Oscar Vilhena Vieira

Reflections on civil society and human rights

?Por que nuestras sociedades aun aceptan, y hasta perpetuan, violaciones a los derechos humanos? En la primera parte de este articulo analizamos por que las personas, individualmente, respetan o dejan de respetar los derechos de las demas. Entre otros factores, esa falta de respeto surge de la persistente desigualdad que crea la exclusion moral y, por consiguiente, promueve la invisibilidad de los excluidos y la demonizacion de los que luchan por sus derechos. La segunda parte del texto muestra el papel crucial de la sociedad civil que, con sus variados intereses, proporciona un discurso plural, hace publicas las injusticias, protege el espacio privado, interactua directamente con los sistemas legales y politicos y promueve la innovacion social. Con vistas a construir una agenda que fortalezca la futura discusion de los derechos humanos, los autores sugieren tres estrategias: el perfeccionamiento de la capacidad de comunicacion y educacion; la inversion en alternativas innovadoras, como por ejemplo el abordaje proactivo, y la implantacion de redes que proporcionen un dialogo activo entre diversidades.Why do our societies still accept and even perpetuate human rights violations? The first part of this paper discusses why individuals respect or do not respect other people’s rights. Disrespect for rights emerges, among other factors, from persistent inequality that creates moral exclusion and, consequently, promotes the invisibility and demonization of those who struggle for their rights. The second part of this paper explores the role of civil society, which, with its variety of interests, provides for a plural discourse, publicizes injustice, protects private space, interacts directly with legal and political systems and drives social innovation. Towards an agenda for strengthening the future human rights discourse, the authors suggest three strategies: improving communication and educational capacity, investing in innovative models, and building and strengthening networks that will ensure an active dialogue among diversities.

Inequality and the subversion of the Rule of Law

The idea of Rule of Law has become almost unanimously embraced in our days. For human rights advocates, Rule of Law is perceived as an indispensable tool to avoid discrimination, and arbitrary use of force. But, how does profound and persistent social and economic inequality impact the integrity of the Rule of Law? The main objective of this essay is to try to understand the effects of the polarization of poverty and wealth on the legal system, especially in relation to one of the core ideals of the Rule of Law: that people should be treated impartially by the law and by those responsible for its implementation. By revising a substantive and a formalist conception of the Rule of Law, I will try to provide some explanation about why states and people would comply with the Rule of Law standards. The article will also consider the impact of extreme and persistent inequality over the Rule of Law, using my familiarity with the Brazilian experience as an example. In the final section, the focus will be on how even an incomplete Rule of Law system can be employed or challenged to empower the invisible, humanize the demonized, and bring the immune back to the realm of law. This paper will be also published at Thomas Pogge (ed.). A human right to be free from poverty: its role in politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.De que maneira a profunda e persistente desigualdade socioeconomica afeta a integridade do Estado de Direito? O principal objetivo deste artigo e procurar entender os efeitos, no sistema juridico, da polarizacao entre pobreza e riqueza, especialmente com relacao a uma das ideias centrais do Estado de Direito: a nocao de que as pessoas devem ser tratadas de maneira imparcial pela lei e por aqueles encarregados de sua implementacao. O argumento principal proposto aqui e que a exclusao social e economica, decorrente de niveis extremos e duradouros de desigualdade, destroi a imparcialidade da lei, causando a invisibilidade dos extremamente pobres, a demonizacao daqueles que desafiam o sistema e a imunidade dos privilegiados, aos olhos dos individuos e das instituicoes. Em suma, a desigualdade socioeconomica extrema e persistente corroi a reciprocidade, tanto em seu sentido moral quanto em seu interesse mutuo, o que enfraquece a integridade do Estado de Direito. Esse artigo tambem sera publicado em Thomas Pogge (ed.). A Human Right to be Free from Poverty: Its Role in Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

