http://www.lapress.org/articles.asp?art=6463
I wish I could be shocked by the information contained in this article. I really wished that I could be surprised and appalled by it. But I simply can't.
It is always so easy for governments to pretend that they respect their Indigenous populations...until they suddenly dare to have a voice. Until they begin claiming what should be theirs. It is then that we see what little value human lives have when compared to resources and money. It is all well and good for the Peruvian government to have passed a law saying that Indigenous groups should be consulted before projects such as mining go ahead, but their opinion is not "binding under the legislation." I have two problems with this. First, if the government can simply ignore what the Indigenous people are saying and go ahead with the project anyway, what is the point? Second, shouldn't it be self evident that they be consulted? I mean, before drilling and extracting minerals from someone's backyard, you would probably ask for permission first, right? These are their lands, why should it be any different?
A law is a good starting point. A law in which Indigenous people actually weild power and have a strong voice would be even better.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Readings for September 26: On the Origins of Rights
After quickly looking through the other blog updates, I have found that, like myself, many others were particularly struck by De Gouges' Declaration of the Rights of Women. After reading it, I find that I can only respect and admire this woman for her courage. She is one of those feminists that brings it all back to the source: equality. It is no secret that, in recent years, feminism has been given a black name. Some people wrongly construct it as a desire for women to be superior to men. This is just a perversion of the original desire for simple respect and equality. As De Gouge says, women simply want to be treated like men. If a woman has done something wrong, then she should receive equal punishment. Consequently, a woman who has done right should be rewarded, as a man would be, or at least reconized.
Another interesting fact about this declaration is that, despite it's age, it is still very actual. De Gouge speaks of things like equal representation of women in positions of power; though some strides have been made in that respect, it is still nonetheless true that women are grossly under represented at the governamental level. It is evident that there is still much work to be done.
About the other readings, I was struck by the idea of limitations or rights. I have heard of this concept before, but still find it very interesting. The basic idea is that we should all be able to do what we want...as long as we don't limit someone elses liberty, or harm others. This implies a certain amount of empathy, or basic respect of others. As this is by no means a given amongst human, I do understand the necessity of laws being put in place to limit the actions of people. However, I also believe that nothing is static, and that laws shoud be revisited to accomodate the changing dynamics of human life.
Another interesting fact about this declaration is that, despite it's age, it is still very actual. De Gouge speaks of things like equal representation of women in positions of power; though some strides have been made in that respect, it is still nonetheless true that women are grossly under represented at the governamental level. It is evident that there is still much work to be done.
About the other readings, I was struck by the idea of limitations or rights. I have heard of this concept before, but still find it very interesting. The basic idea is that we should all be able to do what we want...as long as we don't limit someone elses liberty, or harm others. This implies a certain amount of empathy, or basic respect of others. As this is by no means a given amongst human, I do understand the necessity of laws being put in place to limit the actions of people. However, I also believe that nothing is static, and that laws shoud be revisited to accomodate the changing dynamics of human life.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Women Human Righst Defenders Risk Death, Dsicrimination by Laura Carlsen
http://alainet.org/active/45177&lang=en
It is no secret that Mexico is fighting an intense drug war, and that casualties as a result of this war are high. Certain regions are all out no-go zones, with people dying daily while others go into exile in hope of saving themselves. In this climate of violence, peaceful protest is shoved to the side, and rights movements are filed under "deal with later". It should be no surprise that activists are dropping like flies, especially women's rights activists. In the mind of the government, this probably lacks in importance when compared to the drug war. However, that does not mean that the issue should be avoided and forgotten, as it is now.
In climates of violence, women are always more particularly at risk of loosing their basic rights. In fact, the article speaks about the increasing amount of violence, both physical and psychological, that women in Mexico have to deal with. The ennemies in this case are not only the cartels, but also the troops sent by the government who view the women brave enough to speak out against thing as trouble makers, more than they can deal with. This discouraged women to speak out. The fact that women human rights activists are turning up dead by the score is not helping. But since when does one issue block another? Are the women not suffering as much as the men? Do they not have as much right as they to be protected? I think that in cases like these, the International Community has an obligation to reach out and offer their support, though I reconize that, with a lack of information and transparency, this is far from being easy.
Women such as these, defending human rights at the risk of their own, and defying patriarchal rules in doing so, are to be applauded and supported. Despite the risks, they continue to attempt to be heard. It would be naive to thing that things will get easier for them; at every turn, the climate of violence seems to be deepening, and human right activists will continue to be targeted until such time that things stabilize. What is important is that they never give up, and that help eventually comes to them.
