Island School Global Politics
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  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More

3. Are human rights too politicised?

Activity 1 - Why are HRs politicised?


Activity Tasks
  1. Read - Read pages 68-69 of Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion and pages 42-44 of Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics and then answer these questions:
    1. What has caused human rights to become politicised?
    2. How has the UN-led human rights regime become distrusted?
    3. How has economic inequality led to politicisation of human rights?
    4. How is the power of a state linked to human rights enforcement?
    5. How has politicisation at the global level affected human rights?
  2. Watch - Examine this video from TeleSUR about the politicisation of human rights. TeleSUR is a media channel funded by the Venezuelan, Cuban and Nicaraguan governments. What arguments do they make about the reasons why human rights in Latin America are politicised? Who do they blame for undermining human rights?
  3. Examine - This video from CGTN explores whether human rights have been politicised and who is to blame for that. CGTN is owned and funded by the Chinese government. What arguments are made in this video about the reasons for politicisation of human rights?
  4. Evaluate - This video from the New York Times explores why the present global human rights regime is failing. The New York Times is a US media organisation. Who does Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein blame for the politicisation and failure of human rights enforcement?

Activity 2 - Do sanctions politicise HRs?


Activity Tasks
  1. Identify - What are economic sanctions? Examine this article and this video and write your own definition of economic sanctions.
  2. Examine - Are sanctions a breach of human rights? Read this article and watch this video before summarising the arguments that sanctions are a breach of human rights. 
  3. Evaluate - Get into three groups. Each group will explore a different case study to examine whether sanctions are a breach of human rights or not. Use this worksheet to record your findings from researching these sources:
    1. Syria and Iran
      1. Syria  Sanctions - Chilling effects on basic human rights
      2. US Iran Sanctions: 'The US doesn't care for human rights' 
      3. US Sanctions on Iran in 2020 
    2. North Korea
      1. Sanctions on North Korea may hurt citizens' rights: U.N. expert
      2. Will latest UN sanctions have any effect on North Korea?
      3. 'Too many soldiers to feed': North Koreans fear more sanctions as drought threatens famine
      4. What to Know About Sanctions on North Korea    
    3. Venezuela
      1. What Do We Talk About When We Talk About U.S. Sanctions in Venezuela?
      2. Sanctions can’t spark regime change
      3. Economist Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Sanctions Have Devastated Venezuela & Killed Over 40,000
  4. Discuss - Present your findings back to the class. Overall, are sanctions a breach of human rights? Or are they effective in enforcing human rights compliance?

Activity 3 - Why is R2P so controversial?


Activity Tasks
  1. Identify - What is Responsibility to Protect? Examine and make notes from this article and this video about what R2P is and how it works. 
  2. Consider - Examine this list of UN statements and resolutions that have evoked R2P. What patterns or trends can you see in terms of the human rights breaches and targets?
  3. Research - Was NATO intervention in Libya a just humanitarian intervention or a politicisation of human rights? Research using the following sources:
    1. How Qaddafi's Fall Vindicated Obama and R2P
    2. Was Intervention in Libya a Humanitarian Intervention? 
    3. What is the responsibility to protect (R2P)?
    4. Inside Story - NATO's intervention in Libya
  4. Write - Write an extended paragraph outlining your perspective on whether NATO intervention in Libya was a just use of the R2P principle to protect human rights, or whether it was an unjust politicisation.

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion, pp. 68-69
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics, pp. 42-44
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
  1. Heywood, A. (2011), Global Politics, pp. 312-315

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NEXT LESSON - ASSESSMENT: HOW SHOULD WE VIEW HUMAN RIGHTS?

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  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More