On education, human rights and cosmopolitan justice in Africa
Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UNISA Press
Abstract
Today, ‘human rights’ are more egalitarian, less individualistic, and more internationally
oriented than 18th century rights in the following ways: firstly, equality before the law
involves ensuring the protection of people against discrimination; procuring equality for
women in all areas of life; ensuring that political dissenters have rights to a fair trial and
freedom from arbitrary arrest, torture and cruel punishments; restraining governments
from perpetrating socio-economic abuses such as poverty, disproportionate illiteracy
amongst women and girls; and affording people a lack of economic opportunities,
social security and education; secondly, rights are considered to be less individualistic
to ensure the protection of women, minorities and indigenous people against genocide;
and thirdly, international inquiries and interventions are considered as justifiable to
prevent large-scale violations of human rights (Nickel 2007, 12–13). Despite the fact
that Africa has a ‘human rights’ system in place, produced by the African Union (AU) in
1981 and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, established in 1986,
Africa has been confronted with enormous ‘human rights’ problems, exacerbated by the
reluctance of several sovereign nation states to cooperate about ‘human rights’ violations.
One of the reasons why I think a ‘human rights’ agenda has not been implemented
successfully on the African continent is because several African leaders have scant
regard for the imposition of legal sanctions (as has been the case in Zimbabwe under
the leadership of Robert Mugabe) and that encouragement, consciousness raising,
persuasion, and even shaming have not actually worked. For many, the ‘human rights’
system on the African continent seems to remain ineffectual and hypocritical, as it rarely
coerces recalcitrant violators to change their practices (ibid., 20). This article offers a
defence of cosmopolitan justice with reference to the seminal thoughts of Judith Butler
and Kwame Anthony Appiah in order to countenance ‘human rights’ violations on the
African continent – in particular what the response of higher education ought to be.
Description
CITATION: Waghid, Y. 2013. On education, human rights and cosmopolitan justice in Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 27(3):479-488.
The original version is available at https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
The original version is available at https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
Keywords
Education -- South Africa, Human rights
Citation
Waghid, Y. 2013. On education, human rights and cosmopolitan justice in Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 27(3):479-488.