Your detailed and thorough post due by Wednesday@MIDNIGHT for full credit (A). Partial credit (C) can be earned by posting late, which is better than a ZERO.
Remember, weekly blogging is worth 1/3 of your entire semester grade.
Be sure to communicate with Dr. W as needed - rob.williams@madriver.com.
Read and blog INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL STUDIES, Chapters 4-5.
2) EVIDENCE: Post and number THREE specific observations from EACH CHAPTER of our reading(s) that supports your thesis.
Use 2-3 sentences for each observation, and combine direct quotations from the text (AUTHOR's LAST NAME, 27), with IYOW analysis.
3) QUESTION: Include in your post a SINGLE SPECIFIC question you'd ask the class based on our readings.
Chapter 4:
ReplyDelete1) Although not a new concept, human rights is still prevalent in the world today and must be reviewed regularly so that it can be adapted to fit the changing world.
2) (a) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed on December 10, 1948, in which it outlined basic human rights for all humans everywhere. “[Figure 4.1] Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” (Campbell 96). The UDHR was a good first start in establishing internationally recognized human rights but it was not enough as it was not legally binding. Immediately after being accepted by the general assembly “work began on the promulgation of the legally binding treaties necessary to enshrine the aspirations the UDHR had laid out in international law” (Campbell 95).
(b) Using the principals of the UDHR, work began in the late 40’s to create a legally binding treaty. “The end result was the promulgation in 1966 of two different human rights documents, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) (Campbell 95). The CPR emphasizes articles 1 – 21 of the UDHR while the ESCR emphasizes articles 22 – 30).
(c) Advocates of human rights suggest there are still emerging human rights issues in the world, such as the right to clean drinking water. “The right to health found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (194*), Article 25, which states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family”” (Campbell 114). It should be noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) correlates water and health. Other human rights issues are the right to one’s human genetic data (DNA, genetic testing, discrimination and insurance companies denial of coverage based on certain disease markers), to one’s sexuality, “a woman’s right to choose/refuse sexual partner(s) (rather than having them chosen for her or forced upon her), the right to choose whether or not to procreate, the right to choose a partner of the same or different sex, and the right to alter one’s own sex (Campbell 114).
ReplyDeleteChapter 5:
1) There are many environmental challenges that must be addressed from a unified international front.
2) (a) With increases in CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases a key contributor, Global climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. Industrial processes, coal, oil and gas (fossil fuels) combustion, factory farming and deforestation are some of the major contributors to the increase in greenhouse gases. “Climate change is likely to lead to an acceleration of human displacement resulting in increased competition for land, resources and housing with attendant unrest in both urban and rural settings, within and between countries” (Campbell 123 – 124).
(b) Scholars and activists believe that the ‘political economy of water’ is one of the most important issues today as access to clean drinking water is becoming more and more difficult for many people world-wide. “From 1950 to 1990, water usage has tripled; the world’s population is expected to grow to over 9 billion by 2054; and roughly one-third of the world’s population lives in countries that are experiencing water scarcity [lacking enough water to meet basic daily needs]; by 2025 that number is expected to increase to two-thirds” (Campbell 133). Water is an essential component to life- human, animal, plants, etc. and is a limited resource when usage and treatment is not carefully controlled. “Fresh water supplies are under pressure and in some cases are disappearing. One of the sectors that uses the most water is agriculture, using roughly 65 percent of all the water that is removed from rivers, lakes, and aquifers. Another 22 percent is used for industry, and 7 percent is used for households and municipalities” (Campbell 133 – 134).
(c) Deteriorating air quality is a problem for many urban areas due to rapid urbanization, car exhaust and industry emissions. “A Cornell study suggests that “[a]ir pollution from smoke and various chemicals kills 3 million people a year”… A 2009 study found that air pollution control measures instituted in the US added, on average, 5 months to its citizens lives” (Campbell 137).
3) Should basic human needs, such as water, be sold as a commodity therefore allowing better control over usage, or should it be a freely given resource shared among everyone?
Chapter 4 Thesis:
ReplyDeleteThe world is constantly changing, upgrading, and learning with new technologies, rights, beliefs and in order to make sure human rights are still constituted, we need to adapt and revise.
1. “Proponents of the right to a clean environment argued that there was too much pollution and it was profoundly impacting the global environment” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 101). They stuck up for their rights and got what was ethically right back.
2. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights protects and promotes human rights. As it grows there are more perspectives, voices, and discussions. This broadens how human rights comes into play with every day and they can help adapt regulations. “The UN monitored human rights around the world and set human rights standards. It primarily served a political purpose, providing a forum for member nations to draft treaties, violations, and agreements.” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 105).
3. “Homosexuality is banned in more than 80 countries and is punishable by death in at least six” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 115). Homosexuality is finally legal, as it should have always been, and changing and adapting to this is so important. Everyone has equal rights to be who they are and love who they love. No one should have that right taken from them.
