Global Financial Market is melting down: world’s poor will suffer most

The alarm bell has rung. Global financial market is about to melt. Big player Lehman Brothers is going down in US. On Monday Lehman Brothers, one of the world’s biggest investment banks, went out of order with debts of $613 billion. And other institutions and markets around the world are falling from the sky. Some note this fall as the worst moment since the Crash of 1929.

 

According to Reuters, “Lehman fallout threatens global recession”. The global financial crisis is at the tipping point, and citizens everywhere must raise their voice for action in the public interest. This madness of the financial market has threatened as well as alarmed insecurity of jobs, savings, pensions and public services of millions. This crisis could be cumulative in nature and eventually risks triggering a global downward spiral impact. And if this happens, it will hurt the world’s poor most. It will also distract us in such a way that we will not be able to care other issues that we usually care about.

 

From floor cleaner to top executives’ lives depend on the ups and downs of the market. From exhausted street vendors to penniless retired people, from war affected refugees to hungry children in the food camps of Asia and Africa, from corrupt government officials to voiceless citizens; all are linked to the impact of global financial melt down. Thus, global recession could paralyze the government and nations. And poor country alike Bangladesh could experience the worst impact of it. Therefore, poor and vulnerable nations irrespective borders as well as transnational civil society actors need to put their nose into the complicated financial market mechanism for the sake of their own existence…

 

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Global Financial Market is melting down: world’s poor will suffer most

Climate change puts millions at risk in the sinking nations: How can we combat this?

There are complexities of issues, policies, and national-international perspective over food security, hunger and famine. On the other hand sea level rise, because of ice melting due to global warming threatening the chunk land mass of many countries. Millions of people in the coastal districts of Bangladesh are at risk in the coming time due the Sea Level Rise phenomenon.

Policy makers, civil society activists, academics, politicians, farmers, labors, and people from all segments of the society need to speak out on the issue and raise a national consensus as well as convention to find a way out to combat this upcoming disaster. It is clearer from the response of US and other industrialist countries that they are not taking the issue seriously. In addition, most of the meetings and dialogues on climate change are stressing on ‘carbon trade’, which in my opinion is ‘carbon trick’. Therefore, this ‘carbon trick’ is now the overwhelming issue rather than climate change adaptation or helping victims of climate change.

For detail read the article

A podcast is available on the issue. Soothing sound, valuable information, and worthy analysis could enrich the listener.

Climate Change

Evolution of Rights Based Approach

There are many definitions and stand points on RBA given by number of agencies. A table is available at Annex 3. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), a human rights-based approach is a conceptual framework for the process of human development that is normatively based on international human rights standards and operationally directed to promoting and protecting human rights. In my opinion, the definition is precisely noted in Cohen (2004),

A rights based approach is founded on the conviction that each and every human being, by virtue of being human, is a holder of rights. A right entails an obligation on the part of government to respect, promote, protect and fulfill it. The legal and normative character of rights and the associated government obligations are based on international human rights treaties and other standards, as well as on national constitutional human rights provisions.

Cohen’s focal point seems poverty and deprivation of economic, social, and cultural rights. And meeting these rights could empower destitute to claim their rights. However, in the context of very poor country like Bangladesh, it is acceptable.

Today’s RBA came into existence during the passage of time from 1940s to now on through the formation and grown up of UN. From the following table we can have a quick journey into the history of RBA.

Table : History of rights-based approach[i]

UN charter after the Word War II was the first recognizable universal consensus of nation states that came up with the agenda of peace, human rights, and development. Through civil, political and economic, social, cultural rights from 1950s to 80s, the concept of economic, social, and people centered development became talk of the development agencies. Initially economic development was narrowly trapped within income growth and domestic product growth etc. Concept of economic growth existed for decade despite the fact that economic growth may be accompanied by inequalities[ii].

In 1986, the declaration on right to development was an attempt to emphasize development as right. Right to peace, environment, and development are known as third generation rights whereas CP rights belong to first generation and ESC rights are the second generation. Right to development is not alienable from main stream rights. The Declaration reflects the aims of “constant improvement of well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development.” According to Article 8, “equality of opportunity for all in their access to basic resources, education, health services, food, housing, employment and fair distribution of income”. This article supports the argument for “fundamental rights” that is drawn in this paper for adequate standard of life.

