Having trouble with this essay prompt... please help =)?

Question

sry 4 the long read

"Imagine a world where human rights are respected and protected for all people. Imagine a safer, more peaceful world."

With regard to Canadian and international law is the above quotation reflective of the world we live in today? Agree or disagree by commenting on different aspects of law and its principles. Be specific and factual referring to documents, cases and important current events.

I have an essay for Int'l Law tomorrow and I'm completely lost. We got this prompt to make an essay outline.

Plz don't feel as though I do not want to do my own work. I'm just hoping I could get some relevant information which could help start me off on *disagreeing* with this prompt.

1 idea I have is that since positive law differs from country to country, it doesn't allow for a form of uniformity and a needed mutual enforcement to instill human rights. (I don't know if that would be any good, and I have no info supporting it. I also need help with thinking of other points

Answer 1

One of the thoughts that immediately came to mind is the idea that different cultures and countries define "human rights" very differently.  So if I imagine a world where human rights are respected and protected for all people, its a daunting task.  Not sure about Canadian law, but Internationally, look at the way the United Nations picks and chooses which rights it will enforce.  Even the UN is sensitive to cultural issues when it comes to defining human rights.  

The way the TIBETANS are being treated is one example.

What is happening Darfur and the genocide of those people.

Take a look at the disparity of rights among women in middle eastern nations.  There, human rights are quite limited as to women.  So even if you gave them equal rights, you would have the males in that culture revolting at the idea of treating women equally.  Not necessarily a more peaceful world for those people as one example.  Relevant to Middle eastern politics and what the withdrawal of troops in Iraq would mean to Iraqi women.

The UN purports to support a world where human rights are respected and protected for all people, yet no one is stepping in from the UN to address these three issues.  The explanation is mostly out of respect for cultural differences.

So I think it is safe to say that the world does not reflect the quotation.  And even if the world did reflect the quotation, there would be no peace because the people of each country or region would decry such "equal" treatment to the extent it conflicts with their own cultural and religious values.

Hope that helps

Its a tough question you have because it doesn't make much sense.

Differen

Answer 2

Any easy way to attack the statement is the fact that various international agreements (UN Charter, Vienna on Human Rights, Vienna on Cultural Political, etc...) specifically mention the protection of human rights. By mentioning human rights these organizations and the international community recognize that there is a need to protect human rights because they are currently being violated.

When the protection of human rights is a norm then specific provisions for their protection will not be necessary.

Answer 3

The biggest problem with international conventions is not even the excessive loftiness of goals they seek to promote but the fact that few - if any - govts support them with legislation - not even legislation that might give those goals effect within the signatory's country! How stupid do attys look when we lob these conventions at the court in, say, a poverty case like Gosselin http://www.bcdisabilities.com/bcdisforum...

Yes, and yet look how certain other interest groups will use a convention to effectively prevent justice - see Antigua v. the U.S. at the World Trade Organization - Antigua gets a paltry judgment that allows them to ignore IP - watch out! Suddenly a UN convention has heft and bulge! http://pokerpulse.com/legal/viewtopic.ph... The jury's still out on what Antigua and the U.S. will do but it's telling somehow that poverty doesn't cut it but IP (mostly US, natch) somehow garners support.

The biggest, bestest intl news: the unification of Europe! Anyone who has read Tony Judt's excellent History of Postwar Europe - in addition to Euros themselves - should be moved to tears by this admittedly difficult but in the long term MIRACULOUS peaceful breaking of war-drawn boundaries. I drink to their fabulous demonstration of peaceful borderless sharing - esp after the devastation they endured in two world wars! They give us all hope! Go Euros! Canada was invited to join the EU and I so wish we would! http://www.pokerpulse.com/legal/viewtopi...

Interestingly enough, in the trade case, Canada was once supportive of Antigua's position but like cowards we backed down probably because of US pressure. It's Europe that's putting pressure on the US to cave and save poor little Antigua. Free beer for Euros!

Yeah, and think of Tony Blair's response to a terrorist attack several summers past. Did he suspend civil liberties? NO WAY!

A few thoughts to open with, at any rate.