PhD proposal - The human rights in the middle east before and after Arab revolutions The WritePass Journal

PhD proposal - The human rights in the middle east before and after Arab revolutions Executive Summary PhD proposal The human rights in the middle east before and after Arab revolutions , written by the Human Rights Watch organisation, looked specifically at the uprisings in the Middle East and raised questions as to how this would potentially impact on human rights, within the region[6]. According to the report, it was recognised that the Arab Spring was hugely influential in the development of human rights, in the region; however, it was also stated that creating a democratic, self-respecting state was not something that would happen in a matter of a few months, despite the revolutionary nature of the changes. It was noted in this report that a region which has previously been subject to a dictatorial regime, when left to behave independently, does not necessarily mean that there will be an automatic improvement in human rights; therefore, the difficulty for the path from the current situation to creating a democratic and fair society should not be underestimated[7]. Other research in this area has suggested that the dramatic events which took place in 2009 and 2011 actually arose over a prolonged period of time and did not suddenly arise from nowhere, as the media reports may have suggested, at the time. By looking at instances of human rights’ violations prior to the uprisings and the way in which various different third-party organisations were becoming increasingly involved in providing security within the region, it could be argued that the events which took place, in December 2010, were merely the final step towards liberalisation and were not actually as dramatic as originally suggested[8]. The issues that have arisen in the Middle East will be considered in the context of wider theoretical perspectives of human rights and how these rights emerge within modern society as well as how they should be protected. For example in the case of Marx it was argued that the only reason that human rights needed to be established at all was to support the capitalist developments and this reliance on natural rights should be viewed as paramount[9]. Other appropriate theories that will be drawn on in the wider discussion is that of the socialist concept which suggests that basic human rights area   duty of society and basic levels should be established as a matter of political urgency[10]. When looking towards the future, there is considerable uncertainty from academics and practitioners as to how this revolutionary period is likely to play out, in the future and whether or not these dramatic changes in the region are going to create a suitable framework for the protection of human rights, or whether there is a danger that the situation will become worse, before it gets better. This presents the argument that whilst dictatorial rule can be damaging to human rights, creating such a high level of uncertainty within the region can also create similar problems[11]. Proposed Time Frame It is anticipated that the research will take place over a period of three years, with the timeframe being necessary, in order to explore the potential changes and to observe how the region develops, in the coming months, which may be hugely influential to the ultimate findings of this research. The main period of the research will be spent analysing the existing position, drawing on all current literature in this area, before identifying how the situation is now developing and whether or not the suggested theories associated with the development of human rights in the region are being experienced or not, in practice, as time goes on. Due to the transient nature of this research, it is anticipated that several aspects will need to be revisited, on an ongoing basis, and it is therefore a relatively time-consuming project, albeit crucially important, at this dynamic period of time. Ethical Issues and Potential Problems Dealing with issues such as human rights, particularly in a volatile political arena, has substantial ethical issues and care must be taken to ensure anonymity, particularly when collecting any primary research that may be available. Gathering data in this area is likely to be emotive and personal; therefore, ensuring sufficient balance of research will be a critical aspect of presenting the most balanced viewpoint possible, as regards to future options[12]. Indicative References The references identified here are the starting point of the research and it is likely that this will be extended substantially, as the research is undertaken. Arthur, Paige. 2009. How transitions Reshaped Human Rights: A Conceptual History of Transitional Justice. In Human Rights Quarterly, 31:2, May, pp. 321- 46. Bentham, Jeremy 1987 Anarchical Fallacies; being an examination of the Declaration of Rights issues during the French Revolution, in Jeremy Waldron (ed.),Nonsense Upon Stilts: Bentham, Burke and Marx on the Rights of Man, New York: Methuen, p.69. Berger, Lars. 2011. The Missing Link? US Policy and the International dimensions of Failed Democratic Transitions in the Arab World. In Political Studies, 59:1, March, pp. 38-55 Bevernage, Berber. 2010. Writing the Past out of the Present: History and the Politics of time in Transitional Justice. In History Workshop Journal, 69, Spring. Blackbum, Robin. 2011. Reclaiming Human Rights. In New Left Review, 69, May-June. Dembour, Marie-Benedicte. 2010. What Are Human Rights? Four Schools of Thought. In Human Rights Quarterly, 32:1, February, pp.1-20. Fletcher, L., Weinstein, H. Rowen, J. 2009. Context, Timing and the Dynamics of Transitional Justice: A Historical perspective. In Human Rights Quarterly, 31, pp. 163-220. Human Rights Watch (2013) Annual Report 2013 Available at: hrw.org/news/2013/01/31/world-report-2013-challenges-rights-after-arab-spring Husak, Douglas 1985 The Motivation for Human Rights, 11  Social Theory and Practice, 249-255 Langlois, Anthony J. 2003. Human Rights without Democracy? A Critique of the Separationist Thesis. In Human Rights Quarterly, Vol 25: 4, November. MacQueen, Benjamin. 2009. Democracy Promotion and Arab Autocracies. In Global Change, Peace and Security, 21:2, June, pp. 165-178. Meister, Robert. 2011. After Evil: A Politics of Human Rights. New York: Columbia University Press.