Right to development declaration is not legally binding and failed to get attention of the western wealthy states because of strategic reasons. According to Nyamu-Musembi & Cornwall, right to development “emphasizes a collective duty of all states to eliminate barriers such as unfair trade rules and debt burden, effectively pointing an accusing finger at the industrial countries. For this reason it has been opposed by Western states (2004: 8, cited in Ahsan, 2006).” In the AOA, and trade liberalization section we have found how these trade agreements have been exploiting developing countries and creating food insecurity. The failure of “right to development” reminds us about the power and intention of rich countries and their influence within UN system.

In 1993, Vienna conference affirmed the indivisibility of human rights and development. It was recognized in the conference that democracy, development, and human rights are interdependent and interlinked. In 1995, World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen came up with the mantra that the ultimate goal of social development is to improve and enhance the quality of life of all people. Social development encounters problems including poverty, unemployment, and social disintegration. The summit urges to reduce sources of distress and instability from families and societies, and social development can be achieved by enhancing well-being of people.

Later on economic development thinking moved towards people centered development, which is aligned with UNDP’s latest version of “human development” that is in line with Sen’s “Development as freedom”. Human development is a process of enlarging people’s choice by expanding capabilities. According to HDR (2000), it focuses on progress of human lives and well-being. Well-being includes living with substantial freedoms. Human development enhances capabilities. According to HDR, capabilities include,

the basic freedoms of being able to meet bodily requirements, such as the ability to avoid starvation and undernourishment, or to escape preventable morbidity or premature mortality. They also include the enabling opportunities given by schooling, for example, or by the liberty and the economic means to move freely and to choose one’s abode. (2000, p 19).

While human rights guarantee freedom by legal protection and moral obligations, human development enhances capabilities to ensure freedom. Both has same destination but through different agenda for development. According to Theis (2004: 11) the growing popularity by UN agencies, INGOs, and some western governments to adopt RBA is because, “…together, human rights and development are more effective than either one on its own. ” RBA depends much more on international legal standards. The biggest challenge of RBA is the “realization” and “enforcement” of these standards. It is also difficult to pursue governments to ratify human rights treaties. Though the treaties are ratified; it is difficult to hold government accountable to fulfill her obligations. However, we are not digging into the issues of constraints and of difficulties to promote human rights here.

End notes:

[i] Theis (2004) has drawn this table and explains how BRA came into existence.
[ii] Britt Kalla (2006) noted Arjun Sengupta’s argument, which says economic growth can be accompanied by augmented inequalities or disparities and rising concentrations of wealth and economic power as well as the ignoring of human rights standards relating to economic, social and cultural (ESC) but also civil and political (CP) rights.

Handbook of Human Conflict technology by Tina Monberg

The results of Tina Monberg’s researches in conflict management has finally produced a new handbook to deal with conflicts in working environment. Psychotherapist and mediator Tina Monberg has published “Handbook of Human Conflict Technology”, an essential book for managers at every level in every industry and for anyone interested in the conflict phenomenon. The concept at the basis of the book has been implemented into a number of Danish organisations. It explains how companies can execute their own conflict strategy to ensure any disagreements arising have a positive impact on their internal settings.

Tina Monberg provides practical models that can be customised to suit the needs of any company. That’s one of the strongest points of the theory which allows everyone and every environment to shape the basic strategy in order to adapt it to any particular situations. Monberg realizes that every environment can be different and a too tight system might not be working for everyone.

Many case-studies have been examined in the book to show companies that have succeeded using this strategy and a questionnaire at the back of the book has been designed to reveal your own company’s conflict culture.

The book is easy to navigate with an introductory paragraph at the beginning of each chapter addressing exactly what issues will be raised and what questions answered. This is a practical guide written in a straight-forward style that will motivate managers to introduce their own conflict strategy.