Chapter 5 Thesis:
ReplyDeleteBecause there are so many environmental concerns such as global warming, overpopulation, consumption patterns, too much waste, and more; the world needs to come together and creatively collaborate ideas, plans, goals, regulations on these environmental issues.
1. “According to a 2008 UN report, communities are likely to face a variety of challenges, including increased water stress and food insecurity. Additionally, climate change is likely to lead to an acceleration of human displacement resulting in increased competition for land, resources, and housing between countries” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 124). This will, and has in the past, cause more issues throughout countries. Nation-states, organizations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, international financial institutions, and every human alive should take action in order to come up with plans to help save our home, Earth.
2. “According to the UN, roughly 20-30 percent of the world’s species may face extinction as ecosystems dramatically change” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 124). This is a huge issue because then people ALL around the world will not have access to certain foods because if one species goes extinct it has an effect on the rest of the world. The circle of life. Think about the honeybees. They came dangerously close to going extinct which would have drastically gotten rid of many food sources/ supplies.
3. “Roughly one-third of the world’s population lives in countries that are experiencing water scarcity; by 2025 that number is expected to increase to two-thirds” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 133). We need water in order to survive. It is a human right to be able to have a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and family, including food, clothing, water, housing, and medical care.
Question:
Why is our environment not in the same category as our national security?
Chapter 2- The process of emerging and protecting human rights will constantly be changing so we need to stay aware as it adapts to the changing world around us.
ReplyDelete“Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 96)
“....This created new nations with their own ideas and concerns about human rights.” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 100)
“While scholars, activists, and others continue to debate issues such as the universal applicability of rights and governments’ responsibilities to protect them, one clear pattern has emerged: human rights are increasingly taken seriously by states, organizations, and individuals. This is evident not only in the number of human rights treaties that have been promulgated and acceded to by states, but also in the prevalence of human rights discourses around the world” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 118)
Chapter 3- Global environment issues need to be addressed and undertaken and agreed to be followed by everyone in order for them to start to regulate.
“From tsunamis in Asia to hurricanes on the American coast to water wars in the Middle East, environmental issues are frequently the top global news stories.” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 123)
“Understanding the level of dependence that countries have on fossil fuels helps explain why moving away from fossil fuels such as petroleum has turned out to be so difficult.” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 124)
“...While the international community has made great strides in collaborating to create global environmental goals and regulations, the changes facing the world will require much greater collective action to ensure that issues such as global climate change are addressed in a thorough and expeditious manner” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 155)
Question- How can humans get educated enough to care to take action to help reduce global issues? (Limitations to resources, educated on what would happen to THEM)
Chapter 4)
ReplyDelete1.
Human rights are not a static set of self-enforcing rules, they must be constantly monitored, updated, and enforced otherwise we risk the exploitation of the more vulnerable members in our society.
2.
A) Human rights are a constantly evolving topic, throughout our history we have constantly redefined the meaning of human rights. Not too long ago people thought it perfectly acceptable to own other humans, but now the idea of slavery disgusts most people(rightfully so). However, while we haven't quite been able to pin down what our rights as humans are yet, one thing has become clear through our history. And that is that “rights are always dependent upon the willingness of states to consent to protect them.”(Campbell 89)
B) So our history has made abundantly clear that without some sort of protection from the government nothing is stopping the abuse of someone's rights. And to add even more complexity to our situation, due to our rapidly developing society we seem to be discovering new ways to exploit humans every day that need to be fixed. “One such issue has developed in response to a growing trend by nation-states to privatize essential human services like water. In response, there has been a growing call for the right to clean water.”(Campbell 114)
C) so it's clear that both the enforcement and revision of our collective human rights is a necessity. But some hold the perspective of “why should I care if it doesn't affect me. And the simple answer is that “If left unchecked, the abuses carried out against someone you don’t know today might well be aimed at you or someone you care about tomorrow”(Campbell 117)
3.
Are human rights something all humans inherently understand or did we make them up?
Chapter 4.) Human rights have been around for a long time and like with most things need to be revised and updated.
ReplyDelete1.) ”It was not until after World War I(1914 –18) that the international community of nation-states began to address the topic of human rights via a newly created international organization, the League of Nations” ( Campbell, 92 ) This is one of the big updates seen in human rights with it going into the protection of minorities within nation-states. This didn’t really work because there was no punishment given to nation-states that didn’t follow these new rules.
2.)”UN membership had doubled as colonialism crumbled around the globe. This created new nations with their own ideas and concerns about human rights.” This creates tension because with different cultural views and social behaviours it makes it more difficult to come to an agreement on the rights of humans. Not to mention the ‘leaders’ keen on just keeping their territory and those who reside in it under their control and under their personal views.
3.) “The ongoing debate between the developed and developing world over what constitutes human rights is fueled in part by a philosophical divide regarding the role of government in our daily lives.” (Campbell, 102) With how we developed individually and even now that we all recognize each other and know of each other's differences it will be harder than ever to come to a universal agreement of human rights (That individual nation-states will follow).
Chapter 5.)
The world needs to come together and properly address the environmental issues affecting different groups all over the world that contribute to the health of the planet as a whole.
