A debate today on human rights included a dismal record of man’s inhumanity to man – in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Last night at a lecture by Louise Arbour, the eminent prosecutor at the International Criminal Court and now the chief executive of the International Crisis Group, recounted an equally sad list of failures to protect people and to promote peace .
What is to be done? Human rights and peace building are multi-million dollar enterprises – some of the best brains are involved and there is no question that these are worthy goals. But the process of bringing about democracy and the rule of law is a desperately slow business as the less than impressive success rate shows. Louise Arbour made the vital point that the West’s efforts to export less than acceptable democratic standards for reasons of political expediency are not helpful. Why for example has everyone glossed over the hugely undemocratic elections held recently in Afghanistan?
Would it not be better that some of the millions of dollars be spent on small, local community developments most of which have a much better democratic basis? Top down attempts to instill the rule of law will always be subject to geopolitical interference with an eye to political or commercial advantage; bottom up projects can and do gain momentum.
People do have power but they need subtle and timely support to realise it.
I don`t think democracy and the rule of law is the be all and end all of “good” societies. Mugabe rules a democratic Nation, Hitler was vote Chancellor of Germany and there are many others that may prove democracy is not the only way. There are Arabic Countries that are ruled by Royal Families that do appear as stable and as fair as democratic states.
As far as the rule of law goes it depends who makes it, Iran has the rule of law as do other Countries operate under Sharia law.
I don`t think it is a given that because politicians believe democracy and rule of law work for us in the westernm world that it would work everywhere. I still believe firmly that Iraq will return to a dictatorship because it`s the only thing that works there.
We try to export our version of democracy, obviously it`s not pure democracy which is tantamount to communism, but it will not always work elsewhere and I`m not sure how long it will go on working here. We are seeing ever increasing use of violent tactics in order to control, partly due to lack or resources and partly due to the threats. It cannot and won`t go on working this way ad infinitum, sooner or later our society will split. We`re already seeing some results of the forthcoming split with devolution.
This particular version of democracy has only been around less than 100 years, the working class and women allowed to vote. It`s not tried and tested and will be found wanting once precious world resources start to run out. I think we have to stop pretending our system is the best, it works at present that`s all.
As the noble Baroness suggests it would be better to invest in people rather than regimes which America has done a great deal of and come a cropper time and again. Peace and stability exist in societies that have wealth and a reasonable living and that is the prime target we should be aiming at. Somali`s often have nothing, they have nothing to lose by becoming pirates and everything to gain.
Even in this country we recognise the fact that by spreading wealth and material resources we gain stability. Thatcher destroyed the Unions and civil unrest in part by allowing most people to afford a stable home and job, things maybe wrong but most are unlikey to risk those assets to fight to rectify them, she also put 25-30 contracts in the shape of mortgages to keep you quiet.
It works, only the poor and the young who are indestructable rail against the system in anyway frowned upon but once bought off they too knuckle down. This is one reason why the Welfare system is so important without which we would see revolt on a larger scale. It is currently £37,500 to keep a person in prison anything less than that to keep them out and your on a winner. If you add up the amount our society spends on just keeping our streets relatively safe you`d be surprised.
So we do have to spend the millions in the villages giving them something they do worry about losing and this way we will build a peaceable society. If the Taliban or the Somali pirates can`t keep the villagers family fed, housed and in a reasonable lifestyle we should win provided we keep control, it wasn`t managed in Vietnam due to atrocities of the Vietkong and the inability to Police vast areas and there lies the problem.
In Central Asia, noble baroness, it is my firm opinion that pluralist democracy will only ever be achieved with a sub-continent wide assembly or legislature. Only then will UN humsn rights be imposed effectively from above.
When USA/EU is prepared to sponsor such a supranational legislature, only then will become viable.