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The Forum > Article Comments > The place of human rights in The Future We Want > Comments

The place of human rights in The Future We Want : Comments

By Bridget Lewis, published 29/6/2012

Why should human rights be included in a declaration on the future of sustainable development?

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Bridget, aren’t human rights inherent in the concept of sustainability and in the struggle to eliminate poverty and deal with the various other components of a sustainable future?

I mean, a person’s rights and choices in life are severely restricted if they stuck in the poverty trap in somewhere like Eritrea or Somalia.

Also in developed countries which are suffering increasing resource stress, civil unrest and an eroding rule of law, human rights are poor for many and getting worse.

So the very efforts to achieve sustainable societies, where the resource demand (population growth) is not constantly increasing, and where the demand can be comfortably met by a sustainable supply capability with a big safety margin, are by far the main means of addressing human rights.

Indeed, struggling to address them within an ongoing regime of poverty or resource stress is not likely to achieve a lot, is it?
Posted by Ludwig, Friday, 29 June 2012 9:09:41 AM
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A rather good article on a subject not much covered.

One of the problems the instrumentalist anti-population faction have is making statements about forcing nations to reduce their populations or else the developed world will with hold food relief. Of course this is mere rhetoric but it gives an idea as to where the far right, masquerading as new age thinkers, are really coming from.

In developed countries we are in a rights rich environment and indeed confuse rights with privileges. Our attitude to the world's struggling people is often just old fashioned imperialism, ie, they should this or that - or else!

One of the great success stories of the latter half of the 20thC has been the alleviation of poverty, especially in the Asian region. But the writer is spot on to remind us that human rights must under pin any calls for sustainability - what ever that means.
Posted by Cheryl, Friday, 29 June 2012 9:20:05 AM
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Dear Bridget,

Judging by the expressions on faces at the conclusion of Rio+20, they have finally felt the baseball bat of reality. The failure again, to reach anything other than an agreement to more gab feasts, after so many rounds with tens of thousands of warmers, the world has again said “what is it about NO you don’t understand?”

What really, really hurts you is the fact that you finally realizes that the real world of people, jobs, economics, reducing poverty, social progress, global equity and social justice has now created a “bubble of fantasy” for the useful idiots, where you and the rest of the warmertariat can continue to exist without inflicting more harm upon the rest of society. No more political sponsorship, the clout has ended.

Other groups also signal their recognition of reality. The group that created the “The Future We Want”, also created “Charter of Rights for Gaia” in Durban and you have now headed for a part of the bubble furthest removed from painful reality. You have collectively huddled together to suck on the corner of your comfort blanket and started to mumble incoherently.

This bubble bears no resemblance to the real world of course, but it solves a number of problems. It insulates political sponsorship from the main body of the global warming phenomena and allows centre politicians to be the only survivors. It creates the illusion that politicians “really care”, publicly throwing crumbs of hope to the “bubble for the faithful” whilst allowing politicians to extract the remnants of declining voter support.

It creates a place where the warmers can live out their fantasies, but alas perhaps, not their careers and finally, it creates a single containment location where all those who can be blamed for the global warming scam can be easily found by the politicians when they perform their triple back flip with pike as they exit stage left and dump the movement.

Finally, you demonstrate you don’t have the foggiest clue about the origins and meaning of “sustainable development”, too late now, it’s all over, get over it.
Posted by spindoc, Friday, 29 June 2012 11:05:16 AM
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This writer is one of the very few commentators who apparently has not realised that the Rio conference did not achieve anything - or perhaps she does not care. Almost everyone else has expressed disappointment that the conference declaration said nothing much.

Considering that conference produced no agreement worth mentioning, trying to put human rights into the mix would virtually ensure that nothing would ever happen. At best, the final declarations would include vague, feel-good statements on human rights and that would be it..

Basically the article is a waste of time.
Posted by Curmudgeon, Friday, 29 June 2012 11:50:32 AM
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As well as fewer Economists, it appears the World needs fewer Lawyers. Bridget, go join the KRT here in Cambodia, volunteer your time for free.
Posted by Valley Guy, Friday, 29 June 2012 5:10:51 PM
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"the greatest global challenge facing the world today"

Now I am confuse! Here I was thinking that 'global warming was the greatest global challenge facing the world today'

Soooo, that global warming thingy has been fixed then?

Curmudgeon, it's not the article that is a waste of time, it was the conference.
Posted by Prompete, Friday, 29 June 2012 5:17:08 PM
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