Michael Mitchell
Michael
Mitchell is one of the Co-ordinators of
WSCF
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Work.
For ten days in February, ten enthusiastic and alive-thinking
people associated with WSCF in Asia-Pacific met to discuss various human rights
concerns of the movements in the region. Participants came from
We all came to the Workshop keen to leave it with
concrete results. The WSCF Asia-Pacific Human Rights Action Plan (see page 12)
was the greatly celebrated concrete conclusion to much of our work. We commend
it to the work of WSCF in the region and to its member movements as we seek
ways to develop our human rights work. There is nothing like practical
suggestions for action. Except, of course, seeing the practical suggestions
becoming actions!
However, there was a lot more to the Workshop than
to create this plan of action. Indeed, the much more difficult part to our work
was to analyse human rights in terms of particular
issues and in specific contexts, and to understand this in relation to ideas
about human rights, and how these ideas relate to our faith and to our combined
efforts to build better societies in the region. At the end, we hoped to come
up with a vision statement that would capture the essential elements of these
discussions. This is a much more difficult task than we imagined. What we ended
up with is reproduced on page 9.
Each person participating in the Workshop was asked
to prepare a report on a certain human rights issue based on the experiences of
their movements in their national human rights context. Such reports included:
• the problems of internal security legislation, political
prisoners and the climate of fear (
• the argument that the defence of
human rights constitutes the fundamental condition for peace (
• minority rights and religious freedoms (
• human rights and indigenous people (
• the protection of human rights in
The last report served as
a background for a meeting held with the Hong Kong Human Rights Commission, a
network of NGOs working on human rights issues, including the SCM in
In addition to listening to concrete accounts of
human rights situations, we were also taken on an exposure programme following
our meeting with the Hong Kong Human Rights Commission. The exposure was an
opportunity to observe directly the realities of poverty existing in
Ho Hei Wah from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was also
invited to the Workshop to speak about the drafting of a Charter of Asian Human
Rights. Copies of the Charter can be obtained directly from the AHRC *.
In each of the human rights problems we discussed
during the Workshop, we first sought to understand more about what were the
causes and background to the problem, and then we discussed ways in which to
overcome the problem. The first helped to build our understanding of human
rights in the region, and the second helped produce the Action Plan.
We also exchanged many thoughts and ideas on what
may be particular to WSCF and SCM's perspectives and
approaches in human rights work. Or, put another way, to establish WSCF and SCM's identities as self-positioning in the struggle
against human rights violations. What should be WSCF/SCM's
focus? What particular opportunities and aspirations do we have in our human
rights work?
As we exchanged ideas, we shared great enthusiasm about issues of faith and human rights; and our potential as a special kind of 'academic community' that is international, critical and student-based, and our experience of human rights discourse in the region, where we observed a need to move beyond the dominant ideas of human rights developed in the 'North' or by Governments in the region.
Thus a vision of our self-positioning began to develop
where we can become participants in a movement towards analysis and action on
human rights that is more 'South' and people- focused, and where we can make
much greater use of our opportunities as an international student-based
academic community and as people who believe in the basic connection between
our Christian faith and identity and our respect for human rights.
Personally, I am deeply inspired and greatly
excited by what our shared experiences and thoughts have achieved. We are
developing a vision for our human rights work. We have many practical
suggestions towards developing our human rights work - at both the national and
regional levels. What scares me is these will remain as inspiration and
excitement, gradually fading as inaction takes over.
And so I appeal to your help and to your
understanding. The defence of human rights is
fundamental to our identity and to our faith. So is action. We can work
together to discover the great potential that is WSCF.
_____________
Address of AHRC: CCA
Centre. Pak Tin Village, Mei Tin Road, Shatin, Hong Kong Tel: 852-26986339 Fax: 852-26986367
E-mail: AHRC@craver.air.org
As a result of discussions during the WSCF
Asia-Pacific Human Rights Workshop, the participants have jointly prepared the
following statement. It is a statement of our vision for WSCF Asia-Pacific to
develop its human rights work, and forms the basis to the strategies detailed
in the Human Rights Action Plan. We intend that this statement will create
debate and discussion among SCMs in the region as they develop their approaches
to promoting and defending human rights in their contexts. In this sense, we do
not view this as the definitive vision statement/or WSCF human rights work, but
rather one that is still in the making. We would be happy to receive ideas and
feedback.
