Right-wing Research Articles

RURAL BANDITRY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA (2017-2022): A STUDY OF OYO AND ONDO STATES

Government in an ideal society strives to promptly crush security challenges like banditry with a view to safeguarding human rights of the people but regrettably the reverse is the case in Nigeria. This study investigated the effect of rural banditry on human rights in Oyo and Ondo States, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and quantitative method using self-structured questionnaire to collect data. A total of 400 respondents were sampled adopting stratified random sampling technique while ANOVA analysis was used to test the research hypotheses of the study. The study revealed that rural banditry activities violated the freedom of movement, rights to privacy, property, human dignity, liberty and security of life, among other civil and political rights of the people in Oyo and Ondo States. It also disclosed that rural banditry grossly violated the freedom of religion, rights to education, property as well as social and cultural rights of the people in Oyo and Ondo States. The study concluded that rural banditry activities like kidnapping, robbery, village raids, hostage and ransom taking, maiming and murder, among others severely impacted on the rights of people in both Oyo and Ondo States. The study recommended that government should establish special court to try and swiftly deal with the cases of banditry while Amotekun security outfit, which was established to confront the menace should be empowered through intensive training and supply of adequate and modern weapons and equipment.

Freedom of Association under the Treaties of the United Nations: A Right of Intrinsic or Instrumental Value?

Abstract Although enshrined within various international instruments of the United Nations, the right to freedom of association is principally developed under the rubric of Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This article seeks to trace the contours of this right with regard to the jurisprudence and commentary of the institutions of the UN. Part ii examines the protections afforded, restrictions permitted, and positive obligations imposed by article 22. Part ii analyses the interaction between article 22 and other rights guaranteed by the iccpr. Part iii seeks to assess the rationale underpinning the protection of the right to freedom of association as protected by the UN treaties. The research finds that the Human Rights Committee has disproportionately framed Article 22 in terms of its political and systemic significance, and have neglected to develop a philosophical basis for the right deriving from its inherent value to the human person.

Hindered, Overlooked, and Undervalued: Gender Equality in Nordic Blue Economies

The Nordic countries are ranked among the most gender equal countries worldwide. Equality, political, and civil rights, leading to the high participation of women in the workforce, have paved the way for this egalitarian view. However, women remain the minority in managerial positions in general, and they are also strongly underrepresented in many male‐dominated sectors of the blue economy. The aim of this article is to introduce and discuss gender equality in the blue economy, and to assess the status of gender research in the Nordic context. To achieve this, a purposive interdisciplinary literature review resulted in three encompassing themes on how women’s participation is hindered, overlooked, and undervalued. Using these themes as an analytical lens, we propose that the underlying mechanisms are similar within fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime transportation in how they affect women’s participation. Still, there is a lack of statistics and research within parts of the blue sector. To move forward, there needs to be a shift in focus from policy to practice. One starting point could be to implement current knowledge, e.g., regarding workplace design and tailoring equipment to fit a diverse workforce. We call for scaling up best practices and evaluating policy performance and effectiveness. These are prerequisites for sustainable recruitment and retention of the blue sector workforce and the only way forward for countries aspiring to be truly gender equal.

Examination of Right to Privacy for Telecommunication Customers toward Service Providers in Tanzania

The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, provides the right to privacy as stipulated under Articles 16 (1) and (2). It takes also cognizance of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is provided under Articles 17 (1) and (2). The protection of the right to privacy may be hindered by the duty to disclose information and the absence of guidelines promoting it in Tanzania. This study preceded with, whether the existing telecommunication legal regime effectively protects the right to privacy of telecommunication customers against service providers and the best shortcomings that can be addressed. The study set out to review the right to privacy for telecommunication customers. The research aims to analyse the existing telecommunication legal regime and identify lacunas with the ways to tackle the challenges facing enforcement of the right to privacy. The study was planned to use the doctrinal research methodology. This methodology was purposely selected because the study requires analysis of the laws on the right to privacy. However, data was collected by using primary and secondary sources. The researcher used qualitative methods to analyse data that finally made conclusions and recommendations. In this study, it was concluded that the right to privacy covered in different laws has not sufficiently safeguarded the actual right to privacy for telecommunication customers in Tanzania. This is due to the following factors which are the aspect of authorization in the disclosure of a person’s information and the absence of adequate law securing a telecommunication customer’s information. The researcher ratifies that, there should be a specific law that regulates the right to privacy for telecommunication customer’s information. This will enforce the right to privacy and remove issues arising out of lack of authorization such as the issue of phone interceptions

