One the most important developments in the 1990s is the broadening articulation of human rights. With the end of the Cold War, the scope of human rights now goes beyond the civil-political rights framework. Human rights violations are seen not only in relation to governments, but also in the context of the family, workplace, economic development, and societal practices, traditions and institutions.
Human rights workers are now also from much more varied backgrounds than before. They work with child-welfare organizations, women's crisis centers, social development organizations, environmental advocacy groups, support institutions for disabled people and health organizations among others. They raise human rights issues in their fields of work, complementing the activities of human rights organizations, which focus on the protection of civil and political rights.
The discourse on human rights now ranges from the rights of the child, to the rights of migrant workers and their families, to the right to development. Previously neglected United Nations human rights documents are now given importance. Farmers and fisherfolk can claim their right to a livelihood, including access to and protection of natural resources, as part of their economic rights. Ethnic and minority groups can protect their own language and culture by invoking their cultural rights. This growing discourse on human rights has been helped to a large extent by UN-sponsored international conferences on environment and development, women, children, population, food security, housing, social development and human rights—issues advocated by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for many years.
In Asia, the crisis raises the issue of the rights of the poor and the accountability of government and business for the people's suffering. It also highlights the close relationship among human rights, democracy and development. It has broken the myth that economic upliftment alone can solve human rights problems. Amartya Sen argues that the "protective power of democracy" prevents the spread of cruel economic contraction.1
Press freedom and open debate, for example, can prevent famine as the public can pressure government to do something before it is too late.
Many human rights issues have much to do with the way people think. Equal opportunities for women are directly related to prevailing views about their role and rights. Child abuse, in various forms, partly stems from the traditional view that children are owned by their parents and do not enjoy rights as individuals.
The confluence of old problems and new issues is the impetus for a much-needed review of both ideas and structures that dominate many Asian societies. Many people are attempting to see present problems with new eyes.
There is no lack of ideas for this purpose, beginning with human rights principles. Combined with other ideas, they can form a holistic perspective of society. The bottom line is faithful adherence to human rights principles. The goal is to realize as many human rights as possible. No single formula can solve the problems of all societies, but some basic principles can apply to all.
The search for the right combination of ideas goes on in certain quarters such as the financial sector. "Review," "restructuring" and "reform" are the buzzwords in economic development circles composed of financial institutions, business entities and governments. "Rights" sometimes come into the picture. The head of the Inter-American Development Bank declares that
"Development should include social justice, equality of opportunity and living within the values a society adheres to—particularly, the spiritual realization of the people. That is why we at the bank are paying growing attention to "cultural development," because that is the way to put in the development equation those elements of culture that allow us to strengthen our identity and our cultural values... There should be a good balance among work, values, democracy, respect for human rights and times of dolce far niente, or leisure."2
This perspective is not new to many social movements and NGOs in Asia. But how many other people are aware of it? Have people with power, authority and resources done the soul searching that will lead them to a similar perspective? What will it take to bring human-rights-guided perspectives into mainstream thought? What assurance is there that social change will not bring back inequality, discrimination, intolerance, violence, abuse of power and misery?
Now is the time to review our vision of society.
Human rights education (HRE) in school is a major instrument for molding a thinking society. As the papers in this book show, HRE is a response to violence and injustice. But it cannot remain a reaction: it should be a means of envisioning and attaining a peaceful and just society.
Students need to be imbued with a sense of mission to realize human rights. Human rights should be seen as an inherent element of human well-being. HRE therefore helps students, teachers and others in the community to become better human beings.
HRE in school is inseparable from the school's community. The papers here attest to this. HRE can help us examine of the realities of school, family and society, and in turn give meaning to education.
Since HRE is not an intellectual exercise but an action-oriented activity, simple yet concrete change must start in the school. Change need not be painful. In fact, it has to be a "joyful experience."3
The joy of new relationships and exercise of human rights should be the immediate goal of HRE in schools. This is the starting point of more action.
1;. Stephen S. Rosenfeld, "Famine, financial
crises and democracy," The Yomiuri Shimbun, 14 March
1999.
2;. Sergio Munoz, "Enrique Iglesias—Cloud
of World Crisis Obscures a Successful Latin American Partnership,"
Los Angeles Times, reprinted in The Yomiuri
Shimbun, 16 March 1999.
3;. See Schools, Human Rights and Society
-- Report of the 1998 Asian Workshops on Human Rights Education in
Schools, Osaka: HURIGHTS OSAKA, 1999.