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    Human Rights in Africa: The Limited Promise of Liberalism

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    Buffalo Bull
    This article takes stock of the project of human rights in Africa over the past fifty years, and was given as the Abiola Lecture at the African Studies Association at its fiftieth anniversary. It evaluates the successes - and failures of the application of human rights norms in the context of nation-building in post-colonial Africa. It argues that liberalism is limited as a vehicle for responding to the vagaries of market fundamentalism, globalization, post-colonial marginalization of the African state, and the challenges of cohering a nation out of the traumas that have afflicted Africa over the last several centuries. It posits that the human rights corpus is evasive about the real causes of powerlessness. It challenges the human rights project to go beyond its predominant focus on political despotism and address economic despotism. It concludes that unless the human rights movement addresses both ends of powerlessness, it will be of limited use to Africa.

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    Human Rights in Africa: The Limited Promise of Liberalism

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    Buffalo Bull
    53 views24 pages
    This article takes stock of the project of human rights in Africa over the past fifty years, and was given as the Abiola Lecture at the African Studies Association at its fiftieth anniversary. It evaluates the successes - and failures of the application of human rights norms in the context of nation-building in post-colonial Africa. It argues that liberalism is limited as a vehicle for responding to the vagaries of market fundamentalism, globalization, post-colonial marginalization of the African state, and the challenges of cohering a nation out of the traumas that have afflicted Africa over the last several centuries. It posits that the human rights corpus is evasive about the real causes of powerlessness. It challenges the human rights project to go beyond its predominant focus on political despotism and address economic despotism. It concludes that unless the human rights movement addresses both ends of powerlessness, it will be of limited use to Africa.

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    This article takes stock of the project of human rights in Africa over the past fifty years, and was given as the Abiola Lecture at the African Studies Association at its fiftieth anniversary. It evaluates the successes - and failures of the application of human rights norms in the context of nation-building in post-colonial Africa. It argues that liberalism is limited as a vehicle for responding to the vagaries of market fundamentalism, globalization, post-colonial marginalization of the African state, and the challenges of cohering a nation out of the traumas that have afflicted Africa over the last several centuries. It posits that the human rights corpus is evasive about the real causes of powerlessness. It challenges the human rights project to go beyond its predominant focus on political despotism and address economic despotism. It concludes that unless the human rights movement addresses both ends of powerlessness, it will be of limited use to Africa.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    53 views24 pages

    Human Rights in Africa: The Limited Promise of Liberalism

    Uploaded by

    Buffalo Bull
    This article takes stock of the project of human rights in Africa over the past fifty years, and was given as the Abiola Lecture at the African Studies Association at its fiftieth anniversary. It evaluates the successes - and failures of the application of human rights norms in the context of nation-building in post-colonial Africa. It argues that liberalism is limited as a vehicle for responding to the vagaries of market fundamentalism, globalization, post-colonial marginalization of the African state, and the challenges of cohering a nation out of the traumas that have afflicted Africa over the last several centuries. It posits that the human rights corpus is evasive about the real causes of powerlessness. It challenges the human rights project to go beyond its predominant focus on political despotism and address economic despotism. It concludes that unless the human rights movement addresses both ends of powerlessness, it will be of limited use to Africa.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 24

    BUFFALO

    LEGAL STUDIES RESEARCH PAPER SERIES


    Paper No. 2008-17

    Human Rights in Africa:


    The Limited Promise of Liberalism

    Makau Mutua
    University at Buffalo Law School
    The State University of New York
    African Studies Review, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 17-39 (2008)

    UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO LAW SCHOOL


    BALDY CENTER FOR LAW & SOCIAL POLICY
    THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
    This paper can be downloaded without charge from the Social Science Research Network
    Electronic Paper Collection at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1157468

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