1.) Something that's relevant in this moment is the fires burning down the Amazon “One of the biggest anthropogenic culprits for releasing CO2 into the atmosphere is deforestation.” (Campbell, 126) The burning of the forest is releasing tons of CO2 into the atmosphere which is important and concerns everyone since it affects everyone. This is something that needs to be addressed (and taken care of) immediately.
2.)”Israel proposed that it retain control over the aquifers. Palestinians have protested this arrangement, arguing that Israel has subjected them to discriminatory water regulations that give morewater to Israelis at the expense of Palestinian farmers.” (Campbell, 133) This is why we can’t get anything done. The inability to treat each other with fairness because of past disputes/history is where a lot of places get stuck and even take steps back in progress.
3.) “New technologies are developed to address a particular set of circumstances arising at a specific point in time. The consequences of this develop-ment cannot always be predicted and thus we may end up with unintended results that prove hazardous to our health or to the health of the planet.” (Campbell, 143) Even with the advancement in technology to better address issues we create new issues in the process. This is a time where we really need to put our foot down and drastically change our process of dealing with these issues. We can’t do this as individuals representing our birthplaces or current places of residence. We are residents of this planet as a whole and need to act like it instead of toddlers forced to share a toy that is quickly breaking.
Question: Who can and will take control of this situation? Will countries start banning together to fight these issues and outnumber the disagreeing countries that refuse to cooperate? Will this possibly be what leads to a nuclear fall out ultimately ending our planet all because we wanted to save it?
- Oliver
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteThesis: Human rights consist of two thoughts: natural law and positivism, these concepts have been around for a long time but as our world evolves so does our human rights.
Evidence
Natural law and positivism take two different approaches to address human rights; “natural law emphasizes duties imposed by god and suggests that a common human morality exists” (88) and positivism “argue that human rights exist because states consent to them” (89). It's interesting these two school of thoughts exist because natural law gives power to the catholic church and positivism gives power to the protestant reformation.
Throughout the years there seems to have been lots of debate, discussion, and fight of the rights to human rights. The constitution and the bill of rights mainly protected the white male which creates groups like abolitionist and suffragists that seemed to be fighting for different things but “analyzing their speeches and pamphlets, however, reveals that at the core, each was trying to ensure basic human rights protections” (92).
It’s also important to acknowledge how successful our nation-states have been at protecting human rights. “Human rights proponents have achieved more success with the crafting of human rights documents than they have with securing nation-state compliance with them” (108). I believe this is crucial to critically examine because actions speak louder than words but also shows how our human rights need to be revised with how much power NGOs and MNCs have.
Chapter 5
Thesis: Environmental issues are greatly affecting the world and in order to address and overcome these issues the world needs to start making changes.
Evidence
Deforestation is a huge contributor to releasing CO2, “trees store carbon and, when they are cut down, that carbon is released into the atmosphere” (126). Also “forests, particularly in tropical areas also help to reduce evaporative cooling” (127). When communities cut down large areas of the forest not only are their advancing the release of CO2, the ground no longer has cover from the sun which causes the soil to dry up quicker than normal.
As climate change is advancing “gaining access to clean water is increasingly difficult for many people around the world” (133). This has happened all over the world and a recent example of this was Flint, Michigan which is an area in a developed country, so one can only imagine the water crisis that are happening in smaller third world countries.
The “world will require much greater collective action to ensure that issues such as global climate change are addressed in a thorough and expeditious manner” (155). Everyone is affected by global climate change and is it extremely important to make big changes because if the earth is unsurvivable it will affect everyone, not just one country, or community. It is also important to critically analyze how the advancement of technology will impact the development of global climate change.
Question
Human rights and our natural environment seem to almost fall hand in hand, so how do we go about revision one while keeping the other intact?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteThesis: The concept of human rights must be constantly enforced/protected by nation-states within the global community.
Evidence
(1): The authors state that “The first UN body designed to protect and promote human rights was the United Nations Commission on Human Rights… it primarily served a political purpose, providing a forum for member nations to draft international human rights treaties, investigate rights violations, and advise states on the implementation of rights agreements.”(Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 105). While the organization was primarily used for political purposes this was the foundation for other groups/agencies dedicated to the protection and enforcement of the declaration of human rights.
(2): They also go on to state “First, the OHCHR is administered by high-profile political figures, such as Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, who use their status to draw attention to specific human rights violations. They also have been more aggressive in putting pressure on abusive governments to adhere their human rights obligations.” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 105-106). While the first agency was focused towards political purposes, the OHCR was oriented towards direct enforcement of the declaration of human rights. This was achieved through the use of diplomatic, economic, and political means.
(3): While the UN was the original defender of human rights, there were other agencies that sought to defend/enforce human rights. For example the authors state “For example, Europeans have put together their own human rights conventions: the European Convention on Human Rights (EHR)...”(Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 106). Nation-states also have an obligation to uphold these rights since they are within the global community and subject to the universal declaration of human rights.