It is no secret that Mexico is fighting an intense drug war, and that casualties as a result of this war are high. Certain regions are all out no-go zones, with people dying daily while others go into exile in hope of saving themselves. In this climate of violence, peaceful protest is shoved to the side, and rights movements are filed under "deal with later". It should be no surprise that activists are dropping like flies, especially women's rights activists. In the mind of the government, this probably lacks in importance when compared to the drug war. However, that does not mean that the issue should be avoided and forgotten, as it is now.
In climates of violence, women are always more particularly at risk of loosing their basic rights. In fact, the article speaks about the increasing amount of violence, both physical and psychological, that women in Mexico have to deal with. The ennemies in this case are not only the cartels, but also the troops sent by the government who view the women brave enough to speak out against thing as trouble makers, more than they can deal with. This discouraged women to speak out. The fact that women human rights activists are turning up dead by the score is not helping. But since when does one issue block another? Are the women not suffering as much as the men? Do they not have as much right as they to be protected? I think that in cases like these, the International Community has an obligation to reach out and offer their support, though I reconize that, with a lack of information and transparency, this is far from being easy.
Women such as these, defending human rights at the risk of their own, and defying patriarchal rules in doing so, are to be applauded and supported. Despite the risks, they continue to attempt to be heard. It would be naive to thing that things will get easier for them; at every turn, the climate of violence seems to be deepening, and human right activists will continue to be targeted until such time that things stabilize. What is important is that they never give up, and that help eventually comes to them.
Human rights-readings for September 19
After reading the different declarations pertaining to human rights, the first thing that came to mind was a certain sense of evolution. At the beginning, the concept of protecting individual rights was rather broad and generalized. In fact, it could be argued that they were more guidelines than something that could be strictly enforced. As time went by, these texts became more specific, with targeted audiences in mind. Originally restrictive (limiting the absolute powers of feudal lords, kings, colonizing powers, etc.), they began reaching out to englobe the protection of individual rights. In this, the UN charter is extremely comprehensive, zoning in on different groups, and rights, that need protecting. Further texts go into further details on specific groups, such as racial minorities or indigenous groups.
In all, the texts were clearly comprehensive and showed a clear evolution through time. What was interesting to me was to see how certain things, that I often take for granted, came into being, and how these rights are protected by law. However, despite all the good intentions, there are certain obvious and well know loop holes, especially pertaining to the United Nations; how does one prevent, or punish, a violation of rights? You can't exactly grab a country and drag it to jail, and change is almost never possible without internal political will. This is why genocides are still being committed today, why Indigenous rights are far from being universally respected. On a smaller scale, such as within a country, charters and texts go further in protecting human rights because they are more easily enforcable. When the scale widens to the International level, things become vastly different, and implementation becomes a problem. At that scale, one must also deal with differing cultures and world views that cannot always come into line with each other. I do still believe, however, that great strides have been taken to protect universal human rights. Equally true is the fact that despondency at this point is not an option, and there is still much work to be done.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Hi folks
Hi. My name is Isabelle Maurice-Hammond and I'm a last minute drop in in this class. As such, I have a lot of catching up to do.
I'm an third year Anthropology major, and as of three days ago, a Latin American Studies minor. Three days ago was when I discovered that I could actually pursue this as a minor, at which point I dropped English Lit. like a hot potatoe. I am in this class because I have a very deep interest in Latin America, especially when it pertains to Indigenous or women's rights. Having lived in Honduras, and having an adopted brother from there, has also contributed in kindling my interest in this part of the world as well as the various cultures found there.
Ultimately, however, I want to go into Mesoamerican archaeology and teach while conducting my own research. I simply want my knowledge of Latin America to be multi faceted, and not completely rooted in the past.
I'm an third year Anthropology major, and as of three days ago, a Latin American Studies minor. Three days ago was when I discovered that I could actually pursue this as a minor, at which point I dropped English Lit. like a hot potatoe. I am in this class because I have a very deep interest in Latin America, especially when it pertains to Indigenous or women's rights. Having lived in Honduras, and having an adopted brother from there, has also contributed in kindling my interest in this part of the world as well as the various cultures found there.
Ultimately, however, I want to go into Mesoamerican archaeology and teach while conducting my own research. I simply want my knowledge of Latin America to be multi faceted, and not completely rooted in the past.
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