La desigualdad y la subversión del Estado de Derecho

The idea of Rule of Law has become almost unanimously embraced in our days. For human rights advocates, Rule of Law is perceived as an indispensable tool to avoid discrimination, and arbitrary use of force. But, how does profound and persistent social and economic inequality impact the integrity of the Rule of Law? The main objective of this essay is to try to understand the effects of the polarization of poverty and wealth on the legal system, especially in relation to one of the core ideals of the Rule of Law: that people should be treated impartially by the law and by those responsible for its implementation. By revising a substantive and a formalist conception of the Rule of Law, I will try to provide some explanation about why states and people would comply with the Rule of Law standards. The article will also consider the impact of extreme and persistent inequality over the Rule of Law, using my familiarity with the Brazilian experience as an example. In the final section, the focus will be on how even an incomplete Rule of Law system can be employed or challenged to empower the invisible, humanize the demonized, and bring the immune back to the realm of law. This paper will be also published at Thomas Pogge (ed.). A human right to be free from poverty: its role in politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.De que maneira a profunda e persistente desigualdade socioeconomica afeta a integridade do Estado de Direito? O principal objetivo deste artigo e procurar entender os efeitos, no sistema juridico, da polarizacao entre pobreza e riqueza, especialmente com relacao a uma das ideias centrais do Estado de Direito: a nocao de que as pessoas devem ser tratadas de maneira imparcial pela lei e por aqueles encarregados de sua implementacao. O argumento principal proposto aqui e que a exclusao social e economica, decorrente de niveis extremos e duradouros de desigualdade, destroi a imparcialidade da lei, causando a invisibilidade dos extremamente pobres, a demonizacao daqueles que desafiam o sistema e a imunidade dos privilegiados, aos olhos dos individuos e das instituicoes. Em suma, a desigualdade socioeconomica extrema e persistente corroi a reciprocidade, tanto em seu sentido moral quanto em seu interesse mutuo, o que enfraquece a integridade do Estado de Direito. Esse artigo tambem sera publicado em Thomas Pogge (ed.). A Human Right to be Free from Poverty: Its Role in Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Reflexões acerca da sociedade civil e dos direitos humanos

?Por que nuestras sociedades aun aceptan, y hasta perpetuan, violaciones a los derechos humanos? En la primera parte de este articulo analizamos por que las personas, individualmente, respetan o dejan de respetar los derechos de las demas. Entre otros factores, esa falta de respeto surge de la persistente desigualdad que crea la exclusion moral y, por consiguiente, promueve la invisibilidad de los excluidos y la demonizacion de los que luchan por sus derechos. La segunda parte del texto muestra el papel crucial de la sociedad civil que, con sus variados intereses, proporciona un discurso plural, hace publicas las injusticias, protege el espacio privado, interactua directamente con los sistemas legales y politicos y promueve la innovacion social. Con vistas a construir una agenda que fortalezca la futura discusion de los derechos humanos, los autores sugieren tres estrategias: el perfeccionamiento de la capacidad de comunicacion y educacion; la inversion en alternativas innovadoras, como por ejemplo el abordaje proactivo, y la implantacion de redes que proporcionen un dialogo activo entre diversidades.Why do our societies still accept and even perpetuate human rights violations? The first part of this paper discusses why individuals respect or do not respect other people’s rights. Disrespect for rights emerges, among other factors, from persistent inequality that creates moral exclusion and, consequently, promotes the invisibility and demonization of those who struggle for their rights. The second part of this paper explores the role of civil society, which, with its variety of interests, provides for a plural discourse, publicizes injustice, protects private space, interacts directly with legal and political systems and drives social innovation. Towards an agenda for strengthening the future human rights discourse, the authors suggest three strategies: improving communication and educational capacity, investing in innovative models, and building and strengthening networks that will ensure an active dialogue among diversities.

Reflexión sobre la sociedad civil y los derechos humanos

?Por que nuestras sociedades aun aceptan, y hasta perpetuan, violaciones a los derechos humanos? En la primera parte de este articulo analizamos por que las personas, individualmente, respetan o dejan de respetar los derechos de las demas. Entre otros factores, esa falta de respeto surge de la persistente desigualdad que crea la exclusion moral y, por consiguiente, promueve la invisibilidad de los excluidos y la demonizacion de los que luchan por sus derechos. La segunda parte del texto muestra el papel crucial de la sociedad civil que, con sus variados intereses, proporciona un discurso plural, hace publicas las injusticias, protege el espacio privado, interactua directamente con los sistemas legales y politicos y promueve la innovacion social. Con vistas a construir una agenda que fortalezca la futura discusion de los derechos humanos, los autores sugieren tres estrategias: el perfeccionamiento de la capacidad de comunicacion y educacion; la inversion en alternativas innovadoras, como por ejemplo el abordaje proactivo, y la implantacion de redes que proporcionen un dialogo activo entre diversidades.Why do our societies still accept and even perpetuate human rights violations? The first part of this paper discusses why individuals respect or do not respect other people’s rights. Disrespect for rights emerges, among other factors, from persistent inequality that creates moral exclusion and, consequently, promotes the invisibility and demonization of those who struggle for their rights. The second part of this paper explores the role of civil society, which, with its variety of interests, provides for a plural discourse, publicizes injustice, protects private space, interacts directly with legal and political systems and drives social innovation. Towards an agenda for strengthening the future human rights discourse, the authors suggest three strategies: improving communication and educational capacity, investing in innovative models, and building and strengthening networks that will ensure an active dialogue among diversities.