Many stories covered in the past week by other blogs on the Foreign Policy Blog network also have a strong human rights component to them. Here is a roundup of those stories from our own blog network:
Goldstone, apartheid, and the duty of a judge:
Much has been said in the blogosphere since Yedioth Ahronoth released the findings of its investigation on Richard Goldstone, the chief author of the Goldstone Report that criticized both Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas for their conduct during the Gaza War. As a South African judge, it should come as no surprise that Goldstone ruled on cases during the apartheid era that leave many human rights activists cringing today. But as Rob Grace on the Law and Security Strategy blog points out, things are apt to be more complicated than simply judging jurists for the morality of rulings passed under an immoral government system. This situation and many others bring up questions on the role that judges are supposed to have in our societies, and what we should expect from them. This is especially important from a human rights standpoint, as it is the judiciary that is often tasked with upholding citizen’s rights and ensuring their protection.
But even outside of the justice system, it highlights the strange and complicated relationship between Israel and South Africa, both during apartheid and after. And although it is not to be mentioned in the Yedioth Ahronoth article, one thing that relationship has constantly demonstrated is that between duty and principle can come some very difficult choices, and not all of them will be viewed favorably by history.
Funding the fight against AIDS:
Over on the Global Health blog, Cynthia Schweer posted an interesting set of links yesterday concerning the cutbacks in funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and the implications that it can have. Although there is no established global right to health, it is an issue that most people are at least sympathetic to. In regards to AIDS, the smaller the world gets the more important it becomes to be able to handle epidemics, something that we are still working to get right with HIV/AIDS. The policy documents mentioned in her post are also important in trying to gauge the direction that the Obama administration will take not just on AIDS, but also for human rights and development broadly.
Silence in Azerbaijan
I admit that I know nothing about Azerbaijan, including only a rough idea of where it is on a map. Luckily, our blog network has people far more knowledgeable about that region than me and who are capable of giving great insights into what is happening there regarding press freedom and political intimidation. For example, check out Karl Rahder’s post on Caucasus blog about the arrest and imprisonment of journalist in the country and the possible implications it has for the region as a whole.
Creative diplomacy
Although not directly related to human rights, James Ketterer posted a story about an interesting, if unusual, take on cultural diplomacy or just plain cultural understanding between the US and Iran over on the Global Engagement blog. The intro:
The role of U.S. films in cultural diplomacy is not new, nor is the distribution of American films around the globe. But those phenomena bear a reexamination every once in a while. In this case, it is through the movie Shrek, a worldwide blockbuster (with various sequels and spin-offs). That big green ogre has something to tell us about how different societies interpret and reinterpret American films, and more broadly how those societies view themselves and others. Understanding processes like this is, to my mind, the key to public diplomacy. Listening, analyzing and understanding are at the core of what makes day in, day out diplomacy work. Why Shrek?
The end point to keep in mind is that without understanding, the chances for progress on any front will be slim. Iran poses a special set of circumstances as the US has no embassy and no official presence there to build from. The thoughts put forth by James and the articles he links to illuminates new ground from which we can hopefully build to increase that understanding, if we first acknowledge how we are different and where we are coming from.
