HUMAN RIGHTS & THE THIRD WORLD: Issues and Discourses

Human Rights and the Third World: Issues and Discourses deals with the controversial questions on the universalistic notions of human rights. This book discusses Third World perspectives on human rights and seeks to open up a space in the human rights discourse to address unresolved questions in the field, citing issues and problems from different countries in the Third World: Should alternative perspectives be taken as the standard for human rights in the Third World countries? Should there be a universalistic notion of rights for Homo sapiens or are we talking about two diametrically opposite trends and standards of human rights for the same species? How far can these Third World perspectives of human rights ensure the protection of the minorities and the vulnerable sections of population, particularly women and children, within the Third World? Can these alternative perspectives help in fighting the Third World problems such as poverty, hunger, corruption, despotism, social exclusion (for example, the caste system in India), communalism, and the like? Can there be reconciliation between Third World perspectives and the Western perspective of human rights?