INTRODUCTION
In terms of how we (the collective participants of the WSCF Asia-Pacific Human Rights Workshop) perceive our organisation, we would like to highlight three main aspects forming the context to the human rights work of WSCF Asia-Pacific. As a Christian organisation, one context for our human rights work is our faith and our understanding of the relationship between faith and human rights. Another context is that our organisation has particular possibilities and responsibilities as a kind of "academic" student community - especially as one which traverses national boundaries. We also believe it is important to see our vision and work in the context of the human rights situation in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the discourse being developed in the region concerning human rights concepts and remedies.
Each of these contexts and their resulting
influence on our human rights vision are discussed further below. Although they
are dealt with separately, it is the way in which they are interlinked which
creates the distinctive vision of WSCF Asia-Pacific towards its human rights
work.
FAITH AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The concept of human rights should be perceived as
being a fundamental element of Christian faith. The basic understanding behind
the promotion and defence of universal human rights
can be easily perceived by all Christians as being a belief that all people are
equal before God. In the Bible, God takes the side of the poor and marginalised, and Jesus asked us to seek out oppressed
peoples and to strive for their justice.
Human rights work is also a renewal of faith, and a
challenge to certain Christian traditions. We need to remember that across the
Asia/Pacific region, Christian communities span both rich and poor. In caste
based societies, for example, Christians in the lowest caste, who have no
social status, find dignity in being human. Even some indigenous peoples, whose
culture and beliefs have been grossly exploited, have
found social security by embracing the Christian faith. In such situations,
Christians need to provide space for the development of a faith that is not
only based on finding social security and human dignity, but which is also able
to accept the brutal and bitter facts of history and which is geared towards
social change to achieve better futures.
On the other hand, many Christian communities in
the region also have considerable economic power and high social status.
Moreover, some unjust practices are even endorsed by certain Biblical and
Christian traditions. We therefore need to be open to criticism from other
religious groups of unjust structures and practices, and we need to have
respect for, and develop dialogue with people of other faiths. This is
necessary to encourage a genuine debate about human rights.
We must always emphasise
that Asia-Pacific and international solidarity between peoples is important.
It is important to re-articulate Christian faiths
in our own national, cultural and social contexts if we are to have an
appropriate Christian perspective on human rights. Our liturgical and Christian
life should incorporate the symbolism and values from our cultural traditions
and those of local cultures.
Because all people are equal before God, and
because God takes the side of the poor and marginalised,
WSCF needs to be concerned with people who are isolated, oppressed, threatened,
deprived and/or marginalised, etc., rather than
constantly focusing on political and economic elites. Marginalised
communities should have a place in the life of the Church.
In a similar vein, we need to develop analysis that
breaks away from the history of human rights work being dominated by "the
North", and 'pitying' people in "the South" and we need to
guarantee the autonomy of people in human rights work. For example,
anthropology can be very exploitative rather than useful in the human rights
struggle.
We are also called to remind the Churches about the
need to take an active stance on human rights.
WSCF'S STUDENT BASE AND ITS HUMAN RIGHTS WORK
WSCF and SCMs have particular responsibilities to
be active in advocacy, awareness building, reflection and discussion among
students and academic communities. There is a need for SCMers to take concrete
actions on human rights issues - for example - to orchestrate a campaign for
the release of political prisoners. WSCF should also give active support to
promoting the Lima Declaration on Academic Freedoms, and to make its existence
and contents more widely known.
Beyond this, WSCF also has responsibilities as a
form of international and regional "academic community", and as a
student-based NGO which has consultative status with the UN. A major aspect to
these responsibilities is to promote and be actively engaged in developing
international solidarity to safeguard human rights.
It also means using our experiences and human
resources to develop new ways of analysing human
rights concepts and contributing to the current discourse on analysing human rights issues.
OUR REGIONAL ASIA-PACIFIC CONTEXT
WSCF Asia-Pacific must participate in the current
discourse being developed in the region on analysing
human rights issues in the Asia-Pacific context. This participation can begin
with our support for and discussion of the draft Charter of Asian Human Rights
being proposed by the Asian Human Rights Commission. At the very heart of this
Charter is the affirmation of our common humanity - meaning that despite our
humanity being made up of great diversity, we have a commonness which is our
humanity - we are all humans, and therefore our human rights are universal
rights. We all have the same dignity, and this calls for a
recognition of suffering and a recognition of the need for a worldwide
alliance to prevent human rights violations.
