Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Over the last few decades, some concepts have become popularized as a consequence of increased technological advancement, global market conditions, and their implications on human society. These concepts include democracy, human rights, freedom, free elections, minority and immigrant rights, freedom of expression, religious freedom, academic freedom, and other related concepts. However, each of these terms holds vague meaning to those who seek real freedom, human rights, democracy, and so on. Most importantly, these terms have been commodified by their use in the marketplace. State actors, organizations, academicians, and activists have also politicized these terms, resulting in careers based on the political usage and interests of those wielding power to decide what constitutes a human right. Human rights ideology represents a political opportunity structure for many political and social groups, and plays a major role in world politics today, especially following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The concept of human rights is also embedded in the European and American framework of neo-colonialism, and in this context, has been commodified according to the market conditions of capitalism. The colonial legacy of Europe established as its by-product unintended consequences such as dictatorial regimes, cheap labor, and reactionary conservative and religious social and political movements in its former colonies. These conditions led to the creation of fertile ground for the human rights problems and abuses we see in those countries today. Europe and the US now exploit these weaknesses to the benefit of American and European economic interests. In this process, we have seen the emergence of the human rights industry in the West. In this paper, I argue that the concept of human rights has lost its original meaning through its usage in neoliberal marketplace and in the context of what has been called the framework of “new-imperialism.” Therefore we have seen the emergence of NGOs, think-tanks, and academic institutions focused on improving human rights in “developing” countries. In this context, human rights is used as a political tool for this new imperialism in order to bargain and control the global south.