Blog #5
Affects of Climate Change on Human Rights
Elizabeth Linsey in her TED Talk called Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World discusses the interrelation between climate change and human rights. In many ways, the growing effects of climate change infringe upon many of our human rights. To begin, climate change contributes to drought, ecosystem degradation, and food shortages across the world. Many of the communities that are hardest hit by the effects of climate change are coastal inhabitants who are losing land due to rising sea levels. Rising temperatures are causing changes in Arctic ecosystems that support indiginous communities. One human right that climate change infringes upon is a person’s right to food. As a result of rising temperatures, many plant and animal species have already moved their ranges and changed their behavior in response to climate change. This can be seen most notably in the Inuit Indingious community. Animal species that are hunted by the Inuits are beginning to decline in numbers due to melting ice. This in turn makes finding food significantly more difficult and forces community members to search for food in different ways. Additionally, many small island nations such as the Kiribati are being forced to import produce because many of the crops they once grew will no longer grow in the warmer climate.
Endangered Cultures Disappear with the Growth of Modern Society
Endangered cultures are those that are slowly disappearing. The disappearance of a culture can result from things including the loss of territory, dying languages and loss of knowledge. Indigenous culture is largely lost through the integration of indigenous peoples into modern society. This is often a byproduct of globalization. As modern society advances, indigenous cultures with primitive practices are in many ways forced to give them up in order to assimilate with society. For example, the Cambodian government granted nearly fifty thousand acres to the Thai company to plant sugar cane. Six hundred indigenous families living on the land were evicted as the company cut down over half the forest. Most of the families are forced to leave their homes and belongings behind. With that they were leaving behind identity and culture. Displacement disrupts community structures and traditions, and means the loss of sacred and cultural sites. Many of these intangibles are irreplaceable. Just like the disappearance of Cambodians, indigenous culture is in direct conflict with modernization. I think that unfortunately the globalization of modern society will eradicate most endangered cultures as more and more indigenous people are forced to assimilate. One of the bigger questions is should we preserve indigenous cultures or is this just the rise and fall of a way of life.
Beyond Eurocentrism
In “Beyond Eurocentrism,” Farish Noor defines eurocentrism as “the emerging perception within the European cultural, historical experience of European identity as a good and all other forms as less good or less advanced. Noor makes the point that for society to move beyond eurocentrism, we must get rid of the idea that Europe is the center of civilization. In doing so, Noor believes we will have a better understanding of other cultural values. Eurocentrism was one of the largest driving forces of colonialism, specifically the colonization of Africa. European colonizers viewed African culture as backward and underdeveloped as opposed to the industrialized, progressive and rich West.
Human Rights Abuses in Colombia
The Country of Colombia has many of its own issues involving human rights. Human rights issues includes reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings, torture and detention by government security forces, corruption, rape and abuse of women and children by illegal armed groups, criminalization of libel etc. The most significant human rights abuses in Colombia are due to corruption of the government, illegal armed forces such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army, and drug-trafficking gangs.
References
https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/05/indigenous-peoples-losing-land-can-mean-losing-lives
https://subsaharanafricanorthandwest.wordpress.com/2014/10/12/week-7-eurocentrism/
South America 