It is important to recognise the Asia-Pacific human rights context - where
human rights are often survival rights - where people are often demanding basic
education rights - where the population of many countries are dealing with
dictatorships, or even where dictatorships have been removed, the population
has to deal with the fact that the dictators are rarely brought to trial for
their part in human rights abuses.
WSCF and SCMs must locate their human rights work in the movement towards more "South" focused analysis and action. This includes an emphasis on the indivisibility of human rights and the conviction that women's rights are human rights. It entails a movement away from the dominant Western bias towards legal remedies to an emphasis on the need for participatory democracy - the search for a true democratic movement to achieve basic rights is integral to Christian identity.
The most important methods in our human rights work
is conscientisation and education. Final responsibility rests with peoples.
WSCF must consistently promote the importance of international solidarity in
safeguarding human rights. It is important to highlight marginalised
human rights issues, and to recognise the importance
of promoting greater autonomy; such as greater cultural autonomy, economic
autonomy, autonomy for indigenous peoples, etc.
It is also important
to recognise the limitations of the legal and
government systems. Our responsibility should be to learn about them, use them
where appropriate, and use the UN to pressurise for
change of existing systems. Human rights can never be bargained for, and should
never be traded with political power respect for human rights should be a
principle for all
peoples' movements.
We have a mission to the Church to remind it of its
responsibilities to have respect for and defend human rights, and to integrate
an affirmation of human rights with Christian beliefs.
Note:
This Action Plan is in two parts. The first part (National Strategies) is aimed at national SCMs and contains suggestions on
developing human rights work at the national level. The second part (Regional
and Inter-Regional Strategies) contains strategies suggested by the 1995 WSCF
Asia-Pacific Human Rights Workshop to be taken up at the regional and
inter-regional levels of WSCF.
PART I
NATIONAL STRATEGIES
These are some suggested strategies for SCMs in
developing their human rights work. These suggestions are based on the
experiences of the SCM participants at the 1995 WSCF Asia-Pacific Human Rights
Workshop who came from
1.
Build sympathy for human rights concerns among
people
o
by providing a focus campaign, e.g. Korea political
prisoners
o
by providing opportunities for people to join the
movement; e.g. organising forums, campaigns, cultural activities, special
worship services, small group discussions, etc. (SCMs can collaborate with
others - student groups, youth groups, church groups, etc.)
2.
Make use of the regional and international WSCF
network for solidarity support and for the exchange of ideas on analysis and
strategies
o
by appointing SCM solidarity work contact points
with the following responsibilities:
1.
dissemination of resources and information of human
rights concerns
2.
coordinating solidarity actions between their SCM
and other SCMs in the region (through the regional solidarity work
coordinator(s) and/or other SCM contact points)
(in principle you should always consult with
national SCMs before taking up solidarity actions relating to their national
situations, although in some circumstances this may not be necessary - check
with the Regional Office/ solidarity work coordinators) for advice. The current
situation in
o
initially, we suggest that those attending this
Workshop be invited to be the SCM contact point for their respective countries
o
SCMs to consider financing the work of the
solidarity work contact point
o
by organising letter writing meeting groups to
follow up on human rights appeals
o
also refer to strategies at the regional and
interregional level
3.
Analyse human rights in
new ways and develop new ideas in human rights work
o
by always analysing the
underlying root causes of human rights violations
o
by reflecting on Christian identities in terms of
an affirmation of our common humanity
o
by developing human rights analysis by
participating in the current discourse relating to Asia-Pacific peoples'
perspectives on human rights (e.g. refer to the Asian Human Rights Charter,
o
it may be necessary to seek new ways of dealing
with a particular human rights problem, e.g. by exploring a more creative
o
use of media or by using conflict resolution
strategies
o
by organising SCMs beyond the "intellectual
elite"
o
by taking up grassroots and marginalised
human rights concerns as directed by those peoples
o
by setting up
research teams to analyse human rights in new ways
4.
