Resumo de In Larger Freedom

Human Rights and human dignity cannot be ensured with out participation

By V.B.Rawat, Social Development Foundation, New Delhi

Kofi Annan's ' in larger freedom' reflect hope and concern of the UN Secretary General over the growing situation in the world. He feel 2005 present a historic opportunity for all us to make promises to our people particularly in agreeing that by 2015 poverty would become history. That over 40 countries are involved in violent conflict and more then 25 million people have been displaced. Over 11-12 million have become refugees due to war and conflict. 20 million people have been killed due to HIV/AID. Every day about 20000 people die of poverty and hunger.

The UN has charted out a Millennium Development Goal to reach its target of eliminating conflict and poverty. It feels that the role of civil society has become equally important. And therefore for the first time UN General Assembly had a hearing with civil society groups in New York on 23rd and 24th July 2005.
While the UN system?s efforts to involve non-governmental organizations in its wide spending efforts are welcome, yet there are certain facts, which need to be addressed. UN System still remains one of the most beaurocratic structures too much involved in protocol and hierarchical business. Even for the first day, the Secretary General apologized for undue delay in providing identity cards and other details to the participants. Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan, in civil society organizations in poverty alleviation programmes and conflict resolution management, is sign of maturity on part of the UN System. Annan pointed out on different occasions that he respects the work

The issue for discussion had wide relevance for the Millennium Development Goals. The report of Secretary General ? In larger Freedom?, has specified the issue of ? freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want and Freedom to live in dignity? for the alleviation of poverty from the world. While the issues remain important for civil society and a large number of them made valid observations, one cannot ignore the fact that these issues of freedom are actually not charity. One needs to see from the fact that people right over their natural resources have been systematically eroded in the past decade. Hence to remove poverty one has to talk about freedom and freedom does not come from charity but an equal partnership in the building of society. Democracy and freedom are buzzwords in the west but civil society has to go beyond rhetoric. The people whose rights are violated are normally those who live on the margin socially as well as economically. To understand it further, they are either the indigenous people, Dalits or religious and linguistic minorities in our countries. Of course, one more segment remain marginalized to due old practices are women. Dignity for them will not come naturally unless their fare participation in the national lives is ensured politically. And in this respect, one needs to talk about affirmative action. world leaders had agreed in the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome that Comprehensive Agrarian Reform is a precondition to eliminate poverty. Unfortunately, nothing substantial has happened in this direction except for the lip services and so-called legislations. Mr. Kofi Annan himself agreed in his report that such beautiful laws have no meaning if we fail to implement them.

It was a great coming together of various grassroot and international organizations concerning issues as wider from poverty, gender and disability to environment. All of them had one concern and that was how could we ensure that poverty become history by 2015. Many of us joined hand to press on the issue of women?s right over land. It was heartening that we were able to highlight this issue.

Some of our friends from India then organized a discussion on women?s right over land at the UNDP headquarter in New York. Many other NGOs created open forum to discuss things about povery and discrimination.

In all, the New York hearing of General Assembly are a milestone in the history of the United Nation. At the time when there are talks of rebuilding of the UN System, it would be prudent if civil society were made a partner in all its work from conflict prevention to poverty alleviation. It is equally important for UN to initiate the debate as what was responsible for the displaced of the people and why people are still under the threat.
Involvement of private sector is important as envisaged by the UN but how will they ensure the corporate understand its social responsiblity. This is the biggest task for all us to understand what exactly our opportunities are and how can we ensure fair representation of vulunerable sections of society in decision making. Democracy is not just majoritiarian rule but also participation of the marginalised and minorities including their women.

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