Page 7 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

three new categories: 1) end to impunity. Read more cotnmitment sustain it. Pax freedom" is of limited impor-
enabling rights such as peace, about the Luarca Declarafion optia remn. (Peace is the tance to a starving Sudanese,
the right to development; 2) at h$://www.fund-culturade- highest good.) for this would only entail his
over-arching rights such as paz.org/spa/04fi.IBROS/Luar freedom to starve. It is
equality and non- caDeclaration.pdf. A new hierarchy of obvious that in some cases,
discrimination; and 3) end human rights the right to food is more
rights such as the right to Literature has been and will fundamental. Similarly, even
identity, i.e. the right to be just continue to be the great In an effort to revisit human though I personally very
who we are. 'n'iis right to promoter of a culture of rights, a new hierarchy of much believe in and advocate

identity is both a human rights. Friedrich rights appears plausible. the right to ftaeedoxn of
collective right, which aflums ScMller's Don Carlos, 'Victor Indeed, not all human rights expcession, I do not see this
our right to our culture and Hugo's Les Miserables, Jose have the same importance, right as an "end right" or as an
traditions, and also an Martf's Vemos Sencillos, Kurt not all have the same "ultimate right". The right to
individual right, which vindi- Vonnegut's Slaughter House purpose, and some human freedom of expression andthe
cates our right to have our 5, Ken Saro-Wiwa's Sozaboy, rights even enter into press are not ends in them-
own opinions, even if they are Arundhati Roy's The God of competition or conflict with selves, but rather rights that
politically incorrect, the Small Things, Gao Xingjian, others. For this reason a re- facilitate the search for tiuth,
individual right to be Fugitives, Alexander g of human rights is so as to be able to develop and
respected for what we are and Solzhenitsyn Gulag Archipel appropriate. I would suggest complete one's identity and to

essentially to be left in peace. -ago - these and countless the following hierarchy of exercise democratic civil
other books and essays have human rights: rights responsibly. Control of
Indeed, we canunderstandthe given contour and content to the press is just as
so-called third generation the idea of h'iunan dignity, 1. Right to life: art. 6 of the damaging and dangerous
rights as "enabling rights", equality and the brotherhood International Covenant on when it is done by the
empowering us to enjoy civil, of all members of the human Civil and Political Rights, private sector (CNN, Fox) as
political, econotnic, social species. security of person (art. 9 when it is imposed by govern-
and cultural rights. Peace, ICCPR), right to health, food, ments. The crucial test is
however, is much more than Let us also recall the famous environment, clean water; whether the people have the
just an enabling right: it is preamble of {JNF.SCO's 2. Rtght to identity: both a information they need to
also an over-arcbing and an Coi'stitution wich stipulates: collective and an individual make their own decisions, or
end,right. It is alpha and ":f'ince wars begin in the right - the right to be who we whether they are just victims
omega, the starting point, the minds of men, it is zn the are, the right to enjoy one's of manipulation.
means and also the end of minds of men that the defen- culture collectively, but this
human endeavour. Ensbied ces of peace must be requires the right to It is also important to
in the preamble and Article 1 constnicted." Here it is that education, language, religion, distinguish between rights
of the United Nations Charter, literature has such an family, privacy, tnuth, and options. Although we live
peace mustremain at the heart important role to play. history; in the midst of
of the Organization's activi- Through enhanced knowled- 3. Rtght to one's homeland: consurnerism, I would like to
ties, because it is its raison ge and appreciation of each self-determination, the right observe that there is no
d'etre. other's literature we can not to be expelled from one's human right to trade, as such,
contribute to the expansion of ancestral lands, the right to and surely no right to impose
Civil societyhas a sacred duty the culture of peace and return of refugees and trade on others (this was what
to work for peace. Thus we human rights. expellees, the prohibition of imperialism was all about -
welcome the adoption of the etbnic cleansing (this, again BoxerWar, the exploitation of
Luarca Declaration on the The Universal Declaration of relates to the right to life md the African and Asian
Human Right to Peace of 30 Human Rights was at the the prohibition of genocide); colonies, etc.). Nor is there a
October 2006, which was heart of the Millennium 4. Right to peace (freedom human right to privatization,
formally presented to the Summit and justifies the fromwar) - tbis is also intima- or a hiunan right to consume,
United Nations Hutnan world-wide effort to achieve tely related to the right to life, as such. These are not human
Rights Council on 15 March the Millennium Develop- and similar to Roosevelt's rights, nor obligations, but
2007. This Declaration takes ment Goals by 2015. Let us "freedom from fear", and the merely options.
a holistic approach to peace not tolerate the obscenity of raison d'8tre of the Uited
and encompasses the hunger and extreme poverty Nations (article 2(4)) {JN Human rights means
promotion of conditions of when States are wasting vital Charter); equality of dignity, equality of

social justice, the realization resources in useless anned 5. All other enabling and rights and opportunities. Alas,
of the right to development, conflicts. Let us demand our overarching rights. whatmanypeople want is not
access to the necessities of governments to curtail the rights - but privileges! Let us
life, including cleanwaterand amiaments industi'y and to As indicated above, some try to change this in the new
a healthy environment, the devote resources to save rights are genuinely "end millennium!

necessity of general dismma- human life instead of rights" and other rights serve Professor
ment, in particular nuclear destroying it. The human the attainment of those end Dr. Alfred de Zayas
disarmament, the prohibition right to peace can and must be rights. It has been observed www.alfreddezayas.com
ofthe privatizationofwar, the realized if our faith and our by others that the "right to
2 2008 Diva 5

wwwdivainterriationalcb