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Ethical Debates: Human Rights. Debates. Economic, developmental and cultural challenges to the universality of Human Rights. The principle of universality versus religion. Justifications for humanitarian and armed intervention. Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine. Case Study: Syria.
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Debates • Economic, developmental and cultural challenges to the universality of Human Rights. • The principle of universality versus religion. • Justifications for humanitarian and armed intervention. • Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine
Case Study: Syria • Using the case study of Syria we will examine these debates from a: school of thought.
Syria: Background • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElRoN-uNli4
Timeline • 2011 – March to June – Nationwide uprising: protests in Damascus, violence escalates. • 2011 – July – Dec – Opposition organises, Russia and China veto resolution condemning Syria. Arab League observers allowed into the country, but suspend mission because of worsening violence. • 2012 – March – Russia and China agree to support a non-binding peace treaty.
Timeline • 2012 – May – Homs continues to be under siege. Growing violence. • 2012 – December – US joins Britain, France, Turkey and Gulf states as formally recognising opposition as the legitimate government of Syria. • 2013 – May – EU leaders agree not to renew the arms embargo on Syria. Can arm the rebels. Russia says will deliver anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.
Context • The ‘Uprising’ or ‘Syrian Civil War’ is part of the ‘Arab Spring’ or ‘Jasmine Revolution’ that engulfed Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
Human Rights Issues • Syria has ‘form’ in this – 1982 Hama massacre by Hafez al-Assad (Bashar’s Dad) • 2010 Human Rights Watch report declared that Bashar al-Assad had failed to improve HR conditions in Syria. • One-Party state without elections • Rights of free expression, association and assembly were controlled before uprising.
Human Rights Issues • Torture • Thousands of Syrian Kurds denied citizenship in 1962 and descendants continued to be labeled as ‘foreigners’ until 2011, when 120,000 of 200,000 stateless Kurds were granted citizenship.
Return to: Debates • Economic, developmental and cultural challenges to the universality of Human Rights. • The principle of universality versus religion. • Justifications for humanitarian and armed intervention. • Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine