http://blog.oup.com/2007/10/vsi_clapham/ Introducing brilliant authors to the blogosphere. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:43:07 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blog.oup.com/2007/10/vsi_clapham/comment-page-1/#comment-51871 Nneka Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:01:34 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/10/vsi_clapham/#comment-51871 I completely agree with Professor Clapham's statement regarding the importance of not championing one human rights issue or cause over another. Indeed, the right to food, housing and even gainful employment is just as important as the right to quality healthcare. It is unfortunate that here in the United States, human rights discourse is largely centered around the atrocities in Africa and other developing countries, when right here, in this first world nation, there are millions of people that go hungry daily and have no roof over their heads. Hurricane Katrina was a human rights issue, just as much as the genocide in Darfur is. Some might ask, what then is the difference between human rights and civil liberties here in the U.S.? In my belief, when situations are classified as a human rights issue, it becomes the responsibility of the global community to come together to find a resolution. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and other neighboring cities in the gulf region, there was an international response. Countries around the world offered assistance in the form of monetary aid as well as healthcare professionals (even countries teetering on bankruptcy). Now, if we could only use this as a model for the way we address other human rights issues around the world... I completely agree with Professor Clapham’s statement regarding the importance of not championing one human rights issue or cause over another. Indeed, the right to food, housing and even gainful employment is just as important as the right to quality healthcare. It is unfortunate that here in the United States, human rights discourse is largely centered around the atrocities in Africa and other developing countries, when right here, in this first world nation, there are millions of people that go hungry daily and have no roof over their heads. Hurricane Katrina was a human rights issue, just as much as the genocide in Darfur is. Some might ask, what then is the difference between human rights and civil liberties here in the U.S.? In my belief, when situations are classified as a human rights issue, it becomes the responsibility of the global community to come together to find a resolution. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and other neighboring cities in the gulf region, there was an international response. Countries around the world offered assistance in the form of monetary aid as well as healthcare professionals (even countries teetering on bankruptcy). Now, if we could only use this as a model for the way we address other human rights issues around the world…

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