- Human rights were, for the first time, elevated to the level of global discourse
- Challenged long-held assumptions about race, class, gender, and religion
- People also started to protest the inequalities and environmental damage that globalization had created or reinforced
An Era of Rights
- In 1948, United Nations creates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Articulates basic human rights that belonged all human rights
- UN also said that they will try to promote these human rights in places where they are limited
- Ex: UNICEF was created to feed children after WWII
- In 1975 UN holds first conference on womens’ rights
Women and Feminism
- Women in industrialized states after WWII gained increased workspace opportunities
- Birth control challenged traditional ideas about women's reproductive roles and allowed more women to stay in the workforce
- More women had access to education
- Increasing number of women national leaders
- Indira Gandhi (India), Golda Meir (Israel), Margaret Thatcher (UK)
- Women gain the right to vote in more places, such as in African states like Ghana and Kenya when they achieved independence
- However, women still face issues like the wage pay gap
International Bill of Rights for Women
- Proposed by UN in conference in 1975
- Provisions included
- Women’s suffrage
- Right to marry spouse of their own choosing
- Equality in education
- Right to birth control
Cultural and Religious Movements
- In French West Africa, the Negritude Movement rose, which took pride in being Black
- Glorified beauty and uniqueness of African art and culture
- Shift as Africans were brainwashed by their colonizers in thinking they were inferior to the more “sophisticated” “cultural” Europeans
- In Latin America, Liberation theology became popular
- Combined socialism with Catholicism
- Said Jesus was for the poor and against the rich
- Claims true Christianity preaches the freeing those oppressed by economic, political, and social abuses
Apartheid in South Africa
- In 1948, Black, White, Indian, and other races were officially separated
- White people, who were the minority, were given all the privileges
- Nelson Mandela led African National Congress who wanted to create an equal South Africa
- Initially supported violence to overthrow system of apartheid
- His incarceration drew international headlines and put pressure on South African government to change
- Other protests, even those that were peaceful, were met with violence
- Under F. W. de Klerk apartheid was ended in 1994, Nelson Mandela was freed, and South Africa held its first free elections
Human Rights Repression in China
- Even though China after Mao was instituting a wide variety of economic reforms, in no way were they instituting political reforms
- China restricted freedom of speech/press, prohibited criticism of government, etc
- In 1989, pro democracy activists launched a peaceful protest in Tienanmen Square but the Chinese military came and attacked the unarmed protests
Environmental Movements
- As the world’s economy became increasingly globalized, one of the major effects was the environmental degradation of poorer nations
- This was because these countries didn’t have the same restrictions on pollution as developed countries, so a lot of people moved manufacturing to these countries
- And then with this manufacturing comes increasing pollution
- Note how environmental issues affect developing countries more than developed countries
Greenpeace
Organization founded in 1971 to address environmental issues like deforestation, climate change
Green Belt Movement
- Founded in 1977 by Kenyan activist
- In Kenya, streams were drying up and their food supply was unpredictable
- Green Belt Movement seeked to fix these issues by planting trees, reviving soil
World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)
- Created in 1979 to combat economic inequality in the world
- Member nations agree to respect the environment, not to discriminate by race and gender, treat workers properly