Human
Rights

This month in Vienna the UN is overseeing a World Conference on Human Rights, the first such high-level summit for 25 years. It is designed to do for human rights worldwide what the Earth Summit in Rio did for the environment. 'In other words, bugger all,' the more cynical among you might understandably say.

But let's lay the cynicism aside at least until after the event. This Conference is a major opportunity for the world to start taking human rights seriously. And that's why the NI and Amnesty International have got together to produce a special issue in the run-up to the World Conference.

Amnesty International and the New Internationalist are very different organizations. Amnesty dedicatedly pursues its mandate to take up abuses of civil and political rights all over the world. It gains respect even from opponents for its authority in its field, for its singleminded yet non-political advocacy of human-rights victims all over the world. The NI, in contrast, will tackle feminism one month and African hunger the next, trying to popularize the work of alternative authorities like Amnesty while at the same time stepping back to take a fiercely independent view of the way the world works. We have different roles but, without indulging in too much mutual back-slapping, we have greatly admired each other's work over the last two decades.

There is a certain symbolism attached to this joint project. The World Conference is an opportunity not just for the powers that be to get their act together but also for human-rights campaigners and development activists the world over to realize that they should be making common cause - that they will be stronger together than apart. Amnesty is more ready than ever before to recognize that decent food, education and shelter are fundamental human rights. Meanwhile the NI is keener than ever that the ideas of human rights and democracy, for so long the trumpet voluntary of Western governments, are reclaimed for the ordinary citizens of the world who most need them.

Co-operating with another organization can be painful - you have to come to terms with a different internal culture, with each other's house rules and political sensitivities. Frankly we feared what we might be letting ourselves in for. But our nightmares never materialized - perhaps an indication that the time is right for the wider co-operation we are so keen to promote.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MANDATE
Amnesty International is a worldwide human-rights movement which is independent of any government, political faction, ideology, economic interest or religious creed. Members work within a closely defined mandate: to seek the release of prisoners of conscience - people imprisoned solely for their beliefs, colour, ethnic origin, sex, language or religion, provided they have neither used nor advocated the use of violence; to oppose the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of all prisoners; and to end extrajudicial executions and 'disappearances'. Amnesty International opposes abuses by opposition groups - hostage taking, torture and killings of prisoners and other arbitrary killings.

The views expressed in this magazine may not necessarily be those of Amnesty International.

Waking up the world
Chris Brazier demands that North and South unite in a new vision of human rights.

That helpless, heartstopping night
Emmanuel Onwe traces his passion about human rights back into painful personal history.

New World Ordure
The real human-rights villains are Western governments, argues Mari Marcel Thekaekara

Refugees: the rich world shuts the door

Rape: weapon of war
Bosnia's rape camps are telling the world about women's human rights. Angela Robson reports.

HYPOCRISY: the two-faced West

Last rights
Is the death penalty coming back with the aid of Bill Clinton and the Pope? asks Brian Dooley.

HUMAN RIGHTS - THE FACTS

The possession
The magical hijacking of a global talkshop. A short story by Sindiwe Magona

Simply... a cartoon view

Reeboks, rappers & losers
Your training shoes probably came from Indonesian sweatshops, says Peter Hitchings.

The optimist
Pierre Sané, Amnesty International's first Third World secretary-general, speaks to Paul Ham.

Ideas for action

Letters
Letters from Lahore
Updates
Reviews: plus Carlos Fountes classic
Curiosities
Endpiece: by David Edwards
Country profile: Philippines

FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH: AN ANC RALLY IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA,
BY PAUL LOWE / NETWORK
ONLINE MAG MAINTAINED BY SIMON LOFFLER