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Published byLorin Wells Modified over 9 years ago
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Emeritus Professor Jim Ife Curtin University
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The Global Crisis Decline of the USA and the shift in power to Asia Challenging Western assumptions The ecological crisis
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Retreating to extremes Extreme individualism Denial of the collective Xenophobia and racism
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Neo-liberal assumptions of humanity Individual Workers/consumers OR investors/entrepreneurs Independent Motivated by self-interest Citizenship not important Inequality is both natural and desirable
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Human rights and ethical duties Conventional western discourse starts with rights and implies duties Other cultural and religious traditions start with the ethical duty to the other, and imply rights ‘Human rights’ became important when ethical obligations were weakened by the breakdown of community ‘My rights’ not ‘my duties to others’
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The decline of the welfare state Lack of obligation to others Incompatible with selfish individualism State spending seen as wasting resources and eroding productive economy
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Community versus development ‘Development’ seen in terms of investment, and so has destroyed community in many places ‘The community’ is seen as standing in the way of development So community and development are opposed: each undermines the other ‘Community Development’ becomes a contradiction
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Focusing on the HUMAN The idea of ‘human’ and ‘humanity’ is constructed differently at different times and in different contexts
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The Enlightenment view of Humanity Individual rather than collective Secular rather than spiritual Man rather than men and women Young and vigorous rather than valuing elders Rational rather than emotional Healthy and able-bodied Distinct from the natural world
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The Humanities All cultures have: Stories Art Literature Songs Drama History Philosophy
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Community Development needs Human Rights Human Rights need Community Development
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Both Human Rights and Community Development stand against the dominant individualism of the neo-liberal discourse The shift in global power represents an opportunity to articulate both ideas more collectively and vigorously
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Exploring and reaffirming our humanity Reconnecting to the natural world i.e a creative and holistic community development approach to policy and practice
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A Culture of Human Rights From rule-based human rights to relationship-based human rights.
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Beyond simple binaries individual AND collective rational AND emotional sacred AND secular human AND non-human
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Times of Crisis are Times of Opportunity
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