ABSTRACT
The study examines non-governmental organizations intervention on human rights focusing on a study of Amnesty International.
Qualitative data of data collection was used in the study. In view of this, data were generated from secondary source materials. Data used in this research were sourced from relevant text materials. These include texts, journals, magazines, past project relating to this study, archives, publications of research work and internet. The content analysis was adopted as the method of data analysis in the research.
The study revealed that: There is an intertwined between economic interests of China and Nigeria and what each wants from the other; There is benefits that Nigeria derives from China’s economic engagement in the country; There are challenges that confront China and Nigeria’s trade arrangement and the impact of those challenges on Nigeria’s growth plan.
The study concluded that, Chinese involvement has positive effect on Nigeria’s economy. The study further recommended that; The government should access existing policies and the legal framework for NGO involvement in the development process; The government should ensure how NGO’s can ensure accountability to their constituencies, which include the grassroots or community groups that they service and assist; NGO’s need to consider ways to enhance their own abilities in other to make the greatest impact; International development organizations, particularly bilateral and multilateral agencies, need to involve NGO’s in dialogue and policy discussions with government with regard to development cooperation; International NGO’s, particularly in the North, need to advocate favorable policies towards countries in the south.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The full scope of human rights is very broad. They mean choice and opportunity. They mean the freedom to obtain a job, adopt a career, select a partner of one’s choice and raise children. They include the right to travel widely and the right to work gainfully without harassment, abuse and threat of arbitrary dismissal. They even embrace the right to leisure. Ultimately, human rights are the basis of everything people cherish about their way of life. Long before the term “human rights” came into existence; men and women struggled, fought and died for these principles. 1
Man as an individual has the inviolable rights which are protected by numerous conventions, declarations, constitutions and laws. The role of human rights and freedoms are guaranteed rights and they reflect the role played by human and civil society. Human rights cannot buy, earn or inherit; they are "inalienable" because no one has the right to confiscate any reason. These rights are inherent to every human being, regardless of his race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nationality, property status, status of birth etc. Human rights are particularly important in the relationship between people and the state. They control and regulate the performance of the state government on individuals, are granted freedoms of individuals in relation to the state, and they are required by the state to meet the basic needs of the people within its jurisdiction. Internationally these rights are best described in the international instruments agreed between states and that set standards in the field of human rights. The most famous such instrument is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in which are reflected the principles that have a strong influence in the world. The Declaration itself is not binding, but over the years it has become legally binding through international custom and practice, because they are used in many states constitutions and legal cases. 2
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights, and domestic violence is considered in international law as an abuse of human rights. The World Health Organization defined domestic violence as the intended use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, that can result in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development, or deprivation. Domestic violence is also any act that causes victims to do something they do not want to do; it prevents them from doing something they want to do or causes them to be intimidated. Domestic violence continues over a long period, though the time and severity can differ. It includes physical violence, emotional or psychological violence, sexual violence, or financial or economic violence. 3
In today's world that is more acts of violence, torture and turmoil; it is inevitable there is no legal protection of man and his rights. For this reason, despite the existence of the European Court of Human Rights, organized and formed a number of international and national organizations, with the sole purpose to protect universal human rights. One of the most influential and also the largest organization for the protection of human rights worldwide is Amnesty International. It is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote and protect human rights around the world, which has been carefully kept by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards.
Amnesty International is actually a global non-governmental organization, that is, the movement of people who are struggle for the protection of human rights and their international recognition. The vision of this organization is to give support to each individual in order to be able to enjoy all the benefits and rights that are provided with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty International attribute is that it works with and for the people through their organizing campaign to protect and promote human rights. She through her campaigns actually sends messages to all governments and authorities to respect the rule of law and thus affect international relations. 4 This study therefore, sets out to examine the role of non-governmental organizations in the promotion and protection of human rights: a case study of Amnesty International.
Statement of the Problem
Many nations have recognized their dedication towards worldwide human rights principles, and charges of human rights violations are among the criticisms that can be made in universal associations. Non-governmental organizations ensure human rights and address violations of these rights. They focus on the development of human rights and help to stop brutality against women and less-privilege. Human rights non-governmental organizations are frequently among the first to reach the scene of violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end political killings and disappearances as well as go up against human rights abuses by opposition groups. The aim of this research is to fill the gap on the role of non-governmental organizations in the promotion and protection of human rights using Amnesty International as a case study.
Aim and Objectives
The general aim of the study is to examine the role of Amnesty International on the promotion and protection of human rights. The specific objectives are to;
- examine the origin of non-governmental organizations and the establishment of Amnesty International,
- examine the role of Amnesty International on the promotion and protection of human rights,
- enumerate the challenges faced by Amnesty International in the fulfillment of its objectives,
- Suggest ways through which human rights campaigns can be encouraged and improved in Nigeria.
Significance of the Study
Non-governmental organizations play a key role in protecting and promoting human rights around the world. Recognized as an integral part of domestic, regional, and international political, social, and legal landscapes, they have been instrumental in promoting broad acceptance of the idea that every person has inalienable rights and Amnesty International is the largest international organization concern in protecting the right of every person. Therefore, this research is very crucial as it helps to fill in the gaps in the literature by examining the roles of Amnesty International on the promotion and protection of human rights. The study will also help to intimate us with the origin and the structure of Amnesty International.
This study will also helps to understand the issue of human rights and the challenges the various actors trying to promote and protect human rights faced in their endeavor ensure equal right for all. The findings of the research can be employed to ensure peaceful human rights campaigns. The study will also be useful to sociologists, economists, religious scholars, political science and history students as well as researchers especially experts in human rights education and in relevant fields.
Scope of the Study
This study centers on non-governmental organizations intervention on human rights focusing on a study of Amnesty International. The study would focus more on Amnesty International in Nigeria and their role in protecting and promoting human rights around the world and most especially in Nigeria.
Methodology
The study shall adopt the historical research method. Further information will be sourced from both primary and secondary sources. The primary source shall include oral in-depth interviews, government archival documents and de classified diplomatic cables. The secondary sources shall include academic research journals, newspaper reports, published texts and web sources.
Literature Reviews
The necessity to the review of related literature is to determine the extent of works done on the area of study as well as what the present study can benefit, and the loopholes. Knowledge of the existing related works will give the researcher a better insight into the problem area. He will not only be equipped with information on what has been known but also what is yet to be fully understood, reconstructed or the unknown. Therefore, It is important that one can consider the content and nature of related publications in order to know its efficiency and effectiveness towards the reconstruction of the roles of Amnesty International on the promotion and protection of human rights.
The work of Andrés Ballesteros titled The Work of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch: Evidence from Colombia, mainly write on Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Colombia covering the period 1988-2004, recording all numerical conflict information and accounts of specific conflict events. They check for internal consistency and against a unique Colombian conflict database and the finding on both organizations have substantive problems in their handling of quantitative information. Problems include failure to specify sources, unclear definitions an erratic reporting template and a distorted portrayal of conflict dynamics. Accounts of individual events are fairly representative and much more useful and accurate than the statistical information. They disprove a common accusation that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch rarely criticize the guerrillas, but do find some evidence of anti-government bias. The quantitative human rights and conflict information produced by these organizations for other countries must be viewed with scepticism along with cross-country and time series human rights data based on Amnesty International reports. 5
Elisa Cattaruzza thesis titled Amnesty International: An Analysis of the Communication Strategy claims that the human rights organizations are facing hard times, and Amnesty International is playing an active role to set new communication strategies. Research has shown that communication is an essential instrument to establish new policies, engage new audience segments and face destructive narratives. Communication is the result of internal and external factors, and it represents the identity of an organization or company. It aims to deliver a message but also to create a connection with readers or donators. This thesis shall analyze the communication strategy adopted by Amnesty International, the purposes and implications that it has on the organization. Moreover, this thesis shall investigate how digital technologies affected campaigning and advocacy. The research asks how internal and external factors did affect the work of Amnesty and its goals? How did they shape the forms of communication, and what is its role in facing new challenges and antagonists? How did change the process of campaigns and advocacy? The applied methodology includes the definition of the main concepts (NGOs and advocacy networks), the analysis of human rights discourse, the comparison between two accountability reports, the analysis of the communications strategy manifesto and interviews to members of the Italian Section. This research demonstrates that the combination of different know-how, expertise and the application of creative processes are an efficient way for human rights organizations to face new challenges and crisis. On this basis, it is recommended for human rights organizations not only to adopt new communication approaches but also to implement a multidisciplinary attitude. Further research is needed to identify other factors that could strengthen this strategy. 6
