Title: | Human and peoples' rights in Africa: myths, realities and prospects |
Author: | Gutto, Shadrack B.O. |
Year: | 1991 |
Issue: | 12 |
Pages: | 26 |
Language: | English |
Series: | Current African issues (ISSN 0280-2171) |
City of publisher: | Uppsala |
Publisher: | Nordiska Afrikainstitutet |
Geographic term: | Africa |
Subject: | human rights |
External link: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:nai:diva-866 |
Abstract: | This study situates the articulation of human rights in Africa in their social and historical context, thereby identifying major factors that shape the reality of human rights in Africa. Among these are social class structures and relations; the inherited colonial culture; the depth of cultural and linguistic heterogeneity in virtually all African countries; local and external forces, including social and economic models; authoritarian political systems; gender relations; wars and environmental conditions. Throughout, the leading and decisive role and potential capacity of organized masses in defending and promoting integrated human rights is underlined. The conclusion is that the demands for human rights and democracy in Africa today are firmly rooted in the concrete experiences of the broad popular masses and are not ephemeral 'externally engineered' demands. |