Chapter 5
ReplyDeleteThesis: Due to rising environmental concerns/challenges the global community should tackle these issues together for the benefit of all.
Evidence:
(1): They authors go on to state “Oceans play a critical role in CO2 absorption. In fact, roughly half of all CO2 produced by humans has been absorbed by the oceans. Because CO2 is acidic, it is changing the pH balance of the oceans.”.(Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 130). This is a great example of an environmental challenge that needs to be solved, and it can only be solved by the combined effort of the global community.
(2): Due to an ever increasing global population having properly accessible fresh water has become one of the most prevalent environmental challenges discussed. The authors state “Overuse and pollution are cutting into the limited supply of fresh water. According to the Global Policy Forum, “more than 50 countries on five continents might soon be caught up in water disputes unless they move quickly to establish agreements on how to share reservoirs, rivers and underground water aquifers.”” (Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 133). Considering how vital water is, the global community should be addressing this issue.
(3): Another environmental challenge faced by the global community is air pollution, equally as important as fresh water. “Many urban areas are also wrestling with the problem of deteriorating air quality. Rapid urbanization, car exhaust, and industry emissions have all contributed to declining air quality in major urban centers.”(Campbell, MacKinnon, Stevens, 136). Since a good majority of the global population lives within these urban areas, that would put a lot of people at risk. This fact should only enforce the idea that the global community needs to come together as one to solve this issue.
Question: What could incentivise members of the global community to band together and tackle these issues.
Chapter 4 thesis:
ReplyDeleteThe theory of human rights, whether natural or “positivism”, dates to the 1500s, and over the centuries has undergone many iterations of definitions and methods of enforcement, but overall improving, widening scope to include women’s right to vote, rape, DNA, and others.
Chapter 4 evidence:
1. “Because of the dominance of the nation-state in the modern international system, human rights are often described as protections from state action or protection by the state from actions of others within the state” (pg. 89). Since this is true, the theory of natural law, human rights inscribed in nature, doesn’t have much of a bearing on modern life. Therefore the “first” human rights document, the Magna Carta, was to stop the abuse caused by the monarchy of Britain.
2. Modern enforcement and near worldwide agreement of human rights started after WWII with the founding of the United Nations. For a nation to join, they must prove that they treat their citizens with dignity and respect (pg. 93). They have created multiple documents like the International Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Human Rights trying to establish human rights. However, these documents are not binding, and a lot of work has gone into making them binding. Some issues arose when defining what exactly human rights are, like the United States focusing on individual rights like freedom of speech and religion, while the Soviet Union argued human rights included the right to a job, housing, and food (pg. 100).
3. Speaking on the self-reporting member UN states must submit, “nation-states are rarely very self-critical in these reports.” (pg. 108) Because of this, a lot of reporting is done by NGOs, but issues arise when monitoring human rights because “they do not always get the access necessary within a state to evaluate fully how well a nation-state is living up to its treaty obligations.” (pg. 108)
Chapter 4 question:
What might be some reasons why countries like Russia and China refuse to ratify human rights documents?
Chapter 5 thesis:
ReplyDeleteClimate change, aka global warming, is the most pressing multi-faceted issue that has ever faced the world, encompassing global phenomena such as deforestation, ozone depletion, fundamental ocean characteristic changes, fresh water scarcity, and the killing off of aquatic and land based organisms due to water pollution, waste, and pesticides.
Chapter 5 evidence:
1. “According to the World Conservation Union, one in four vertebrate species is in decline and 25% of mammals are threatened with extinction. […] Two out of three species of birds are in decline.” (pg. 138) Additionally, in Hawaii, “of more than 90 bird species that could once be found on the islands, only a third still exist.” (pg. 138). “Evidence seems to suggest that they are the result of a combination of factors, including global climate change, use of pesticides, invasive species, overexposure to UV rays resulting from a thinning ozone, loss of habitat, and disease.” (pg. 138)
2. “The poor and minorities within countries often feel the adverse effects of environmental degradation the most” (pg. 148). They are taken advantage of the most by corrupt governments and big corporations because the people rarely have a voice of their own, have the resources to stand up to big interests, and are often not given the rights to their own land. This is the hardest and most harmful kind of climate change, in my opinion, to combat.
3. People are the reason for pollution, and the main thing that separates humans from the rest of the world is our technology, which is very harmful. “Environmental concerns have led many countries to consider different approaches to technology. For example, in 2004, the European community came together to draw up plans to create environmental technologies. ETs, which include recycling systems for wastewater in industrial processes, energy-efficient car engines, and soil remediation techniques, are technologies that do the same things as other technologies but with less environmental impact. Many can potentially both improve the environment and contribute to economic growth and employment” (pg. 145). This is an important distinction, because most pollution is caused by the easiest way to deal with human needs and problems.
Chapter 5 question:
How long do you think it will take for the United States to undo the damage Donald Trump has done to the environment and the precedent we used to set for treating the environment?
Chapter 4:
ReplyDelete1. After the atrocities of the World Wars, while not a new idea, the concept of human rights was brought up to major importance globally.
