“We are beckoned to see the world through a one-way mirror, as if we are threatened and innocent and the rest of humanity is threatening, or wretched, or expendable. Our memory is struggling to rescue the truth that human rights were not handed down as privileges from a parliament, or a boardroom, or an institution, but that peace is only possible with justice and with information that gives us the power to act justly.”
John Pilger

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Cfp: Second Conference in Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights (DDHR) “Bridging the Collaborative Gap” September 25-27, 2015 The University of Tennessee

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

Second Conference in Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights (DDHR)
“Bridging the Collaborative Gap”
September 25-27, 2015
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (USA)

ABSTRACT DEADLINE APRIL 1, 2015

Earthquakes and tsunamis. Development-induced displacement. Armed conflict, terrorism, and human trafficking. Fifty-one million recognized refugees worldwide. Securitization, deportation, and criminalization regimes. Climate change and environmental chaos. Humanitarianism, human rights, and international criminal prosecutions. The quest for peace and justice. The age of the anthropocene. The world has no shortage of problems and possibilities associated with disasters, displacement and human rights. And they are not just academic.

The University of Tennessee issues a call for presentations for its second conference in Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights (DDHR). The 2015 conference theme is “Bridging the Collaborative Gap.” Collaborations within anthropology and across disciplines are increasingly vital for critically understanding the complexity of disasters, displacement, and human rights issues today. In both local settings and across the globe, from the distant past to anticipations of the future, communities of diverse experiences and aspirations also confront the very problems that preoccupy academic researchers. The 2015 DDHR conference aims to problematize and foster the practice of collaboration among academic disciplines and with DDHR-affected communities.

We encourage the participation of researchers and practitioners, graduate students and undergraduates, who address the broad themes of disasters, displacement and human rights from a range of perspectives, time periods, and experiences. We especially seek contributions from international researchers and practitioners who exemplify collaboration and/or cross-training within and/or outside of anthropology. We also solicit the participation of members of affected communities, especially those who have worked closely with anthropologists and other researchers and professionals.

Abstract submissions of no more than 250 words are invited for individual paper and poster presentations. We also invite abstracts for panel submissions and roundtables, which should include a 250-word abstract for the panel or roundtable theme and the names of participants with titles and brief (100 word) descriptions of presentations.

Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

-          Development and development forced displacement and resettlement (DFDR)
-          Immigration, detention, and deportation
-          Refugees, asylum seekers, and internal displacement
-          Climate change and the anthropocene
-          Natural and anthropogenic disasters
-          Torture, human trafficking, and other human rights violations
-          Transitional Justice and other alternative justice models
-          International human rights law and practice
-          Critical humanitarianism
-          Policy, politics, and international relations
-          Peace and conflict studies
-          Identity, discrimination, and rights-claiming
-          
While submissions that directly engage with the main conference theme are appreciated, the committee will consider other topics and approaches related to the study of disasters, displacement, and human rights. Panel and roundtable proposals will be prioritized based on their demonstration of interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, or inter-sub-disciplinary approaches.

Please send abstracts by e-mail attachment no later than April 1, 2015 to the Conference Steering Committee at: ddhr@utk.edu. Submissions should include the following information in the body of the e-mail: name, department and university (if applicable), title of paper, and audio-visual requirements. If your paper is being submitted as part of a proposed panel or for consideration under a specific theme, please include the proposed panel title or theme under the title of the paper on the abstract. If possible, panel submissions should be made by a single panel organizer.

Pending available funding, travel scholarships may be available for two student presenters and two faculty/professionals, as well as for four presenters from DDHR-affected communities who would otherwise not be able to attend.

For more information, visit: http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/faculty/ddhr.html

Tricia Redeker Hepner, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Director, Disasters, Displacement and Human Rights Program
250 South Stadium Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996
Ph:  865-974-8962
Fax: 865-974-2686
http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/faculty/hepner.html

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

A New Book: Exploring International Human Rights: Essential Readings

 Rhonda L. Callaway and Julie Harrelson-Stephens, editors

LYNNE RIENNER PUBLISHER - 2015

Bringing together key selections that represent the full range of philosophical debates, policy analyses, and first-hand accounts, the editors offer a comprehensive and accessible set of readings on the major themes and issues in the field of international human rights. The reader has been carefully designed to enhance students' understanding not only of human rights, but also of differing perspectives on the topic.

