White America's Greatest Delusion: "They Do Not Know It and They Do Not Want to Know It”

By Tim Wise

AlterNet - May 6, 2015

Though perhaps overused, there are few statements that so thoroughly burrow to the heart of the nation's racial condition as the following, written fifty-three years ago by James Baldwin:

...this is the crime of which I accuse my country and my countrymen and for which neither I nor time nor history will ever forgive them, that they have destroyed and are destroying hundreds of thousands of lives and do not know it and do not want to know it...but it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime

Indeed, and in the wake of the Baltimore uprising that began last week, they are words worth remembering.

It is bad enough that much of white America sees fit to lecture black people about the proper response to police brutality, economic devastation and perpetual marginality, having ourselves rarely been the targets of any of these. It is bad enough that we deign to instruct black people whose lives we have not lived, whose terrors we have not faced, and whose gauntlets we have not run, about violence; this, even as we enjoy the national bounty over which we currently claim possession solely as a result of violence. I beg to remind you, George Washington was not a practitioner of passive resistance. Neither the early colonists nor the nation's founders fit within the Gandhian tradition. There were no sit-ins at King George's palace, no horseback freedom rides to effect change. There were just guns, lots and lots of guns.
We are here because of blood, and mostly that of others; here because of our insatiable and rapacious desire to take by force the land and labor of those others. We are the last people on Earth with a right to ruminate upon the superior morality of peaceful protest. We have never believed in it and rarely practiced it. Rather, we have always taken what we desire, and when denied it we have turned to means utterly genocidal to make it so.

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CALL FOR BOOK REVIEWERS - Societies Without Borders

CALL FOR BOOK REVIEWERS - Societies Without Borders

Societies Without Borders
http://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/swb/

Editor,  Brian K. Gran (Case Western Reserve University) 

Societies Without Borders(http://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/swb/ ), an online journal published by Sociologists Without Borders, is seeking book reviewers in the fields of sociology, international studies, political science, economics and cultural studies. In keeping with its mission to make the scholarly analysis of economic, political, social, cultural, and environmental rights accessible to as wide an audience as possible, Societies Without Borders is a peer-reviewed journal.

If you are interested in reviewing books for our Journal, please send your short CV to tugrulkeskin (at) pdx.edu. We have a list of books to review that you will find below; please contact me in the event that you are interested in any of the titles. Alternatively, you may also propose titles that you are willing to review.

Submissions deadlines for the coming year are June 1 and September 1, 2015.

I will mail (NOT OUTSIDE OF THE US) any of the following books to you if you express interest:

Binational Human Rights The U.S.-Mexico Experience William Paul Simmons and Carol Mueller, Editors University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014

Amnesties, Accountability, and Human Rights  Renée Jeffery University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014

Moral Systems and the Evolution of Human Rights.  Bruce K.  Friesen.  Springer, 2014

Human Rights and Disability Advocacy Edited by Maya Sabatello ad Marianne Schulze University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014 

Immigration Judges and U.S Asylum Policy - Banks Miller, Linda Camp Keith and Jennifer S. Holmes. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015

If I’m being racially abused I don’t need a white stranger with a saviour complex to rescue me

A woman has gone viral for defending a Muslim couple against a bigot, when all she really did was deny them a voice
Ashitha Nagesh

THE INDEPENDENT - Thursday 16 April 2015
You may have already seen the video from Australia that has gone viral today. It shows a middle-aged racist in a train ranting at a young Muslim couple, making some confusing links between the woman’s hijab and the Islamic State, Al-Shabaab’s attack in Garissa, and Muhammad “marrying a six-year-old” or something. She made no sense, as hardline racists never do. But cue superwoman Stacey Eden! A white knight in shining armour swoops in to save the day, protecting the couple from the onslaught of abuse being hurled at them from across the carriage. “She wears it for herself, OK? She wears it because she wants to be modest with her body, not because of people like you who are going to sit there and disrespect her.”
Isn’t it good Stacey was there? The couple were naturally mute and incapable of independent thought. Hell, they don’t even seem to have names, judging from most reports. They needed Stacey to save them.
Except… they didn’t.
Personally I found this video uncomfortable, but not for the reasons most other people seemed to. Yes I was disgusted by the racism, but I also felt patronised. It is just an incredibly patronising video. The couple are treated like children who can’t possibly be expected to deal with a crap situation by themselves.

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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

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.

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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?

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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.....