Scientists Have Been Out for Some Time Now: A Response to Sonia Shah

Sonia Shah\u27s categorization of the scientific community as having been by and large. impassively unmoved [by human rights], churning out their papers, applying for grants and debating esoterica at their private professional meetings is grossly inaccurate on at least two accounts

Protecting Human Rights in Conflict

The Just War Theory of Jus in Bello is the international community’s attempt to ensure respect for human rights and human welfare during armed conflicts. The principle of proportionality and the obligation to distinguish between combatants and civilians in attacks are two related notions that are fundamental to the protection of human rights during conflict. The principle of proportionality limits the amount of violence and destruction that is morally permissible. By contrast, the principle of discrimination (or distinction) discriminates between legitimate targets, such as soldiers and weapons depots, and illegitimate targets, specifically noncombatants such as civilian populations and their property

Peace Without Justice, or Justice Without Peace?

Peace without justice is an illusion. The use of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute human rights violations not only provides restorative justice for those harmed by the wrongdoing but also retributive justice towards the perpetrators. Restorative justice seeks to help heal the wounds of the victims and community by acknowledging and witnessing the pain and suffering of the victim. Retributive justice seeks to punish the offenders. The hope is that retribution will deter or prevent future acts of violence by holding perpetrators accountable for the violations of human rights, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Many people believe that the path to justice is through criminal prosecution of the offenders. McDonell succinctly summarizes the relationship between restorative and retributive justice when he describes the victim’s viewpoint as follows: “if peace comes, and I know the person who killed my brother, raped my sister, killed my mother, how can I live with this person?” Seeking justice by ending the impunity for crimes and seeking redress for the victims is the only way to build a stable long-lasting peace. Such justice allows for social reconciliation, restoration and perhaps forgiveness

Progressive realization for all: State responsibility toward the fulfillment of women\u27s economic and social rights

The purpose of the present study was three-fold. First, it examined the extent of gender discrimination in the enjoyment of the human rights defined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Before action can be taken against gender discrimination, knowledge of the range and depth of the discrimination is required. Second, this research analyzed the relationship between gender specific deprivation of these human rights and governmental and international programs, projects and resource allocations. Third, this work built an index which can be used to measure and evaluate women\u27s realization of those rights listed in the Economic Covenant. Data was collected at approximately five year intervals (1975, 1980, 1985 and 1990) in order to discern trends, that is, progressive growth, stagnation or deterioration in the realization of economic and social rights. On the basis of a cross-national statistical analysis, it appears that economic development and governmental expenditures on health, education and the military can contribute to the protection and provision of women\u27s attainment of their economic and social human rights. Specifically, governmental spending on health and education significantly improves women\u27s realization of their rights. Domestic military expenditures have a lesser, but none-the-less positive, effect on women\u27s rights. Due to poor planning, donor self-interest and political encumbrances international foreign aid programs (food aid, Official Development Assistance and foreign military aid) are deleterious for the advancement of women\u27s rights. Geographical region proved a strong predictor of women\u27s achievement of economic and social rights. These findings lead to the conclusion that indigenous factors are very important in explaining variations in the realization of women\u27s human rights