Amnesty International prides itself on being impartial. It promotes, always, the idea that there are two sides to every story. It takes a calm, logical and rational approach to the reporting of human rights violations.
During the period 1976 -1983 the South American Country of Argentina endured a period of military rule. A period that has become known as the: ‘dirty war’ (Guerra Sucia). It was, in effect, a Junta.
In 1976 Amnesty International released its report on Argentina, a breakthrough account of the ‘dirty – war’ atrocities that were being carried out by the state.
Amnesty went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.
The 92 page report fails to mention that the military dictatorship were in the process of radically remaking the economy. That they were planning on lowering wages and increasing prices in direct contradiction of the right to food and shelter, as it is enshrined in the UN charter of human rights.
So while Amnesty’s report accounted for the Argentinean junta laws and decrees that violated civil liberties, it made no mention of why the junta needed them. Which was in order to suppress the population so they couldn't revolt at their economic decrees.
Over thirty years later, in 2009, Amnesty International began campaigning on economic, cultural and social rights with the launch of the ‘Demand Dignity’ campaign.
The mantra and aim of this campaign is to “to end global poverty by working to strengthen recognition and protection of the rights of the poor.”
Is there not a key part of the picture missing?
In 1976 Amnesty failed to mention economic injustice as a cause of the human rights violations.
We all hear scientists and environmentalists talk about Caron Dioxide and global warming. But the truth is we don’t really understand much about what is being said?
In Africa human rights issues that impact the population on a daily basis: health, food security, work issues and women’s leadership. It is clear that most, if not all, of these are linked to climate change.
Jacqueline Ng’ambi, project officer for the Maphunziro Foundation, Malawi, 2008.
Mary Robinson, a leader in the climate justice movement says:
So as Amnesty now looks to the future with its exciting new Demand Dignity campaign. We must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the Argentinean report of 1976. See the whole picture. Don’t just ask ‘what’, but also remember to ask ‘why’.
Climate justice, and human rights organisations share the same principals and must work together, if either is to achieve their goals.
The beginning of that long and winding path, to success, is for human rights groups to acknowledge that climate change is a fundamental cause of human rights violations across the globe.
2 comments:
Great to see this issue being highlighted. Climate change will be a major driver of global injustice over the next 20 years, as the worst of its effects is going to be suffered by those least in a position to deal with it. It would be fantastic to see Amnesty push this issue.
This is a great article and I commend Amnesty for highlighting this issue. Those who are least effected by current climate change seem to me to be the biggest contributors. We all have a responsibility to support amnesty in highlighting Climate justice but how do we do this?
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