Social Movements and Human Rights

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

“First they ignore you
Then they laugh at you
Then they fight you
Then you WIN"”
- Ghandi

INTRODUCTION
In the past few months we have been witness to the successful referendum in Sudan where people decided the fate of their country and exercised their right to Self Determination. While in Egypt we watched the unprecedented scale of a peoples revolution not only demand the resignation of a seating President but demand access to their Civil and Political Rights as well as Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Hence it is the purpose of this paper to: • Analyse the role social movements played in each State; • The methods used; • Their impact on the final outcome; • The future of social movements in the promotion of Human Rights.

WHAT ARE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS?
In the past social movements have been studied under the field of ‘collective behaviour’ in sociology, where the attention focused on ‘negatively valued groups’[1] such as mobs and riots.
However today social movements are distinguished from other forms of collective behaviour as ‘groups which are long-lasting and which have a clear program or purpose’[2].
Therefore a social movement is defined as ‘a large-scale, in formal effort designed to correct, supplement, overthrow, or in some fashion influence the social order’[3].
Hence, social movements draw their members from the ranks of persons who have encountered a common problem and feel that something can be done about it and want to do something about it.

WHY STUDY SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
Many contemporary analysts have recognised the growing importance of non-state actors such as Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the promotion and protection of human rights principles. However there is a considerable lack of literature that deals with the role social movements’ play.
Additionally, human rights as a discourse of international law are seldom discussed

Bibliography: Ackerman, P & Duvall, J (2000). A Force More Powerful. St. Martin’s New York Albert, DH (ed.) 2001, Why Nonviolence? Introduction to Nonviolence Theory and Strategy, viewed on 13 June 2010, Ahmed, M. S (1996), Human Rights and the Development of workers movement in the Sudan, Shro-cairo publication,Cairo Al-Bishri, T (2011), Understanding Egypt’s revolution, viewed on 22nd March 2011, Cantril, Hadley (1941), The Psychology of Social Movements, Wiley, New York Cover, Robert M (1983) Forward:Nomos and Narrative, Harvard Law Review 97, 4 Egypt 's 2011 Social Media Movement, viewed on 3rd March 2011, Foweraker, J & Landman, T (1997), Citizenship Rights and Social Movements: A Comparative and Statistical Analysis,Oxford University Press, New York Juergensmeyer, Mark 2002 Gandhi’s Way. A Handbook of conflict resolution. University of California, London Hans, Toch (1966) The sociology of social movements, Methuen & co ltd, London Morgenthau, H J (1985), Politics Among Nations: the Struggle for Power and Peace, Knopf, New York Mustafa, A (2008), The rise of Islamic movements in Sudan, Edwin Mellen Press, London Rajagopal, Balakrishnan (2003) International Law from Below: Development, Social Movements and Third World Resistance, Cambridge University Press, New York Wehr P, Burgess, H & Burgess, G eds ----------------------- [1] Hans (1966) [4] Rajagopal (2003) 233 [5] Cover (1983) 40 [6] Foweraker, J & Landman, T (1997) [7] IBID [8] Al-Bishiri, T (2011) [9] The right to be free from occupation [10] Al-Bishiri (2011) [11] Under the Emergency Law (Law No [12] Albert (ed.2001) [13] Juergensmeyer (2002) [14] Ackerman & Duvall (2000) [15] Wehr & Burgess (1994) [16] Stephen (2003) [17] Juergensmeyer (2002) [18] Albert ed. (2001) 11 [19] Albert ed [20] Refer to appendix I [21] Sharp (1979) 4 [22] Stephan & Chenoweth (2008) [23] IBID p.8 [24] IBID p.9 [25] Citied in Stephan & Chenoweth (2008) p.9 [26] Stephan & Chenoweth (2008) [27] Schelling, C