Murdie thesis titled the Impact of Human Rights NGO activity on Human Right Practices, do large numbers of human rights international non-governmental organizations correlate with high governmental respect for human rights? Moreover, do the activities of these organizations with members within a country lead to improvements in the human rights practices within a state? This paper uses new data to provide the first large scale empirical test of the effects of these organizations on human rights practices. It finds that human rights international non-governmental organizations can have an important impact on human rights practices, even after accounting for general levels of overall civil society. 7
Elena Klitsounova article titled Promoting Human Rights in Russia by Supporting NGOs: How to Improve EU Strategies, The EU advocates a policy that includes a great deal of human rights promotion and support for Russian NGOs. The question for EU policy-makers is no longer whether but how to manage NGO involvement in a way that induces necessary changes in Russia’s human rights behaviour. This paper argues that current EU policies often fall short of their potential to develop the non-state transfer of European ideas, norms, and practices to Russia or to assist the development of the Russian NGO community. If the EU is to become a serious actor in the field of human rights promotion, it will have to find new and creative ways to communicate with Russians about human rights matters. This paper offers policy recommendations to adapt EU strategies to the current context of the EU Russia relationship and to redesign EU assistance programmes. 8
El-Haybi work on Impact of Nongovernmental Organizations Promoting and Developing Women's Human Rights in Lebanon claims that domestic violence is a global issue and is one of the most widespread violations to human rights. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine strategies applied by 3 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to sustain and develop women’s human rights. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on Sabatier and Jerkins’ advocacy coalition framework and Jones and McBeth’s theory of narrative policy. The research question was focused on the influence Lebanese laws have on domestic violence in supporting NGOs in promoting women’s human rights. A case study design was used to answer the research question and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants each from 3 selected NGOs. Data from the transcripts were analyzed using hand coding and analysis for emergent themes. The interviews and the reflective notes were organized based on how the participants perceived domestic violence and to what extent the existing laws enabled them to reduce the effect of domestic violence on society. The findings revealed that despite laws, women in Lebanon still suffer from domestic violence due to the patriarchal and confessional system, and this affects women’s psychological and social lives. Recommendations include establishing a Google page that supports domestic violence victims and having NGOs provide preventative programs as well as counseling for men and women because domestic violence is a social problem. The implications for social change include informing policy makers of the importance of the issue, which increases awareness and can lead to new ways to reduce the effects of domestic violence. 9
Still on the existing literature on the role of non-governmental organization on human rights, the work Muritala titled the Role of Non-Governmental Organization in the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nigeria. This Dissertation aimed at examining the legal framework for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in Nigeria in relation to the existing constitutive international instruments on human rights. In this regard, the sources of information relied upon here are relevant text materials, articles in journal publication, judicial authorities, conference papers, newspapers, magazines and internet materials. However, the justification for this research is that “human rights” in Nigeria has become not only a topical issue but the language of both the oppressors and the oppressed, yet little is known of its meaning and ramification. For example the right to fair hearing is not exclusive to either the accused or the prosecution. Does fair hearing means opportunity to be heard or the inalienable right to be heard? Further the denial of economic rights of human being which is presently being experienced in Nigeria is tantamount to denial of right to life because it is this means of livelihood that keeps a man alive. This unfortunate event is quite worrisome and constituted the statement of problem of this research because consequently there is moral decadence, corruption, lack of patriotisms and insecurity in Nigeria. On this note, the finding of this research (among others) was that there existed a weak institutional infrastructure for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria. For example there is no specific law regulating the activities of non-government human rights organizations. Although it must be mentioned here that a bill to that effect is pending before the National Assembly. Finally, it was recommended that various governmental bodies in Nigeria must be strengthened and made effective by specific regulatory Act especially the National Human Rights Commission. 10
The research of Jacob Dada titled, the Significance and Limits of NGOs in Human Rights Protection in Nigeria, Although concern for human rights dates back to antiquity, through the various stages of socio-economic formations up to the modern era, and there are many international human rights instruments to which many nations across the globe are signatories, it is lamentable that all over the world egregious human rights violations have not abated. This is because of lack of fidelity to human rights goals by governments and the virtual failure of executive agencies established to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights. This paper therefore examines the imperative need for NGOs in human rights protection. The paper also provides historical sketch of human rights NGOs and highlights their challenges. It concludes by charting an agenda to surmount the challenges with a view that human rights NGOs in Nigeria will be able to optimally fill the gap created by the failure of executive agencies. 11
