Sowing the Seeds
Promoting freedom and development, and strengthening human rights around the world, are central to many national foreign policies. However, 50 years after the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights was signed, many of the social and political evils that have constrained societies and have served the self-interests of a select few still exist, blanketing much of the globe and contradicting the principles captured in the Declaration. Sowing the Seeds presents an important blueprint for constructing and implementing new and holistic ways of tackling issues related to the development and the strengthening of human rights on a number of societal levels. The book addresses what can be seen as microcosms to egregious issues plaguing societies in South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and further afield. The wide range of issues shows the relationship of development to both 'positive' and 'negative' human rights. This is an important distinction, given that, while development can be more readily associated with 'positive' human rights (such as the right to food, water, and shelter), so too is the correlation between development and 'negative' human rights (such as the right to be free from oppression, persecution, and abuse), which is substantial. That development has a role to play in this range of contexts is a central tenant of Sowing the Seeds, as it underscores the utility of an approach to upholding human rights that does not solely consist of a legal focus. Authoritative and highly accessible, it will be essential reading for scholars and general readers alike who seek to gain a deeper understanding of the state-of-play in these select regions and their link to peoples experiencing similar issues in other global corridors. The book's contributions present the realities of where these regions and communities stand today and what they could conceivably do to survive the precarious nature of their geopolitical environments.