2a. “Natural law and positivism” were the two main schools of thought in regards to the beginning or human rights. The writings of people such as John Locke, Hugo Grotius and Thomas Hobbes championed natural law, and due to it being part of nature, they think it has validity everywhere and focuses on “good law must be in harmony with the essential nature of people” and “incorporates those principles of justice tooted in the natural”. Positivism, comes from the protestant reformation and had people such as John Austin and Jeremy Bentham, argue that human rights exist because “states consent to them”(Campbell 88-89).
2b. The 19th had the rise of the “modern human rights movements”, with people such as abolitionists and suffragists trying to ensure human rights to people such as women and slaves. These were individual campaigns however, it wasn’t until after World War 1 and the creation of the League of Nations to try and prevent future human rights problems, with many difficulties though, such as not punishing “nation-states that abuse the citizens”. Finally, the UN was created, but this time they focused on the progression of Human Rights(Campbell 92-93).
2c. The UN enforces Human Rights through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which was made to “take an active role in removing obstacles” to human rights. Through this, they are able to “condemn” other governments through the usage of the media to try and make other governments punish the offending states(Campbell 105-106).
3. Are our Human Rights ensured now, or is there something that can possibly emerge to disrupt them?
Chapter 5:
1. The rise of carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases and increase of waste has caused global concern in regards to the planet's health.
2a. Among scientists, they believe that “global climate change” is real and is happening now. Due to the increase of “CO2 and other greenhouse gases”, from activities such as burning fossil fuels and changing of land, “global warming” seems more and more real. The gas is getting captured within the atmosphere which causes a buffer that prevents the heat from leaving the Earth, gradually warming the earth(Campbell 123).
2b. The increase of CO2 in the atmosphere has a lot of culprits to be responsible for, one of the biggest being “deforestation”. Due to trees storing carbon, when they are cut down, all of it gets released in the air, therefore the removal of forests in mass such as the tropical rainforests increase the CO2, this makes deforestation “the second largest contributor of carbon emissions”. The CO2 is causing problems in places such as our oceans, the “pH balance” is more acidic now and the ocean sea surface temperatures are increasing as well(Campbell 126,130).
2c. Our waste production, “the production of unwanted materials as a by product”, is not helping out planet either. Technology, while trying to help us in some aspects to make us become more “green”, also has its problems such as computers having “500-1000” different toxins being used to make computers. Arms production, such as the creation of nuclear weapons have the adverse effect of creating nuclear waste, which the majority of is stored in the Yucca Mountains, which if a problem happens to the disposal plant, Las Vegas is only 80 miles from, and the amount of urban centers that would be impacted is through the roof(Campbell 142-145).
3. Is there a way to truly better our planet now, or have we gone in too deep and can’t reverse the effects that we caused or planet?
Chapter Four
ReplyDeleteThesis: Similarly to globalization as a whole, since the world continues to change it’s our duty as its inhabitants to revise our self-governed rules of human rights to further protect ourselves and our morals in a more effective fashion.
At its core, there are 2 distinct schools of thought regarding the existence and nature of human rights and how they began. First is natural law which there is a set of “universal and immutable moral laws that are inscribed in nature” (Campbell, 88). Second is positivism where “consent is a fundamental precondition to the establishment of human rights norms” (Campbell, 88). Within even these two schools, there are many interpretations that can be made and are often discussed the “correct” ethical formula to use. Campbell relates to Nazi Germany whereas the many atrocities that took place were technically legal in the eyes of the state but from a humane standpoint we can all come to the conclusion these acts were unethical according to natural law. According to positivism, however, since they were legal acts they weren’t unethical from that standpoint.
Desires for outlined human rights gained traction after World War 2. At this point the United Nations was established and unlike its predecessor the League of Nations, it “focused more forcefully on human rights” (Campbell 95). Also its main purpose was “promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion” (Campbell 95). The establishing of the United Nations was extremely important since it outlined the many responsibilities we as humans have towards one another and outlined the fact that the individual has these innate rights that no institution can freely strip.
Originally, these expressions of human rights were considered to be a way to combat citizens from within the state from threatening the enjoyment or the nation-state itself (Campbell 116). Interestingly enough, these assumptions were incorrect in the perpetrators that threatened them. NGOs, multinational corporations (MNCs), and criminal enterprises have all been responsible for violating several human rights. Relating this to modern day, we see large corporations take advantage of workers with little to no backlash such as Amazon.
Chapter Five
ReplyDeleteThesis: Not only do we have a duty to protect ourselves, but also the world we inhabit. Since there are many ongoing environmental issues (global warming, desertification, water pollution, etc), we need to effectively address and take steps as a united front to solve them.
Resulting from human activities, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other greenhouse gases are several key factors to why global climate change is occuring. Among the many issues relating to the environment, global warming continues to threaten the people of earth at an increasing pace. Due to this increase of global warming, this will factor to even more issues further down the line (Campbell 123, 124). What’s even worse is that even though the science behind this evidence is extremely strong, we struggle with the masses believing it its validity and existence.
