In-Depth Human Rights Module
Throughout the two-week module, an overarching tension arose in study and in practice between human rights and development, known as the cost of development.
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Excerpt:
The cost of development refers to the tension between rights and capital, between respect for human rights and economic, political, and social development. The best way to look at the cost of development is as a debate. On the one side of the debate, individuals, communities, companies, and countries argue for the respect of all human rights as premier and never to be compromised. On the other side of the debate, individuals, communities, companies, and countries argue that profit, progress, and/or power are valuable and are worth violating or compromising some human rights. This dilemma of development is a tug of war between rights and progress. The cost of development debate can be found everywhere. Does a corporation take advantage of people or the environment to make more profit? Does a community cut off some of the funding for a school to invest in commercial properties? Does a country lower labor standards to attract more foreign investors and create more jobs? Does a family remove a child from school so that he/she can earn money for the family? Undoubtedly, these decisions are made every day and either capital or human rights are sacrificed for the other. Too often, rights are compromised for the sake of development.