Work towards building a national solidarity network
o
by collaborating (e.g. joint programmes, campaigns,
information sharing, learning about and making use of UN mechanisms etc.) with
other organisations (e.g. student, youth, local human
rights groups, church, etc.)
o
by sharing resources
5.
Respect for women's
human rights should be integral to SCM's
self-identity
o
by studying the policies and proposals of the WSCF
Asia-Pacific Regional Women's Committee
o
by valuing women and their participation in
SCMs (in leadership, training, organisation, doing
theology, analysis and pastoral care). Without this, women's human rights will
not be on SCMs' agendas
o
by education and conscientisation directed at both
men and women
o
by developing
analyses of the gender-specific nature of human rights violations - with careful
analysis of religious and cultural exceptionalism,
and domestic-personal relationships
o
by exploring the meaning of indivisibility of human
rights, avoiding the tendency to produce a hierarchy, with
"political" rights at the top
6.
In the concern for human rights, from experience, marginalised issues are too often ignored (e.g.) indigenous
peoples' struggles, migrant workers
o
by learning about marginalised
human rights issues by exposures, organising research, investigative
fact-finding missions, and through dialogue with such groups
o
by keeping the issue alive
7.
National SCMs to use the 1995 Universal Day for
Human Rights (December 10,1995), if not before, to remember those whose human
rights have been violated (e.g. political prisoners), and to promote action and
discussion on the strategies mentioned above towards further development of the
WSCF Asia-Pacific human rights project.
PART II
REGIONAL and INTERREGIONAL STRATEGIES
The second part of the Action Plan contains strategies
for the development of the human rights work of WSCF in the region, and its
relation to the international human rights programme of WSCF.
1.
Developing a WSCF regional solidarity network
Methods:
o
establishing SCM solidarity work contact points (refer
national strategies)
o
initially, we suggest that those attending this
Workshop be invited to be the SCM contact point for their respective countries
o
to continue the appointment of a WSCF AsiaPacific solidarity work coordinator (there are
currently two - Tim Connor and Michael Mitchell - who work together in
1.
to be the central point in charge of communication
between SCM contact points
2.
for the collection and dissemination of resources
3.
on specific solidarity actions (e.g. appeals,1
campaigns) ensure that SCMs in the region are mobilised
or support
4.
to always consult with national SCMs before
taking up solidarity actions relating to their national situations, although in
some circumstances this may not be necessary check with the Regional Office for
advice. The current situation in
5.
taking up national SCMs human rights concerns to
other regional and international organisations (e.g.Hotline
6.
to consult with other regions and the InterRegional Office concerning human rights matters
7.
Regional Office to continue to provide resources to
support the work of the solidarity work coordinator(s), and to consider the
possibility of making the appointment a paid staff position (e.g.) on a
part-time basis
o
Regional Committee to propose annual themes for
human rights campaigns at the regional level (e.g. political prisoners,
internal security legislation, rights of indigenous peoples, women's rights as
human rights etc.)
2.
Providing and Sharing Opportunities, Ideas and
Resources for Training and Education in Human Rights Work
Methods:
1. 1996 SET Programme on a particular human rights theme (e.g. "human rights, peace and the democrat!sation process", "freedom of expression and information for students" etc.) - use the exposure to provide training in investigating human rights concerns towards SCMs being able to undertake fact-finding missions
o
when the Regional Office sends out invitations, it
requests that SCMs invite participants who are willing to learn more about
human rights work
o
to invite participants, resource persons and translators
from WSCF Latin America to promote
exchange of ideas, analysis and strategies concerning human rights
2.
Preparation of a WSCF Asia-Pacific human rights manual
o
to include both analysis and strategies
o
beginning with this Action Plan, as well as the reports prepared for this
Workshop, a summary of the analysis undertaken during this Workshop and a
Statement of our vision for WSCF Asia-Pacific human rights work
o
to update the manual by requesting SCMs to provide
comment and further ideas on the manual (Regional Office and solidarity work
coordinator(s) to ensure that this happens at least annually)
o
Regional Office to finance translation of the
manual into certain other languages (translation to be undertaken by national
SCMs)
3.
Regional Office to finance SCM members to
participate in human rights training programmes - e.g. DTP, ISHR, FLAG, local
national programmes
o
to understand international, regional and national
human rights legislation as another avenue for human rights work
4.