Considered a necessity and even a basic human right, water has become a valuable resource that can be substantially difficult to gain access to. One of the major reasons for this is overpopulation and the extreme difficulty that finding/accessing this water is in general. Not only are some remote places having difficulty, but in general, much of the world’s fresh water sources are underwater (Campbell 130). Not only is this an issue of itself, but there are many companies that monopolize the water market and sell it. Again, access to fresh water was/is considered a basic human right, however, we still allow companies to use it as a tool to make money.
Though many in the United States may not directly feel the damage that these environmental issues, many in smaller minority countries or poorer areas feel these effects everyday (Campbell 148, 149). Relating back to my last point, we continue to charge for fresh water through these large corporations when those that truly need it can’t get access to it. Ultimately, we’re taking advantage of our fellow people when we should be aiding them in their struggle and not discrimination. It’s our fault that much of the trouble these minority/poor people are struggling in the end so we should take responsibility for our actions and start an effective front to hear their pleas.
Question: When considering the obvious damage humans have caused on the planet, why do you think some people continue to deny the existence of climate change and global warming when the scientific facts are extremely strong?
Chapter 4 Thesis
ReplyDeleteWe have to adapt to human rights as the world continues to change.
Evidence
To adapt human Rights we have to be able to adapt ourselves. “The first UN body designed to protect and promote human rights was the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Commission, which consisted of 53 representatives from UN member states, monitored human rights around the world and set human rights standards. (Campbell 105)” By adapting the UN from what it started as on 53 Representatives to 193 we now have a broader view to look at human rights instead of a narrow one.
One way that we can change human rights is we all get involved. “ By 2005, however, the UN appeared to be shifting away from its rejection of unauthorized humanitarian intervention. That year, the UN held a World Summit designed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the organization, but also to promote international security, advance human rights, and reform the United Nations. (Campbell 113).” by not rejecting any humanitarian intervention we can make sure that human right are respected for all people all over the Earth.
We have to make sure that human rights are respected in every country in the world not just places where they are more common to be violated. In December 2008, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Britain had violated its citizens’ rights by retaining the DNA of people who were arrested for a crime but who later were either acquitted or had the charges against them dropped. In the ruling, the Court argued that “given the nature and the amount of personal information contained in cellular samples, their retention per se had to be regarded as interfering with the right to respect for the private lives of the individuals concerned.” (Campbell 115).” This is just another example of people losing their right to privacy that happened every day around the earth.
Chapter 5 Thesis
There are many environmental issues around the world that we need to start taking action to fix them.
One major problem with the environment that we have is air pollution. We produce so many materials that we produce extremes about waste and a big waste is air pollution. “The issue of air quality sparked some heated debate in 2008 when Beijing, a city whose air quality ranks among the worst in the world, played host to the summer Olympic Games. Fears revolving around athletes’ health and ability to perform dominated much of the preOlympic discussion. (Campbell 136).
Another problem that we have with the environment is with our food. “Roughly 5 billion pounds (2.27 billion kilograms) of pesticides are being used around the world annually. 89 Critics point to the fact that insects become resistant to the pesticides, resulting in the need for stronger and/or more frequent application of pesticides. In addition, there are health concerns associated with pesticide use. According to the Worldwatch Institute, pesticides can impair the body’s immune and reproductive systems. (Campbell, 142).” By having to use so may pesticides just to produce enough food to support our daily life and the use of them are making us sick as well as making the insets stronger.
Another Huge problem is every day the world is evolving and discovering new technologies and making them more powerful than ever before, but that means we are constantly replacing our old devices. “According to the UNEP, roughly 50 million tons of waste from electronic goods is generated each year. Burning is a common way to dispose of e-waste, but it is a practice that releases toxins into the air and into the soil. (Campbell,144).” By making so much wase we are making more air pollution and making the soil more toxic for our plants to grow and help sustain us.
Question: can we do enough to change our environment to save it from where we are at?
Chapter 4 Thesis:
ReplyDeleteThe discussion of what human rights are, and which ones should be prioritized, along with how to protect these rights, has been continuously happening for centuries.
Evidence:
1. The two differing schools of thoughts, natural law and positivism, have differing views of where a person’s rights come from. Natural law believed that people were born with rights, and that they couldn’t be taken away: “States can pass laws that deny peoples’ rights, but that does not mean that people are not entitled to their rights” (Campbell 88). Positivism on the other hand, believe “human rights exist because states consent to them” (Campbell 89).
2. There is a differing view on what human rights should be focused on between developed countries and developing countries: “Many in the developing world argued that human rights should focus more on the human condition overall and not simply on the individual” (Campbell 100). While the developed countries are focused on what privileges people should have, the developing countries are focusing on the needs of the people to survive. There is even a difference of views in the developed countries, as some wanted to focus more on an individual’s rights while some wanted the rights to have a more community-based approach.
3. Several different groups have been made to monitor that rights have been protected, whether it be an UN-based group, an NGO, or just an individual who uses their fame as a platform to advocate human rights. Sometimes, countries take the responsibility to fix another country’s situation through a ‘humanitarian intervention’, which originally wasn’t really approved: “Since the creation of the UN, there have been many humanitarian interventions that have occurred without UN approval, despite the fact that the UN General Assembly has historically rejected the idea that nation-states possess a “right” to intervene in another nation-state without UN authorization (Campbell 113). There are many ways we are trying to promote and enforce human rights, but sometimes they conflict with each other’s efforts.
Chapter 5 Thesis:
We as humans need to work together globally to fix environmental problems.
Evidence:
1. Climate change is a major issue, causing changes such as rising sea-levels and changes in weather patterns. The increase in temperatures poses a massive threat to all: “According to the UN, roughly 20-30 percent of the world’s species may face extinction as ecosystems dramatically change (Campbell 124). Climate change is a global issue that requires immediate action to resolve.
2. We humans as a collective produce immense amounts of waste. Millions of tons of waste are made yearly just from electronics: “According to the UNEP, roughly 50 million tons of waste from electronic goods is generated each year (Campbell 144). We have hardly addressed this issue, as instead of properly disposing, often developed countries will just pass it on to developing countries; We need to actively address the issue, rather then pushing it on to other countries.
3. We need to come to a universal agreeance on how to solve these issues, as we have had some trouble in the past getting everyone to agree, such as with the Kyoto Protocol: “Kyoto was signed by the Clinton administration, but rejected by the George W. Bush administration, despite the fact the US was the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases at the time (Campbell 154). Fixing these issues will never happen when countries are arguing about how much each country should contribute to the solution. We need to focus on the bigger picture of protecting our environment, rather than just our individual county’s best interest financially.
Question: How can we mesh the different views on human rights from around the worl to get the best universal rights?
EXCELLENT blogging here, HR team! - Dr. Rob
ReplyDeleteThesis:
ReplyDeleteChapter 4: Human rights have greatly evolved thought out history. There are many changes that have been and continue to be made and we need to protect them as they emerge.
Chapter 5: Global environmental issues have been an ongoing problem for quite some time. We as people who live on Earth need to take accountability for our actions and start taking better care of the place we call home in order for us to keep our planet for generations to come.
Evidence
Chapter 4:
Minorities have often had to negotiate with organizations in order to protect their human rights. “The league required nation-states seeking membership to pledge to protect their minority populations. In addition to this focus on minority rights, the league’s charter included specific human rights language”(Campbell 92). Many times no one is on the side for minorities because the people above them are seen as more important but in this case, minorities had the League of Nations on their side helping them stand up for their rights. Even though their rights weren't as much as the people above them they were still fought for.
Many enterprises have been know to violate human rights. “Enterprises have been responsible for both violating human rights as well as taking on some of the roles originally assumed to be the purview of nation-states, including providing education, food, and health care” (Campbell 116). Many enterprises and organizations go against human rights all the time to greater themselves not caring about the impact it has on others around them.
Sexual rights have constantly been broken time and time again and have been one of the most challenging human rights for humans too except. “The right to one’s sexuality has also emerged as a new battleground for human rights. ‘Sexuality’ is a broad term that is used in a variety of contexts, including a woman’s right to choose/ refuse a sexual partner(s) (rather then having then chosen for or forced upon her), the right to choose whether or not to procreate, the right to choose partner of the same or different sex, and the right to alter one’s own sex” (Campbell 114). Sexual rights is one of the hardest human rights for people to except. Somewhere along the line people normalized a man and a woman being sexually active together and if you were outside of the normative then you were wrong and it wasn't ok. Same goes with gender If you were born female you must identify as female even if that isn't the gender you feel you truly are, if you went against the gender you were born then you were shamed and something was wrong with you. After many years of coming together and evolving these ideas have become more excepted in society, yet we still have a long way to go before we are ever fully inclusive.
Chapter 5:
ReplyDeleteHumans have gone as far as destroying other humans' homes while destroying the planet. “While humans cause deforestation, many people, including indigenous people, still make their homes and livelihoods in Forrest. However, because many indigenous forest-dwellers are minorities within their states, their concerns are often ignored” (Campbell 129). This is much like the Brazilian rainforest and the extreme deforestation the president of Brazil has created. Many homes to indigenous people are being destroyed along with animal homes.
Humans are destroying the environment for there own benefit with no care on how it might impact the environment. “Dams can cause environmental damage not only to the rivers themselves, but also to the species that exist within the rivers and to the surrounding river basins” (Campbell 153). Because damns can benefit humans in different ways they continue to make them but they don't care how it is impacting the rivers themselves and the other wildlife living in the rivers.
There has been a great increase in air pollution in urban areas. “Many urban areas are also wrestling with the problem of deteriorating air quality. Rapid urbanization, car exhaust, and industrial emissions have all contributed to declining air quality in major urban centers” (Campbell 136). Again people are polluting our environment only to better themselves. Although what they are doing is killing the planet the continue to do it because cars are convenient and everyone loves driving their own car, and industries are making good money and people are money hogs. People will do whatever they can to make an extra penny even if this means killing our planet to do so.
