Los derechos humanos más allá del capitalismo

What do human rights mean when those who hold power and wealth throughout the world actually treat many of those beneath them as not fully human? The categorization of peoples as non-human, subhuman, or not fully human has appeared throughout human history. But this categorization has flourished especially since what has been called the “rosy dawn” of capitalism.[1]             Rooted in European capitalism, racism, imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism, and patriarchy, the elites of capitalism have enslaved millions of people, mainly from Africa, and have exterminated millions more through genocide that wiped out indigenous populations, especially in the Americas and Asia. Slavery and genocide also have occurred within some imperialist countries of Europe, as fascist elites have used racist categorizations within their own realms. Racist ideas have justified these and other unacceptable conditions imposed on human beings considered less than human, while those not really human beings have generated immense wealth for elites intent to accumulate capital.   [1]  Eduardo Galeano, The Open Veins of Latin America (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997), Part I; Karl Marx, Capital, volume 1, chapter 31, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch31.htm.¿Qué significan los derechos humanos cuando quienes ostentan el poder y la riqueza en todo el mundo en realidad tratan a muchos de los que están por debajo de ellos como no plenamente humanos? La categorización de los pueblos como no humanos, infrahumanos o no plenamente humanos ha aparecido a lo largo de toda la historia de la humanidad. Pero esta categorización ha florecido especialmente desde lo que se ha llamado el "amanecer rosado" del capitalismo.[1]   Enraizadas en el capitalismo europeo, el racismo, el imperialismo, el colonialismo, el neocolonialismo y el patriarcado, las élites del capitalismo han esclavizado a millones de personas, principalmente de África, y han exterminado a millones más mediante genocidios que acabaron con las poblaciones indígenas, especialmente en América y Asia. La esclavitud y el genocidio también se han producido dentro de algunos países imperialistas de Europa, ya que las élites fascistas han utilizado categorizaciones racistas dentro de sus propios reinos. Las ideas racistas han justificado estas y otras condiciones inaceptables impuestas a seres humanos considerados menos que humanos, mientras que los que no son realmente seres humanos han generado una inmensa riqueza para las élites que pretenden acumular capital.   [1] Eduardo Galeano, Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997), 1a parte; Karl Marx, El Capital, volumen 1, capitulo 31, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch31.ht

Los derechos humanos en la formación de los profesionales de la salud: sensibilizar a los estudiantes sobre lo que significa la privación del derecho a la salud

This paper puts the finger on the barriers that “overstretched positivist biomedical curricula” pose to openings to a more humanistic approach to the education of health and nutrition professionals. Universities clearly favor “preparing career-ready graduates” so that curricula, in our case, staunchly avoid “critical pedagogies that promote a justice-enhancing health professional praxis”; “politicizing their curricula, their pedagogies, and the (social) engagement of their students” is far removed from their aims. Not that students mind; they remain buried in the “tell-me-what-I-need-to-know learning culture” --and this is yet another barrier to overcome since, given their mostly middle-class extraction, they are comfortable with “the status-quo that an individualistic professional practice offers them, (in practice) far removing them from critical (social and civic) thinking”. For all these reasons, “guiding those novice professionals to a career of political engagement is (better late than never) an absolute necessity for social change and social justice in health care”. This paper opens avenues in this realm --more specifically in the area of human rights learning.ste artículo pone el dedo en la llaga de las barreras que "los currículos biomédicos positivistas sobredimensionados" suponen para abrirse a un enfoque más humanista en la educación de los profesionales de la salud y la nutrición. Las universidades están claramente a favor de "preparar graduados listos para su carrera", de modo que los planes de estudio, en nuestro caso, evitan incondicionalmente "las pedagogías críticas que promueven una praxis profesional sanitaria que mejore la justicia"; "politizar sus planes de estudio, sus pedagogías y el compromiso (social) de sus estudiantes" está muy lejos de sus objetivos. No es que a los estudiantes les importe; siguen enterrados en la "cultura de aprendizaje de dime lo que necesitas saber", y esto es otra barrera que hay que superar, ya que, dada su extracción mayoritariamente de clase media, se sienten cómodos con "el statu quo que les ofrece una práctica profesional individualista, (en la práctica) muy alejada del pensamiento crítico (social y cívico)". Por todas estas razones, "guiar a esos profesionales noveles hacia una carrera de compromiso político es (más vale tarde que nunca) una necesidad absoluta para el cambio social y la justicia social en la atención sanitaria". Este documento abre vías en este ámbito, más concretamente en el del aprendizaje de los derechos humanos. Abstract This paper puts the finger on the barriers that “overstretched positivist biomedical curricula” pose to openings to a more humanistic approach to the education of health and nutrition professionals. Universities clearly favor “preparing career-ready graduates” so that curricula, in our case, staunchly avoid “critical pedagogies that promote a justice-enhancing health professional praxis”; “politicizing their curricula, their pedagogies, and the (social) engagement of their students” is far removed from their aims. Not that students mind; they remain buried in the “tell-me-what-I-need-to-know learning culture” --and this is yet another barrier to overcome since, given their mostly middle-class extraction, they are comfortable with “the status-quo that an individualistic professional practice offers them, (in practice) far removing them from critical (social and civic) thinking”. For all these reasons, “guiding those novice professionals to a career of political engagement is (better late than never) an absolute necessity for social change and social justice in health care”. This paper opens avenues in this realm --more specifically in the area of human rights learning. Indexin

