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Health, Human Rights and Intervention, Case studies - Coggle Diagram
Health, Human Rights and Intervention
8.2 There are notable variations in human health and life expectancy
Variations in the developing world are explained by standard of living
Variations in the developed world are explained by lifestyle and deprivation
There are significant variations within countries
Factors include ethnicity, deprivation, socio-economic group and access to healthcare
Historical and institutional racism against aboriginal people in Australia has meant their life expectancy is 10 years lower
8.4 Human rights are important parts of international law and agreements
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
Geneva Convention
8.7 There are different forms of geopolitical intervention in defence of human rights
Interventions range from development aid to direct military action
Military aid is used to
improve relations with allies
maintain a country's stability eg USA and Israel
guarantee access to resources eg USA and Saudi Arabia
Official Development Assistance
loans and grants given to poorest countries
includes technical assistance
rich countries aim to give 0.7% of GNI for aid
Trade sanctions
embargoes slow down development
US has put an embargo on Iran due to its nuclear weapons programme
Trade
favourable trade conditions help a country develop
trade blocs increase an area's economic development
lowered tarriffs increase economic growth
Interventions are promoted by IGOs, NGOs and Governments
NGOs
Not subject to governments
More focused on humanitarian assistance and aid
Hold govs and TNCs to account
IGOs
Organisations such as the UN, WTO, IMF, WB increase co-operation and economic development
Western nations use human rights violations as a pretext for interventions
Defending human rights, along the lines of the principle of R2P (Right to Protect), has justified many interventions. However it may also act as a casus belli for conflicts unrelated to human rights, such as Russia and Crimea
However western nations often give military aid to countries with poor human rights records, such as Saudi Arabia
8.10 There are several ways of measuring the success of geopolitical interventions
Success can be measured by a wide range of variables
Quality of democracy is a measure of success
For some countries, economic success is more important
8.12 Indirect and direct military interventions have a mixed record of success
There are significant costs involved with military interventions
Advantages
troops and peacekeepers can help build infrastructure and services
political stability after intervention can lead to increased growth
help to remove authoritarian powers, prioritising development
immediate medical support is available
NGOs can help ease conflict for civilians
can lead to improved safety - Mali asked France for help to defeat Jihadists in 2011
direct government intervention can be more effective than NGOs
can protect civilians - NATO intervention in Kosovo prevented genocide of Kosovars 1999
Disadvantages
humans rights are not often adhered to during conflict
conflict destroys institutions and infrastructure, hindering economic development - Iraq became a failed state after invasion in 2003
military action causes disillusionment among civilian populations
country's sovereignty is violated
causes civillian deaths - 40,000 civilians have died in Afghanistan since 2001
Indirect interventions
Disadvantages
Money is spent to further violence rather than economic development.
Can mask human rights abuses, such as US funding the "War on terror". Returns on investments are poor.
Encourages spending on military rather than developement. --Can be used to crush dissent, such as in the Arab Spring.
Advantages
helps strengthen countries with an end goal of economic development
funding of Israel has helped it become a democracy with high standards of living
Non-military interventions may have a stronger record of success
UN can send in peacekeepers on a basis of mutual consent, self-defence and policing of human rights
UN Peacekeepers were sent in during the Ivorian Civil War in 2011. They helped restore order by 2012
Lack of intervention has global consequences
An alternative to military intervention is inaction, or turning a blind eye. This can have severe socio-economic and environmental effects
Lack of intervention gave rise to ISIS and has allowed for destruction of rainforests in the Amazon
Case studies
Direct
Afghanistan
Iraq
Kosovo
Indirect
Saudi Arabia
UK and Kenya