Militarized elections and citizens’ support for democratic rights: evidence from India

ABSTRACT Across the world, many citizens go to the polls amidst armed threats from both state and non-state actors. How do militarized elections affect citizens’ willingness to accept restrictions on democratic rights? We argue that when forming opinions about appropriate limits to state powers, citizens navigate competing threats from state and non-state actors. The display of state coercive force should make citizens more protective of civil and political rights. Yet, if it occurs in the context of threat posed by non-state actors, citizens may become more likely to accept that rights are restricted. We embed a vignette experiment with a selective information prime in a 2019 post-election survey of 1,080 Indian citizens across two states affected by armed insurgency. We find that being primed on a heavy state-military presence makes citizens more reluctant to accept restrictions on civil and political rights, but the effect is only found among politically marginalized groups. In the presence of violent non-state threats, however, citizens become more likely to support policies that curtail democratic rights.

Unveiling human rights protection in China from the perspective of criminal procedure law

Abstract A significant portion of the misunderstanding surrounding China’s human rights protection stems from a failure to consider its legal progress in light of China’s unique cultural, ideological, and political contexts. The Criminal Procedure Law of China is closely linked to constitutional principles and the fundamental first generation of human rights, providing a clear framework for understanding China’s efforts in human rights protection. As widely accepted standards for human rights codification, Articles 9, 17, and 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) outline the right to personal liberty, privacy, and the defense of the accused. Initially, China’s Criminal Procedure Law of 1979 fell short of meeting these global standards. However, with substantial revisions in 1996, 2012, and 2018, this specific code has progressively aligned with the covenant’s requirements, marking significant strides in human rights protection in China. Despite these advances, there remains room for improving the Criminal Procedure Law, especially under the challenges of the digital age. China, alongside other nations, will focus on building a more comprehensive, robust, and globally integrated legal framework to address the forthcoming issues.

How the Struggle for Public Health in the Jim Crow South Reflected and Reinforced Systemic Racial Health Inequality

Abstract The twenty-first century COVID-19 epidemic revealed a U.S. public health system that countenanced health inequities and a U.S. public that resisted disease containment policies. This crisis, however, was only the most recent chapter in a longer struggle in the United States to institutionalize public health. We focus on two early twentieth-century public health campaigns in the American South, the unhealthiest U.S. region at the time. Black southerners—denied basic health, political, economic, and social rights under a rising Jim Crow regime—self-organized health services networks, including through the Tuskegee Woman’s Club, the Negro Organization Society of Virginia, and the Moveable School (1890s–1915). Around the same time, a philanthropic project, the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (RSC, 1909–1914), seeded state-level public health agencies in eleven southern states, thereby installing public health in a top-down manner. We use archival data sources to explore key similarities and differences in the public health concerns and coalition-building approaches of each campaign and southern resistance to their efforts. We find Black-led campaigns often blurred the color line to form coalitions that provided services to the underserved while tackling environmental health risks at the community level. In contrast, RSC affiliates in southern states, as directed by RSC administrators, provided health services as short-term public dispensaries. Services reached Black and White communities willing to participate but in a manner that did not overtly challenge Jim Crow-era practices. Southern resistance to public health expansion persisted under each approach. The legacies of these struggles remain; the political-economic and ideological forces that limited public health expansion while marginalizing Black community health efforts reverberate in public health inequities today.

Pemenuhan Hak Pemilih dalam Pemilu (Studi Tata Kelola Formulir C6 di Kabupaten Banjarnegara dan Kabupaten Magelang dalam Pemilu Serentak 2019)

The aim of this research is to 1) analyze the work of the Magelang Regency KPU and Banjarnegara Regency KPU in fulfilling voters' political rights in the 2019 Election; 2) analyze the influence of Form-C6 management on voters in the 2019 Election in Magelang Regency and Banjarnegara Regency; and 3) analyze the KPU's strategy to optimize administrative management of form C-6. The method used in this research is a qualitative method with informants namely KUPD, City/Regency Banwaslu, District KPPS, TPS supervisors, and voters both in Banjarnegara Regency and those in Magelang Regency. The results of the research show that there are voters who are registered on the Permanent Voter List (DTP) but did not receive the C6 Form in the 2019 Election, in Magelang Regency data collection and management is complete while Banjarnegara Regency is the district with the most C6 form returns and the KPU's strategy is to optimize administrative management of form C-6 is carried out by opening complaints and services to people who have registered in the DPT.

We are Who we Represent: A Theory of “Immersive” Representation in Student Activism

Abstract Children and young people have a right to freedom of association and to have their views given due weight when they act collectively. However, when they come together in groups to engage in collective action, in school and elsewhere, they are often criticised for not being “representative” of all/other young people. The concept, while frequently cited, remains undefined and fails to incorporate how young people understand, experience and enact representation. This article presents data from an empirical study with youth activists who established a Secondary Schools Students’ Union during the Covid-19 pandemic to lobby for change in education decision-making. The study was carried out as a collaboration between two university-based researchers and two secondary school students who were founding members of the union. Drawing on focus groups and interviews with union executive members, this article presents findings that convey young people’s navigation of adults’ perceptions of their representativeness, focusing on issues of legitimacy and efficacy. Based on this study, we propose a new youth co-authored and youth-informed theory of representation that conceptualises it as immersive and mutually symbiotic and, we suggest, enables meaningful implementation of child and youth activists’ civil and political rights.

The road (not) taken: implications of health-focused arguments for rights-based climate change litigation in Europe

ABSTRACT Rights-based climate change litigation has become central to advancing mitigation ambition across the globe. This article analyses trends in legal argumentation in such litigation at the supranational level and identifies two principal arguments commonly employed by litigants: the adverse effects of climate change on human health or culture. The study reveals that claims based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) almost exclusively engage with health-based arguments, while culture-based arguments are more prevalent in cases brought under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights. Various factors are explored to elucidate the reason for this distinction, including the types of applicants, the absence of an explicit right to culture in the ECHR, the European Court of Human Rights’ earlier environmental jurisprudence, and perceptions of justiciability. In doing so, the analysis sheds light on the potential implications of the differing approaches to rights-based climate change litigation before the European Court of Human Rights. This includes the Court’s landmark judgment in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen and others v Switzerland as well as implications for future cases. This research offers critical insights on the strategic direction of rights-based climate change litigation, including its possible limitations.

Legal Protection For Syrian Refugees In Jordan

This Study Aims To Clarify The Nature Of The Rights And Guarantees Provided By International Humanitarian Law To Syrian Refugees In Jordan. Study Employed Both The Legal Method And The Case Study Method. The Findings Indicate That Jordan Is Deeply Committed To Covenants Related To Refugee Rights, Particularly The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights And The International Covenant On Economic, Social, And Cultural Rights. Jordan Has Ratified Most Of The Relevant Covenants And Agreements. Despite Not Being A Signatory To The 1951 Refugee Convention, Jordan Has Approached The Issue Of Syrian Refugees With A High Level Of Humanitarianism. The Jordanian Government Refers To Syrian Refugees As "Guests" Rather Than Refugees. The Study Recommends The Development Of A Clear And Specific National Strategy For Dealing With Refugees, Particularly If The Crisis Persists For Many Years. Additionally, It Emphasizes The Importance Of Considering The Unique Circumstances Of Asylum Seekers, Such As The Burden Of Proof And Their Psychological Condition.

Technology is never neutral: Robodebt and a human rights analysis of automated decision-making on welfare recipients

ABSTRACT Government agencies have embraced automated decision-making systems, particularly in welfare, despite the risk of mass-replicated erroneous decision-making creating systemic issues. This article uses Robodebt as an Australian case study with global ramifications to argue that government agency use of erroneous automated decision-making systems in welfare raises human rights concerns. First, this article examines the shortcomings of administrative law in a digital welfare context. Second, the article closely analyses the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and identifies several human rights concerns raised by Robodebt. This article then examines ex-ante impact assessment models and concludes by recommending an obligation on government agencies to conduct a human rights impact assessment before deploying an automated decision-making system. By demonstrating the human rights implications on welfare recipients arising from automated decision-making systems, this article justifies the use of international human rights law as a complementary framework.

Theoretical and Legal Foundations for the Protection of Environmental Rights as Part of Political Rights in Kyrgyzstan

This article examines the theoretical and legal foundations for the protection of environmental rights as integral components of political rights in the Kyrgyz Republic. It explores the evolution of environmental rights within the broader framework of human rights and political freedoms, highlighting their significance in the context of sustainable development and democratic governance. The study analyzes the existing legal frameworks, including constitutional provisions and international agreements, that support the recognition and enforcement of environmental rights in Kyrgyzstan. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities in integrating environmental rights into the political rights discourse, emphasizing the role of civic engagement, public policy, and legal reforms. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening legal mechanisms to ensure the effective protection of environmental rights as fundamental political rights, contributing to the overall enhancement of environmental governance in the Kyrgyz Republic.

National Characteristics of the Kyrgyz Republic Regarding the Priority of Human Rights and Freedoms

This article discusses the national characteristics of the priority of political rights and freedoms of individuals and citizens in the Kyrgyz Republic. The authors examine the development of normative legislation in the Kyrgyz Republic. At the current stage, an important part of the human rights institution and its further phased development since independence are highlighted. The necessity of maintaining a balance between the priority of human rights and freedoms and national security is noted.

Anti-Populism of the Left, Right, and Centre: Varieties of Anti-Populist Party Politics in the European “Populist Moment”

AbstractThis paper examines varieties of anti-populist party politics from left to right that emerged against the backdrop of the much-discussed “populist moment” of the mid- to late 2010s in Europe. Situating the analysis in the special issue’s interest in an “anti-populist moment” that discursively co-constituted this “populist moment,” the paper keys in on the anti-populist campaign discourses of three political parties that took centre stage in the 2017 national parliamentary elections in their respective countries: GreenLeft in the Netherlands, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany, and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in the Czech Republic. Drawing on and further developing a discursive approach to anti-populism as a political logic following Essex School or post-foundational discourse analysis, the paper identifies three distinct anti-populist constructions of the perceived threat of “populism”: a left-wing agonistic equating of populism with right-wing politics, a liberal-conservative claim to the centre ground against a horseshoe-like populist threat from left and right, and a right-wing appeal to resist an unholy alliance of “populists and communists.” The analysis situates each variety of anti-populism diachronically in these parties’ previous discursive-strategic orientations, especially their anti-far-right (GreenLeft) or anti-communist (CDU, ODS) appeals, as well as their subsequent developments over time.

Examining the Rights of Foreign Tourists in the Law of Afghanistan

Today, travel and tourism are urgent needs of the world's modern culture that all people try to have fun and travel domestically or internationally, which is very important for countries in terms of business and economy. They always try to develop the tourist industry. To attract many tourists to the country, to improve the level of the country's economy, in addition to the development of economic infrastructure, and political and security stability, it is necessary to recognize the rights of tourists in domestic laws. Therefore, in this article, the right to tourism and the general rights of tourists in the legal system of Afghanistan are examined. So, the Afghan legislator recognized the right to tourism, freedom, and general human rights for individuals in the constitution, and according to Article 7 of this law, all the freedoms and general rights that are included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or the treaties that the Afghan government It is a member of foreign citizens, which includes the right to security (life and financial), the right to human dignity, the right to travel and choose residence, the right to privacy, the right to access the consulate, the right to go to court, and the right to access information. It recognizes the necessity and is obliged to observe it in the sovereignty of the government territory, and on the other hand, foreign tourists who come to Afghanistan must observe the norms, culture, and internal laws so as not to be against public opinion and conscience.