The role of ethics and ideology in our contribution to global health The topic of this article has vividly interested the author for many years. It is fascinating to him that the issues at stake have not changed for the last 30 years or so. As proof of this – and on purpose – references quoted are both those published before 1985 and after 1995 (Table 1). Considerable material on this topic was already available from the mid 1970s on. The end result has been the (re)construction of a scenario that has been stubborn to change and that looks into most of the, still highly relevant, burning questions of then and now on the issues pertaining to the title of this contribution for debate. It will be of interest to the reader to see how we often need to be reminded of the things our peers had evidence of and wrote about long before us – as the examples of Dr. Virchov and of the Alma Ata Declaration, for instance, show.

What drives public health professionals in their daily work? Presumably it is the appeal of working, either locally or globally, to alleviate the suffering caused by (preventable) ill-health. This article explores the political awareness of health professionals, the political implications of their daily activities and suggests an enhanced role for them in the battle against preventable ill-health worldwide. The starting point for this article is the motivating principles behind these professionals as individuals. It challenges established paradigms in health, medicine, development and academia with a focus on health professionals' political, ethical and ideological motivations and awareness plus the implications of their actions in the realm of global health in the future. It further has implications for the everyday practice of health care providers, public health practitioners, epidemiologists and social scientists in academia

¿Qué políticas son necesarias para contrarrestar los determinantes comerciales de la salud?

Main points: This commentary aims to bring up to the attention of the reader the relevance and key role of activists in countering the commercial determinants of health. We suggest some strategies   and key activities for activists. We also highlight the multiple challenges activists will (and have) undoubtedly face(d).   We integrate a few examples pertaining to these points to exemplify what we mean here and why we are being harsh in the language we use and/or the actions we propose. There are multiple experiences hinting the way on how activists encompassing several fields ought to be going ahead.  Puntos principales: Este comentario pretende llamar la atención del lector sobre la relevancia y el papel clave de los activistas en salud a la hora de contrarrestar los determinantes comerciales de la salud. Sugerimos algunas estrategias y actividades clave para dichos y dichas activistas. También destacamos los múltiples retos a los que, sin duda, se enfrentarán (y se han enfrentado) como activistas. Integramos algunos ejemplos relativos a estos puntos para ejemplificar lo que queremos decir aquí y porque’ estamos siendo duros en el lenguaje que utilizamos y/o en las acciones que proponemos. Existen múltiples experiencias que indican el camino que deben seguir las y los activistas en diversos campos

Globalization, Global Governance and the Social Determinants of Health: A review of the linkages and agenda for action

The Globalization Knowledge Network (GKN) was formed in 2005 with the purpose of examining how contemporary globalization was influencing social determinants of health. It was one of nine Knowledge Networks providing evidence-informed guidance to the work of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008): like most of the Knowledge Networks, its operations were financed by an external funder (in this case, the International Affairs Directorate of Health Canada, Canada’s national ministry of health). The GKN conducted two face-to-face meetings to debate, discuss, outline and review its work, and produced thirteen background papers and a Final Report. These papers and the Final Report underwent extensive internal and external peer review to ensure that their findings and policy inferences accurately reflected available evidence and scholarship. This GKN publication series was prepared under the general editorship of Ronald Labonté, with assistance from Vivien Runnels and copy-editing provided by Wayne Harding. All views expressed are exclusively those of the authors. A complete list of titles in the publication series appears on the inside back cover of this monograph

The people’s health movement: an alternative to the globalization of health

This essay presents the People’s Health Movement, created in the year 2000, in the first People’s Health Assembly, and the work of its activists for "Health for All". The People’s Health Movement is a civil society initiative to counter the ill effects of globalization on health and health care. To fulfill its aim, the efforts that led to the creation of this network of activists are made explicit and the People’s Charter for the Health, a statement that explains the vision, objectives, principles and calls for action of the members of the People’s Health Movement. To conclude, the main activities already carried out by the global network of health activists are approached

Looking into the future, what do we see?

This series of short communications introduces and celebrates the occasion of World Nutrition Rio2012, and looks ahead. There will be another series published next month in our May issue, which will be on-line early, at 0001 GMT on Thursday 26 April, the day before Rio2012 begins. The questions and answers: Our contributors, this month and next month, have been asked to write within a standard framework, based on their knowledge and experience, in a style comparable with those of the news and comment sections of journals concerned with public health. Their contributions are judgements, as any policy statements are and must be. The first question is about Rio2012 itself. The second question is addressed to young colleagues. All the questions are designed to look forward and to advise, warn and encourage. What do I hope Rio2012 will achieve? My advice to a young public health nutritionist When I am optimistic, what is my vision? When I am pessimistic, what do I foresee? My most highly recommended writer One choice of my own publication

What Can We Do to Improve Child Health in Southern Italy?

Southern Italy has one of the highest rates of poverty in Europe, and children's health status in this region is alarming. Bonati and Campi outline the crucial policies that would address this crisis