To make use of Praxis for sharing ideas (e.g.) a
one page article in each issue (Regional Office to follow up with SCM contact
points)
5.
For Regional Office to consider keeping a reserve
fund to translate certain useful articles in Praxis when, because of extreme circumstances, the national SCM
is unable to do the translation
otherwise
3.
Developing Links with other NGO's in our Human Rights Work (e.g.) main
ones being ASA, AHRC, Hotline
Methods:
o
exchange of information
o
when circumstances arise, to request action from
these NGOs on human rights violations
o
invite representatives to be resource persons for
WSCF programmes
o
to request to be informed about specific human rights conferences and training programmes,
with a view to sending SCM members where appropriate
o
to disseminate action appeals on specific campaigns
being run by other NGOs
4.
Facilitating national SCMs and WSCF participation in
and use of the United Nations human rights mechanisms
o
to make most use of our consultative status with UN
ECOSOC
Methods:
o
we appreciate the initiative taken by the
Inter-Regional Office (IRO) and the Regional Office in sending a WSCF
participant to the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) programme
during the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and strongly affirm the
suggestion that IRO continue to arrange to send representatives from the
regions to the UN CHR and its Sub-Commission each year and to consider using
other possible programmes available at the national and regional levels. To
take up the other recommendations as stated in the WSCF international human
rights programme
o
to participate in and prepare for certain planned
UN events
o
to use the UN's work
on gender violence as a starting point for discussion
o
to provide training on the use of UN mechanisms
(e.g.) - using existing national and regional programmes - e.g. DTP; sending
resource persons to national SCMs to provide training; maybe in the future
organising a human rights workshop on using UN mechanisms
5.
Developing research and investigations concerning
human rights violations
o
with a view to linking in with the human rights
concerns being taken up by national SCMs
o
with a view to taking into account that human
rights violations take gender-specific forms
o
with a view to taking into account human rights
issues which are often marginalised
o
with a view to relating human rights concerns to
theology
Methods:
o
to consider undertaking fact-finding missions on
certain human rights issues
o
to publish the
results of the fact-finding missions by making use of the WSCF Asia-Pacific
publication series
o
to support and/or sponsor students to undertake
research projects on human rights issues
6. To
contribute to the development of alternative "third view" analyses of
human rights issues as opposed to the dominant view from the North and that of
governments from the South which in both cases do not fully represent the situation
and needs of peoples) based on the experiences of students in the region
Methods:
o
by collecting and making use of analyses developed
by national SCMs and through WSCF fact-finding missions
o
by making use of
human rights analyses developed by SCMs in other regions
o
by participating in the current discourse relating
to Asia/Pacific perspectives on human rights
o
by discussing and disseminating the Asian Human
Rights Charter to provide feedback in the drafting process of the Charter
o
by reflecting on Christian identities in terms of
an affirmation of our common humanity
o
by appointing a working group initially
consisting of participants in the Human Rights Workshop who will return to
their SCMs with a view to furthering human rights analyses. The work of this
working group is to be coordinated by the regional solidarity work
coordinator(s) in consultation with the Regional Office; and the need for and
work of the working group is to be assessed later by the Regional Committee.
o
This working group be responsible for producing
together a paper on our understanding of alternative "third view"
analyses of human rights by the end of July 1995 for endorsement by the
Regional Committee to the WSCF 1995 General Assembly
o
We suggest that a WSCF bi-regional human rights
workshop be organised between Latin America and the Asia-Pacific - proposed to
be organised for 1997
7. Respect
for women's human rights should be integral to WSCF self-identity
Methods:
o
study the policies and proposals of the WSCF Asia-Pacific Regional
Women's Committee
o
value women and their participation in WSCF (in
leadership, training, organisation, doing theology,
analysis and pastoral care). Without this, women's human rights will not be on
the WSCF agenda
o
education and conscientisation should be directed
at both men and women
o
make links between the work of the women's
programme and the development of the human rights programme
o
develop analyses of the gender-specific nature of
human rights violations - with careful analysis of religious and cultural exceptionalism, and domestic-personal relationships
o
explore the meaning of indivisibility of human
rights, avoiding the tendency to produce a hierarchy, with
"political" rights at the top
8.
Regional Committee to consider establishing a
solidarity work 'fighting fund' to provide financial resources to the
components of the national and regional strategies mentioned above.