“Tina Monberg has written an excellent book about conflict resolution. This book should be required reading for any CEO!”
- Jens Graff, Erhvervsbladet

“The book gives new ways, so that conflicts can be turned around and used for the positive. It shows practical methods of how to build a conflict concept and shows how to involve all of the organisation in working with conflicts.”
- Jyllands Posten

******

Publication date: 2007, ISBN: 978-1-899820-39-9, Number of pages: 280

About Author

“Mediationcenter was established in 2000 by Tina Monberg. Tina Monberg is a lawyer and qualified psychotherapist. She was educated as a mediator by Professor Frank E. A. Sander of Harvard Law School and in win-win negotiation by Professor Robert H. Mnookin of Harvard Law School. She has previously run her own law firm and worked as a corporate lawyer, but now functions as a mediator, coach and teacher, working at mediationcenter a/s and mediationcenter ltd. Tina has specialized in preventing, handling, and solving business conflicts in an interest-based way, so that from a conflict, no one comes out as a loser. In relation to this, she has created a conflict management concept, which has been implemented into a number of Danish organisations. She has worked together with The Danish Bar Association to help implement mediation into Denmark. Tina wrote the books “Two Winners - Mediation as Positive Conflict Resolution” and “Handbook of Human Conflict Technology” and has co-written several management books.

Mediationcenter provides conflict mediation and develops strategies to bring solutions to a wide range of disagreements and disputes. The aim is to transform the conflict by bringing renewed energy and cooperation to the dialogue and create an environment, where mutual interests are recognised. It is a process, which aligns all parties for a positive outcome. mediationcenter believes that this is only possible with a complete understanding of the human elements involved, where relations can be preserved and ideally improved.

The key points of mediationcenter’s philosophy are:

• Human nature is fundamentally good.
• The best results are obtained when all interests - individual and group - are attended to.
• Conflict and cooperation are not mutually exclusive entities, but parts of the same process.
• Growth is only created in the presence of cooperation and shared interests, not through fear.”

For detail,

Tina Monberg
tm@mediationcenter.dk
Book Promotion Ltd.
Manuela Mesco
Manuela.mesco@book-promotion.com
www.book-promotion.com

Human Rights Report Assails U.S.

By ALAN COWELL
Published: May 29, 2008
——————————————

PARIS — Sixty years after the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, governments in scores of countries still torture or mistreat their people, Amnesty International said Wednesday in a report that again urged the United States to close down the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba…

for detail see,

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/world/29amnesty.html?ex=1369713600&en=f55f0428dfa86312&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Amnesty int’s report at a glance

60 years of human rights failure - Governments must apologize and act now

Amnesty International today challenged world leaders to apologize for six decades of human rights failure and re-commit themselves to deliver concrete improvements.

“The human rights flashpoints in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and Myanmar demand immediate action,” said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, launching AI Report 2008: State of the World’s Human Rights.

“Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between promise and performance.”

Amnesty International’s Report 2008, shows that sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations, people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.

“2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle some of the world’s worst human rights crises, ranging from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which are leaving millions of people behind,” said Ms Khan.

Amnesty International cautioned that the biggest threat to the future of human rights is the absence of a shared vision and collective leadership.

“2008 presents an unprecedented opportunity for new leaders coming to power and countries emerging on the world stage to set a new direction and reject the myopic policies and practices that in recent years have made the world a more dangerous and divided place,” said Ms Khan.
Amnesty International challenged governments to set a new paradigm for collective leadership based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“The most powerful must lead by example,” said Ms Khan.

China must live up to the human rights promises it made around the Olympic Games and allow free speech and freedom of the press and end “re-education through labour”.
The USA must close Guantánamo detention camp and secret detention centres, prosecute the detainees under fair trial standards or release them, and unequivocally reject the use of torture and ill-treatment.

Russia must show greater tolerance for political dissent, and none for impunity on human rights abuses in Chechnya.

The EU must investigate the complicity of its member states in “renditions” of terrorist suspects and set the same bar on human rights for its own members as it does for other countries.

Ms Khan warned: “World leaders are in a state of denial but their failure to act has a high cost. As Iraq and Afghanistan show, human rights problems are not isolated tragedies, but are like viruses that can infect and spread rapidly, endangering all of us.”

“Governments today must show the same degree of vision, courage and commitment that led the United Nations to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sixty years ago.”
“There is a growing demand from people for justice, freedom and equality.”

Some of the most striking images of 2007 were of monks in Myanmar, lawyers in Pakistan, and women activists in Iran.

“Restless and angry, people will not be silenced, and leaders ignore them at their own peril,” said Ms Khan.

Amnesty int’s report is available at

http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Homepage