Human Rights Perspective

Who is deserving of what?  This is the underlying question that often is unspoken in the discussion of state assistance programs like Welfare in the United states, the public support of political involvement in foreign aid, and worst of all social welfare systems with limited resources faced with overwhelming need for services.  It is the unconscious question that is asked, but rarely uttered because it seems wholly subjective.  A human rights perspective would allow us to begin to discuss standards and levels of service that are afforded to all people.  These rights outweigh all other priorities and at their best are not in conflict with each other.  

It may be easy to agree that all humans should be afforded food, shelter, basic healthcare, and an education in casual discussion, but this is not our reality.  I hope this video will help us think further about what "development" means for nations and our world in light of the struggle to identify what our basic human rights are.  I also caution the idea that it is simply an aim for developing countries to "catch up" to developed countries, and ask that we be more reflective and discriminating in our concepts of how to address global development in our new world.  

The complex issues of free trade, fair trade, micro-credit and financing, debt forgiveness, multilateral, bilateral, and unilateral aid, and the development of "good governance."  Each of these will be discussion of future posts, but for now, if nothing else, this may illustrate the complexities of our world community.  With little control over the mechanisms it is often the most impoverished and vulnerable that suffer for the decisions of those with power and often money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo