The world has seen gradual evolution of regional human rights arrangements. The adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, was followed by the creation of numerous regional instruments that address concerns of particular importance in the regional context. Three world regions, Africa, the Americas and Europe, have established their respective regional instruments together with the supervisory mechanism, such as commissions and courts. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, with its emphasis on group rights and individual duties challenges the Western liberal account of rights, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The cultural differences brought to the fore not only the tension between individual and group rights but also the question as to whether of the universalism of human rights is possible. The study advocates for a moderate universalism of human rights, which can only be achieved through a dialogue among different cultural approaches to the notion of human rights. This study examines the content and substance of human rights norms of the African system with a view to recommending the possible strategies for their reform. Its central thesis is, the system is rather weak and therefore needs to be reformed. Toward this end, the study analyses the provisions of the African Charter. Thereafter, it explores its weaknesses and proposes strategies for their reform. The African human rights mechanisms face a number of common and particular challenges. Prospectively, Africa is going through a tremendous and interesting phase. These challenges are not insurmountable. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.D.

L’approche des capabilités a été caractérisée par un développement fulgurant au cours des vingt-cinq dernières années. Bien que formulée à l’origine par Amartya Sen, détenteur du Prix Nobel en économie, Martha Nussbaum reprit cette approche dans le but de s’en servir comme fondation pour une théorie éthico-politique intégrale du bien. Cependant, la version de Nussbaum s’avéra particulièrement vulnérable à plusieurs critiques importantes, mettant sérieusement en doute son efficacité globale. À la lumière de ces faits, cette thèse vise à évaluer la pertinence théorique et pratique de l’approche des capabilités de Nussbaum, en examinant trois groupes de critiques particulièrement percutantes formulées à son encontre. / The capabilities approach has seen significant development over the past quarter century, branching out into a variety of fields and directions. Originally developed by Nobel Prize Laureate Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum has sought to extend this approach beyond its mainly instrumental role into a tangible foundation for a full-fledged ethical-political theory of the good. However, this move has attracted a great number of criticisms levelled against Nussbaum’s specific version of the capabilities approach. In this thesis, I identify three main groups of observations under which said criticisms can be classified, and assess their respective strength and tenability.

Ľubica Guindon :Universalism of Human Rights in the Light of pluralism of African cultural values The purpose of this thesis is to analyze actual discourse in international law terms about universal or culturally determined characters of human rights. This theoretical problem is introduced with the focus on legal qualification of female circumcision (FC/ FGM ) in international human rights protection. The study goes beyond the scope of international law and reaches cross-disciplinary analysis related to the African context and its cultural, political and social factors. Chapter One addresses the theoretical issues of the notion of human rights, its sources and models in international law. This passage challenges an African approach to human rights bills including a catalogue of individual duties towards family, state and society as a whole. This concern about collective identity of a person within his or her community is a very important feature of African understanding of human rights and human dignity, and can enrich the universal consensus in this field. Within the theoretical issues of the international human rights protection it is necessary to look at the global, regional and local dimension of legal regulation. The most influential strategies on the global level are universal treaties with...

This thesis probes the relevance of objections against newly establishing contemporary paradigm of human dignity, based on connection between dignity and Kantian views on human autonomy, which possess universalistic ambitions. First chapter introduces the fundamental concepts of human dignity during history. The chapter shows there have been evolved at least three different concepts: (i) dignity as an internal value; (ii) dignity as a social status; and (iii) dignity as a certain manner of social behavior. Second chapter consequently deals with courts` techniques regarding the dignity as a legal concept. The conclusions extrapolated from German, Israeli and South African judicial decision-making noticeably support objections raised in contemporary discourse against the abovementioned universalistic concept. In spite of these universalistic ambitions, human dignity represents concept enabling to construe individual human rights through values shared by vast majority in certain jurisdictions. This mindset naturally leads to the limitation of individual freedom rather to its expansion, in the name of an idea that ideal moral order objectively exists. Consequently, the authority of classical human rights is considerably weakened. In third chapter the effort to analyze and construe current judicial practice is...

This Diploma Thesis deals with two universalistic conceptions, represented by the Swiss Catholic Theologist Hans Küng and his work Global Ethics, and the Civil Religion. In the first part of my text, I bring in the personality of Hans Küng, his work, ideas and the book Global Ethics which received great acclaim on international forum, Churches and society. Küng draws up three basic theses: No world peace without peace among religions. No peace among religions without dialogue between the religions. No dialogue between the religions without accurate knowledge of one another. These theses express the need for a dialogue, being able to formulate viable visions of the future. In the second part of my work, I introduce a less known notion of the Civil Religion with its transformations and development throughout the history. It is a concept exceeding the border of sociology, political science, philosophy and theology, examining the formative processes of the society and its religious reference speech. It penetrates the academic discourse especially in the period between the 1960s and 1980s, as represented e.g. by the American sociologist Robert Bellah. In the third part of my text, I compare both the universalistic conceptions and try to find out where they intersect and in which respect each of them has...

Nombre de « scandales éthiques » ont émaillé l’actualité de la recherche clinique dans les pays du Sud. Face à ce constat, il semble que les principes fondateurs de l’éthique de la recherche biomédicale admis et promulgués par les déclarations et les conférences de consensus internationales ne suffisent pas à protéger au Sud les volontaires participant à des essais cliniques. Nécessitant une adaptation hors du contexte qui a permis leur consolidation, bien que soit donné à voir à chaque nouveau scandale à quel point tout infléchissement des cadres normatifs peut être porteur de dérives inadmissibles, ces principes s’avèrent pour partie remis en question par la situation économique, sanitaire, sociétale des pays du Sud.Le concept de « double standard éthique » décrivant le double écueil auquel l’éthique de la recherche doit faire face, celle-ci s’avère captive d’une forme d’impérialisme des principes et des valeurs ou bien vouée au relativisme moral. La première alternative semble devoir conduire inexorablement à l’arrêt des recherches cliniques dans les pays ne permettant pas l’application stricte des normes qui les encadrent au Nord. La deuxième semble quant à elle mener à l’acceptation d’une réalisation irresponsable,dérégulée, d’essais cliniques aux finalités variables. Face à ce constat, se pose la question de savoir si cette alternative entre absolutisation de la norme et dérégulation peut être dépassée afin de penser une éthique de la recherche au Sud à la fois universelle et singulière.L’exploration de cette question permettra de redéfinir l’éthique comme processus de discussion et de priorisation des principes universels guidé par une compréhension de situations toujours singulières. De ce point de vue, l’adaptation des « conceptions internationalistes » de l’éthique de la recherche à la singularité des contextes apparaîtra non comme une nécessité externe, provoquée par un élément extérieur,mais comme un devoir inhérent à la nature même de la visée éthique. Plus encore, les questions posées par les contextes des pays du Sud à l’éthique de la recherche clinique serviront de révélateur en contribuant à montrer le bien fondé d’une remise encause des interprétations normatives de ses principes, au Nord y compris.7 / Number of “ethical scandals” have punctuated the news of clinical research in developing countries. Given this fact, it seems that the founding principles of the ethics’ biomedical research accepted and promulgated by declarations and international conferences are not enough to protect the volunteers participating in clinical trials in South’s countries. Out of context enabling their strengthening, ethical principles require adaptation. If each new scandal shows how any shift in regulatory frameworks may carry unacceptable abuses, these principles are nevertheless found challenged by South’s economic, state of health and social organizations. The concept of “double standard ethics” describes the twin dangers to which the biomedical research ethics faces. Indeed, biomedical research is captive to a form of imperialism of principles and values, or devoted to moral relativism. The first alternative seems to lead inexorably to the cessation of clinical research in developing countries do not allow the strict application of the standards that govern the North. The second appears to lead to the acceptance of irresponsible and unregulated clinical trials.Given this situation, the question arises whether this alternative may be exceeded in order to assume a research ethics in the South at once universal and unique. The exploration of this issue will redefine ethics as a process of discussion and priorization of universal principles guided by an understanding of situations always singular. From this point of view, the adaptation of “internationalist conceptions” of research ethics to unique contexts appear not as an external necessity but as a duty inherent in the nature of the ethical aim. Moreover, questions asked by the contexts of the South’s countries to the ethics’ clinical research will serve as a contributing developer to show the merits of a challenge to normative interpretations of its principles, including in North’s countries.

En 1730, le réseau maçonnique atteignit le Bengale où une loge fut créée par les cadres de la Compagnie anglaise des Indes orientales. Dès lors, les loges coloniales se multiplièrent si bien qu'en l'espace d'une décennie, la franc-maçonnerie britannique avait acquis une dimension intenationale. Sa rhétorique universaliste visait à promouvoir une véritable fraternité entre les hommes. Mais lorsque les premières loges maçonniques s'implantèrent dans l'Empire, elles se firent le relais de l'impérialisme britannique, qui postulait la supériorité naturelle du peuple colonisateur. Cette contradiction apparente entre rhétorique universaliste et participation à l'entreprise impérialiste de la Grande-Bretagne, soulève un certain nombre de questions. Comment la franc-maçonnerie s'implanta-t-elle et se diffusa-t-elle dans l'Inde britannique? Accepta-t-elle d'initier les autochtones? Quel rôle joua-t-elle dans l'impérialisme britannique? Enfin, comment fut-elle capable de s'accommoder des tensions générées par la contradiction entre son idéal d'universalisme et d'égalité, et son adhésion à l'impérialisme britannique? Autant de questions auxquelles cette thèse tente d’apporter des réponses. L'Inde coloniale, de par son mode d'administration et la grande diversité de ses populations locales, constitue un terrain d'étude privilégié pour étudier les interactions entre la franc-maçonnerie et le pouvoir colonial. Cette thèse tente d’offrir de nouveaux éclairages sur le fonctionnement de la franc-maçonnerie tout en proposant une nouvelle façon de penser l’impérialisme britannique / In 1730, the masonic network reached Bengal as a first lodge was opened for and by the officials of the East India Company. From there, colonial lodges spawned to the point where in the space of a decade, British freemasonry had reached an international dimension. Its universalist ideology aimed at promoting a true brotherhood of Man. But when the first lodges were constituted in the British Empire, they became a vehicle for British imperialism, which was founded on the alleged 'superiority' of the colonizer. This obvious contradiction between freemasonry’s universalist rhetoric and its contribution to British imperialism raises several questions. How did freemasonry reach British India and how did it spread? Was it open to the initiation of natives? Where did it stand exactly as regards British imperialism? And more importantly, how was freemasonry able to negotiate the tension which emerged from the obvious contradiction between its universalist and egalitarian ideals and the support it lent to British imperialism? So many questions this thesis seeks to answer. Colonial India, based on its complex mode of governance and the great diversity of its native populations, is a fertile ground on which to study the interactions between freemasonry and colonial power. This thesis attempts to offer new insights into the workings of freemasonry together with a different approach to British imperialism.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:29:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elianne Maria Meira Rosa.pdf: 967011 bytes, checksum: 884685b68d076191c422de2efb032a2a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-06 / This dissertation work for a Masters in Philosophy of Law researches the origin and legal philosophical foundations of the Spanish neoclassical school or the spanish neo-scholasticism, in the sixteenth century. Focus was given to the development of humanism from the Renaissance perspective based by its turn on the classical heritage, in addition to its impact, before the Grocio´s conceptions about jus gentium public international law. The work analyses the spanish humanism under the context of the discovery of America, especially its most controversial face that was its interaction with the native americans. The Salmatine thought is highlighted, underscoring the role of Vitoria and Suárez as support to the idea of universalism or, in other words, universally recognized rights extensive even to indigenous peoples, then called barbarians / O presente trabalho, de dissertação de Mestrado em Filosofia do Direito, destina-se à pesquisa da origem e fundamentos jurídico-filosóficos da escola neoclássica espanhola ou neo-escolástica espanhola, no século XVI. Destacam-se o desenvolvimento do humanismo a partir da perspectiva renascentista calcada, por uma vez, na herança clássica, além do seu desdobramento na concepção pré-grociana do jus gentium direito internacional público. Localiza-se a trajetória do humanismo espanhol ligada especialmente ao descobrimento da América na sua face mais controvertida que foi o trato com os índios. Identifica-se o pensamento salmantino, pontuando-se as figuras de Vitoria e Suárez, como fundamento da idéia de universalismo , ou seja, de direitos universalmente reconhecidos, que se estendem inclusive aos povos indígenas, denominados bárbaros

La protection constitutionnelle des droits de l’homme dans le monde arabe repose sur un processus complexe de démocratisation qui s’est accéléré après le Printemps arabe de 2011. L’émergence des droits de l’Homme s’impose comme un projet politique fort dans tous les pays qui sont l’objet de notre étude (Tunisie, Égypte, Algérie, Maroc) et nous démontre que le concept démocratique, dans son acception universaliste, n’est pas incompatible avec l’Islam. La constitutionnalisation des droits de l’Homme reste un apport majeur des mouvements constitutionnalistes qui ont érigé la constitution au rang de norme suprême de l’État de droit. Malgré l’instrumentalisation des constitutions par les dirigeants arabes et l’utilisation abusive de l’état d’urgence, nous assistons au rôle croissant du juge constitutionnel dans la protection des libertés fondamentales (contrôle constitutionnel) sous l’œil vigilent de la société civile et de la communauté internationale. / The constitutional protection of human rights in the Arab world is based on a complex process of democratization that has accelerated after the Arab Spring of 2011. The emergence of human rights is a strong political project in all the countries that are the subject of our study (Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco) and shows us that the democratic concept, in its universalist sense, is not incompatible with Islam. The constitutionalization of human rights remains a major contribution of the constitutionalist movements that have made the constitution a supreme norm of the rule of law. Despite the instrumentalization of constitutions by Arab leaders and the misuse of the state of emergency, we are witnessing the growing role of the constitutional judge in the protection of fundamental freedoms (constitutional control) under the watchful eye of civil society and international community.

This thesis examines the roles of the New Zealand university in a knowledge society. Gaps in the literature of the New Zealand university in a contemporary context mean that the enquiry is informed by European and North American discussions of the educational requirements of a knowledge society. As the notions of the knowledge society and a liberal university education are both problematic and central to this enquiry, they are interrogated, in the second chapter, in some depth. A second review examines the work, recommendations and subsequent legislative outcomes of the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) policy process of 1999 to 2003. The principles of critical theory and critical policy scholarship inform these interpretative textual analyses. The two review chapters, which follow the introductory chapter, comprise the first part of the thesis. A description of the methodological framework employed throughout the project and a report of the findings of a survey of stakeholders follow. The discussion chapter comprises the third and final part of the thesis. The thesis seeks to distinguish the notion of the knowledge society from that of the neo-liberal approach to social and economic management. I argue that the notion of the knowledge society is viable in a range of socio-economic conditions. I suggest that the educational requirements of a knowledge society are better addressed when the scope of a university education is framed by holistic individual, social, and economic determinants, rather than rigid ideological imperatives such as those characteristic of neo-liberalism. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies is employed. Primary data are gathered by way of a postal questionnaire. The perceptions of three cohorts of stakeholders of the New Zealand university are analysed using both statistical and interpretative tools. Data gathered through a review of the literature of the university in relation to the notion of the knowledge society in New Zealand, North America, and various European contexts are analysed using a combination of critical and interpretive approaches. The major finding to emerge from the enquiry is that stakeholders of the New Zealand university associate an effective university education with breadth of learning. The notion of a liberal university education, with its attendant beyond-vocation curriculum assumptions, is not considered anachronistic by the majority of stakeholders surveyed during this project. Public and private sector employers and university students strongly associate a liberal university education with effective preparation for participation in a knowledge-intensive environment. Year 13 secondary students are less certain. A secondary finding is that most stakeholders consider that the research activities of the university academic should continue to inform university teaching, but that the teaching role is of growing importance, and therefore worthy of greater emphasis, in the context of a knowledge society. The project is intended to provoke further discussion around the relationship between the New Zealand university and the knowledge society. To date there has been little academic consideration of this relationship. The contribution of this thesis, relative to this gap, is therefore significant.