Transcript Slide 1

csc.ceceurope.org
Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
TRAINING ON ECONOMIC,
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
About the Human Rights Concept
 History of development of human rights
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
Sharing Session
 Do you have personal experiences related to (limitations of) Social
Rights?
 Are you aware of events or cases of other persons or religious
organisations related to this issue?
 Which issues play a role in discussions in your society in which the
wish to restrict or defend this freedom is at stake?
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
What do we mean by:
 Economic Rights
 Social Rights
 Cultural rights?
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
What are the Present Challenges related to
Social Rights in Society?
 Dominant economic model: growth model
 Inequality and discrimination
 Poverty
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
Theological Reflection
 Human beings are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27).
 Legal traditions in the Bible are focusing on the responsibility to care
for the weak.
 The prophets of the Old Testament reclaim the aim to achieve social
justice (Mal 3:5).
 Failure of social duty towards the vulnerable results in disaster for the
community.
 Jesus widens the principles by narrowing them down to the double
commandment to love God and the neighbour. (Mat 22:37-40).
 The rich should treat the poor with dignity. (Lk 16:19-31).
 Jesus comes to bring good news to the poor. (Lk 4:18).
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and
is entitled to realization, through national effort and international cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of
each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for
his dignity and the free development of his personality.
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
What do we mean by Social Rights?
 Right to housing
 Right to Health Care
 Right to Education
 Right to an adequate standard of living
 Right to work
 Right to social security
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
What is ‘Social Justice’?
 The concept of social justice
 Inequality
 Damage to society as a whole
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
The Relationship between Social Rights and Full
Participation in Society
Social injustice has thus (at least) two distinct dimensions:
 Maldistribution – this is usually defined as faulty distribution or
apportionment, as of resources over an area or among a group;
 Misrecognition - this is usually defined as 'misrecognition' of the
true relations between the structure of that field and the structures
of economic and political power – not really being aware of an
existing relationship.
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
Legal Tools related to Social Rights
 UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
 The revised Social Charter of the Council of Europe
 The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights
 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
When and Why Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are
Violated by the State
The most significant explanation of the violation of economic,
social and cultural rights comes from the Maastricht
Guidelines on Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, Maastricht, January 22-26, 1997, which were aiming
to build on the Limburg Principles of 1986.
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Conference of European Churches
Church & Society Commission
European Convention on Human Rights
 Civil and political rights v social and economic rights:
 Right to property
 Right to education
 Article 3: Prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment
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