CONTENTS:
  • WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • What Are Human Rights?: Definitions and Typologies of Today's Human Rights Discourse—J. Harrelson-Stephens and R. Callaway..
  • What Future for Economic and Social Rights?—D. Beetham.
  • Basic Rights—H. Shue.
  • The Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights—J.J. Shestack.
  • MEASURING HUMAN RIGHTS.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • The Limitations of Using Quantitative Data in Studying Human Rights Abuses—R.J. Goldstein.
  • Measuring Human Rights: Some Issues and Options—D.L. Richards.
  • The Political Terror Scale—M. Gibney and M. Dalton.
  • How Are These Pictures Different?: A Quantitative Comparison of the US State Department and Amnesty International Human Rights Reports, 1976-1995—S.C. Poe, S.C. Carey, and T.C. Vazquez.
  • Using the Physical Quality of Life Index to Explore the Level of Subsistence Rights—W.T. Milner and R.L. Callaway.
  • INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • The Normative and Institutional Evolution of International Human Rights—T. Buergenthal.
  • The International Criminal Court Controversy—R.W. Tucker.
  • Refugee Flows as Ground for International Action—A. Dowty and G. Loescher.
  • Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics—M.E. Keck and K. Sikkink.
  • ARE HUMAN RIGHTS UNIVERSAL?
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • The Rhetoric of Asian Values—R.L. Callaway.
  • Relativism and Universalism in Human Rights: The Case of the Islamic Middle East—F. Halliday.
  • American Muslims and a Meaningful Human Rights Discourse in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001—I.Z. Shakir.
  • Restraining Universalism: Africanist Perspectives on Cultural Relativism in the Human Rights Discourse—B. Ibhawoh.
  • WITNESS TO TORTURE.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account—M. Nyiszli.
  • A Cambodian Odyssey—H. Ngor.
  • One Day in My Life—B. Sands.
  • The Tenth Circle of Hell—R. Hukanovic.
  • Machete Season—J. Hatzfeld.
  • GENDER-BASED REPRESSION.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy—K. Bales.
  • Trafficking in Women's Bodies, Then and Now: The Issue of Military "Comfort Women"—K. Wantanabe.
  • Rights of Women Within Islamic Communities—R. Hassan.
  • Female Circumcision Comes to America—L. Burstyn.
  • CHILDREN AS TARGETS.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • Child Labor as a Human Rights Issue: Efforts, Mistakes, and Solutions —Z.F.K. Arat.
  • Child Marriage in Afghanistan and Pakistan—A. Bushell.
  • Child Slaves in Modern India: The Bonded Labor Problem—L. Tucker.
  • The Sex Trade Industry's Worldwide Exploitation of Children—R.B. Flowers.
  • The Political Economy of War-Affected Children—S. Hick.
  • GLOBALIZATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • Achieving Human Rights: The Globalization Debate—J. Harrelson-Stephens.
  • Globalization and Human Rights—R. McCorquodale and R. Fairbrother.
  • The Tragedy of Tauccamarca: A Human Rights Perspective on the Pesticide Poisoning of 24 Children in the Peruvian Andes—E. Rosenthal.
  • Strategic Violations: The Outsourcing of Human Rights Abuses—N. Gordon.
  • The Singer Solution to Poverty—P. Singer.
  • HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WAR ON TERROR.
  • Introduction—the Editors.
  • Human Rights Violations as a Catalyst for Terrorist Activity—the Editors.
  • Leading by Example?: US Interrogation of Prisoners in the War on Terror —E. Massimino.
  • Human Rights Post-September 11—J. Mertus and T. Sajjad.
READ MORE....

A New Book: Human Rights in International Politics: An Introduction

Franke Wilmer

LYNNE RIENNER PUBLISHER - 2015

This comprehensive introduction to the study of human rights in international politics blends concrete developments with theoretical inquiry, illuminating both in the process. Franke Wilmer presents the nuts and bolts of human rights concepts, actors, and implementation before grappling with issues ranging from war and genocide to social and economic needs to racial and religious discrimination. Two themes—the tension between values and interests, and the role of the state as both a protector of human rights and a perpetrator of human rights violations—are reflected throughout the text. The result is a clear, accessible exposition of the evolution of international human rights, as well as the challenges that those rights pose, in the context of the state system.

CONTENTS:
  • Introduction.
  • WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS? 
  • Human Rights: Concepts and Theories.
  • Human Rights in Historical Context.
  • Are Human Rights Universal? 
  • ACTORS AND IMPLEMENTATION.
  • Human Rights and the State.
  • Implementation and Enforcement.
  • The Role of Nonstate Actors.
  • CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. 
  • Genocide.
  • The Laws of War.
  • Civil Liberties and Political Rights.
  • Civil Rights and Identity Politics.
  • Women's Rights.
  • Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
  • WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
  • The Future of International Human Rights.
  • What Can I Do?
READ MORE....

Monday, March 9, 2015

İnsan Hakları Tarihi - Erol Anar

 CHIVI YAZILARI - 2000

"Yayınlandı... üç gün sonra toplatıldı... 1 yıl 3 ay yasaklı kaldı! Beraat etti! Genişletilmiş, gözden geçirilmiş yeni baskısı..." İnsan Hakları, düşünce özgürlüğü, bireysel haklar, demokrasinin yapıcı unsurlarıdır ve bunlar asla soyut birer biçim sorunu değildir. İnsan Hakları, ne yazık ki Türkiye'nin başlıca sorunlarından biri olmayı sürdürüyor. Üstelik daha başka pek çok kavram gibi, insan haklarının tam olarak neyi ifade ettiğini de bildiğimiz, kavramı sağlıklı biçimde yerli yerine oturttuğumuz söylenemez. Anar, Türkiye tarihinin insan hakları açısından kilometre taşlarını oluşturan dönemlerin değerlendirmesini yapıyor, kavramı belli başlı boyutlarıyla ele alarak tarihsel gelişimi içinde yerli yerine oturtuyor. Bu yönüyle İnsan Hakları Tarihi kitabı, aynı zamanda birey bilincinin oluşmasının, birey ve toplum kavramlarıyla bu kavramlar arasındaki bağın gözler önüne serilmesinin de tarihidir... İnsan Hakları Tarihi, Türkiye'nin ve dünyanın bu temel sorunuyla ilgili olarak ülkemizde yayınlanan ilk ve tek kitap olma özelliğini sürdürüyor.

DEVAMINI OKUMAK ICIN.....