Question
Chapter4: Why don't people try looking at other people's situations and try understanding them instead of judging them and discriminating against them?
Chapter 5: If we are now technologically advanced enough to know that the actions we are taking are killing the planet why don't we change our ways?
Chapter 4
ReplyDeleteThis chapter is about the human rights and how they became an obligation for the people to protect them.
“Good law must be in harmony with or reflect the essential nature of all peoples; good law incorporates only those principles of justice rooted in the natural reasoning process.”(Campbell, 88)
As the author mentions that human rights are inherent in the individual. “Rights are not dependent upon a state or a document to legitimize them, rather, each individual is born with these rights. States can pass laws that deny people's rights, but that does not mean that people are not entitled to their rights.”Campbell, 88)
“Thus human rights are defined by the states. States are also responsible for guaranteeing and protecting them. In other words, in the positivist framework, rights are always dependent upon the willingness of states to the consent to protect them.”(Campbell, 89) We all have rights but certain states differ in the rights they share with their people. The constitution was built to prevent the kinds of abuses that have been rampant in monarchical societies. The United States believed that these documents were not enough to make sure all individual rights are received, later on they created the 10 amendments.
Even though we have all these human rights to protect the individual, why do we still have unresolved issues that many people aren't happy about.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteChapter 5
This chapter is about our environment and everything that involves it such as, waste production, greenhouse gases, air pollution, deforestations, and the health of the world oceans.
“Scientist predicted that an increase in global temperatures will result in rising sea levels, as the ice caps and sheets melt.”(Campbell, 124) Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are shedding about 125 billion tons of ice per year that means it's enough to have sea levels rise by 0.35 millimeters. This is a major thing for our environment and us. All of this will cause floods of rivers and coastal deltas, displacing millions of people who now live in the low lying delta region. “The hydration cycle will be affected, as warmer temperatures mean more water evaporation.”(Campbell, 125) In some areas rain will increase, in other areas their will be a decrease. “One of the leading contributions to climate change is CO2 which enters the atmosphere primarily as a result of the use of fossil fuels. Sources of CO2 include power plants, especially those burning coal, commercial and residential building, and gasoline-powered vehicles.”(Cambell 124)
How can we make a change to better our environment?
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ReplyDeleteChapter 4 Thesis:
ReplyDeleteHuman rights have been around for years but have made major progress in recent years with the help of globalizations and IOs.
Evidence:
1. Man has long had a concept of the freedoms he is due to experience in their life. “the natural law perspective can be traced back to the writings of Thomas Aquinas (1225–74), John Locke (1632–1704), Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), Francisco Suarez (1548–1617), and Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679). Though not derived from any one religion, natural law emphasizes duties imposed by God and suggests that a common human morality exists.” (Campbell 88) We as a people have long had an idea of what life should have in it. From this point we have been shaping and defining what we as people deserve.
2. As we came toward the more modern ear, we began to narrow down rights and guaranty them for more people. “The nineteenth century saw the rise of a variety of organizations that spoke to different human rights concerns. Abolitionists, suffragists, and peace activists all focused on a particular area of human rights.” (Campbell 92) Private groups where made to for people to advocate for not just the self but for people all over the world. Now we see rights groups for anything under the sun argue for the people who can’t use their voice. Like women in the middle east or people in North Korea.
3. Finally we now have IGOs that designed to look out for those with little power and to help make shore the rights of all people are taken care of. “United Nations (UN) was established, which, unlike its predecessor the League of Nations, has focused more forcefully on human rights.” (Campbell 93) The UN made the UDHR a document to define the basic rights of all people born to any land. There are so many originations that span nations all to fight for the rights of all people.
question: What should be the individual responsibility to the world in terms of how we take care of human rights?
ReplyDeleteChapter 5
ReplyDeleteThesis:
The world is trying to better its impact on the environment, but it is not doing enough.
Evidence:
1.one problem we face is environmental discriminant. “The poor and minorities within countries often feel the adverse effects of environmental degradation the most. It tends to be their land that is selected by governments and corporations as easy targets for waste sites” (Campbell 148) This is one place that the global world needs to be better. We do not do enough to stop planetary damage and people in charge are often held to far from the problem.
2. The truth is that we also have more environmental disasters every year. Not only more but the severity grows stronger as well. “The list of environmental disasters around the globe in the past 50 years reads like a frightening science fiction tale” (Campbell 152) This severity and increase of numbers are a clear sign from the planet that the situations is getting worse.
3. We still are trying to make progress through things like the Green Revolution. “Green Revolution An effort by scientists (1940s–60s) to engineer fewer improved strains of wheat and corn in order to increase food supplies in developing countries.” (Campbell 143) our tech is able to help us push to being able to create crops that require less to grow in harsher areas. These techs and GMOs can help to lessen our impact on the plant wail not leasing the lives of everyday people as long as they remain accessible.
I am sorry for the late post, I forgot to hit submit on this post before I fell asleep.