemployed, was dissolved
- 20k took arms against the government on the “Bloody June Days”
- 10k wounded or died in 3 days, 11k prisoners deported
- Again in 1871 the guard was sent to the commune killing 15k and deporting survivors in one week
American Civil War and Anti-Slavery
- Immigrants brought human rights ideas from their homelands
- Viewpoints developed up to the end of the Civil war would be greatly challenged in WW1
Challenging the Liberal Vision
- Liberalists inflamed the socialist hope for justice but failed to share the power
- New perspective on rights needed w/o liberalism
- Hegel wanted a liberal state with 3 classes (agri, business, civil)
Capitalism
- Economic system where wage-labour prevails and property is private
- produces inequality by class
What did the industrial revolution produce (other than technology)?
- urbanization
- pollution
- life expectancy of 30-35yrs
- Work time of 12-16hrs, 6 days a week
The First International
- International working class association
- 1864-73 Geneva
- up to 150k members
- would send financial support to striking unions
what did Marx say at the first first international summit?
“international rule will be peace, because its national ruler will be everywhere the same!”
Positive Rights
- Rights that require action
What were some victories by the end of the 19th century?
- Restricted some kinds of labour
- 8-10hr work days
- ‘special’ labour rights for women and kids
Challenge at the end of the 19th century
- shift to state-centrism with the rise of the european nation state
- anti-capitalist agenda lost due to reforms
- socialist v. liberal embedded in politics
ILO 1914
- led by governments rather than working people
Economic and Political exclusion in South Africa
- Poverty is structural and intentionally geographic
- ward committees dominated by the same parties
- municipalities are technocratic: top down management
Context behind Abahlahi baseMjondolo
- Zulu for “those who live in shacks”
- 2005 Durban Slums Clearance project
- Residents promised permanent housing but never happened
Abahlahi Legal tactics
- Oct 2005 marched on mayor, police violence, caught the eye of rights orgz
- Aug 2006 - Promotion of Access of Information Act
- After the movement they filled damages to the city and police
- City was forced to provide housing tot he displaced families
3 characteristics of the movement
- Rights based
- Counter-hegemonic
- Emancipatory
3 Main UN Treaties
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Covenant of ESC rights
- International covenants of CP rights
- declarations are morally binding, covenants are legally binding
The UN system for each state
- if you have ratified a covenant you are bound by international law
- State is still the principle actor
- Covenants are hard law and must be enter in the constitution or legislation
Progressive realization
States are required to achieve full realization over an undefined time period, must be able to prove process
Post Apartheid SA
- continuous struggles for justice and equality
- economic, racial and spatial segregation despite having CP and ESC rights
Distributive justice
principle concerned with the fair allocation of resources, opportunities and wealth
What is happening in Grassy Narrows and for how long?
- mercury poisoning and lack of safe water due to logging
- Food sources (fish) have also been poisoned
- Happening for 49 years
What human right is being violated in grassy narrows?
- Right to life/food/clean water
- UN found “flagrant breaches” of these rights in 2024
Who is being targeted for action in Grassy narrows
- Federal government and citizens
- 1982 constitution includes water and sanitation
- 2013 safe drinking water act repealed due to lack of indigenous consult