Increasing Political Participation in Welcoming the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections in Patengan Village, Bandung Regency

The election that takes place every five years is a mandate of the 1945 Constitution, Article 22E, which states that the election is held to elect the President, Vice President, members of the DPR, DPD, and DPRD Province and Regency/City based on the principles of direct, general, free, secret, honest and fair. On that basis, the 2024 Simultaneous Election was held again to fulfill the political rights of citizens in a democratic government. Every five years, Indonesia is able to hold elections properly without any action that harms the implementation of these citizens' rights. One of the things that has been noted in every election in Indonesia recently is realizing elections with integrity based on the election principles mentioned above which have become a constitutional reference in Indonesia. Based on the views of the famous election scientist Norris, The New Research Agenda Studying Electoral Integrity (2013), elections with integrity are elections that have taken place following international standards or norms in the context of free and fair elections. For this reason, socialization is needed for the community in Patengan Village as political education so that the community can participate in the simultaneous regional elections and freely choose not to abstain. The socialization was carried out as an effort to increase political participation to welcome the simultaneous regional elections in 2024

Central banks, economic statecraft and offshore banking: Comparing financial internationalization strategies in Latvia and Estonia

Small states play a critical role in the operation of the Global Wealth Chains, storing capital assets and funnelling financial flows. However, the knowledge of how such practices of financial transit emerge remains scant. Focussing on the 1990s as the formative decade of post-Soviet capitalism, the article focuses on the variegated financial internationalization in the Baltics, as Latvia developed a vibrant offshore banking sector, whereas Estonia pursued complete Westernization in bank ownership. Challenging the literature that relates the emergence of Baltic offshore finance with right-wing politics, and existing trade and cultural links with Russia, the article argues that the varieties of financial internationalization in the Baltics were due to ‘economic statecraft’ by the Central Banks (CBs). Drawing upon a survey of CB reports, parliamentary speeches, press archives, memoirs, and elite interviews, the article argues that the Baltic CBs’ path-setting decisions shaped the two distinct financial internationalization paths through three interventions: currency reforms, agenda setting, and banking regulation. Drawing on the literature on social embeddedness of CBs, the article attributes the differences in the two CB approaches to their informal alliances with broader society – domestic financiers in Latvia and the government in Estonia.

Pansy asses and terrorists: Sensibilities of anti-environmentalist toxic speech against Extinction Rebellion Finland

Hate speech against environmental activists has been on the rise globally, alongside a forceful criminalization of the climate movement in Western Europe. This article analyses anti-environmentalist speech and actions against Extinction Rebellion (XR) Finland, an environmental movement that employs non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade individuals and institutions to address the ongoing ecological emergency. The materials consist of online commenting evoked by the news coverage of XR Finland’s protests in October 2022 and May 2023, and ethnographic data from the protest sites. The data ranges from scorn and stigmatizing insults to fantasies of violence and physical assaults at the demonstration sites. The article discusses this data through the concept of toxic speech and explores the different sensibilities of such speech: (1) the ironic and dismissive sensibility, (2) the emotionally invested sensibility and (3) the punitive, resentful sensibility. This article highlights how these sensibilities and related affective practices are embedded in and compounded by gendered, class-based, ageist and ableist systems of power and argues that anti-environmentalist toxic speech contributes to environmental activism’s delegitimization and stigmatization. It suggests that toxic speech normalizes violence towards activists and can ultimately violate activists’ civil and political rights.

Treatment of Non-Muslim Minorities in Islamic Nations: Prophetic Principles

This study aimed to clarify the prophetic rules concerning the relationship with non-Muslims in the Islamic society. The descriptive approach is used, and the findings revealed that the Prophetic controls in this regard are intellectual and cultural controls such as endorsing religious pluralism and ensuring learning and education without corruption or promoting atheism, as there is no compulsion in religion while guaranteeing the right to build and restore churches and places of worship. The study also reveals political and human rights controls such as respect for a decent life, and the sanctity of the human soul, which cannot be robbed or diminished except under legal conditions. These controls appear in prominent rights such as the right to citizenship, the right to political and professional work, and the right to justice. There are also economic and financial controls such as justice in acquiring rights and performing duties in a way that guarantees non-Muslims their economic stability. These include the right to protect money, freedom to work and earn, the right to guarantee the treasury, and their right to alms from rich Muslims. The results also showed social and family controls such as good family cohabitation and maintaining social ties and bonds. These controls are represented in the right to cohabitation, and the right to marry and divorce.