BANDONG, FRENCH B.

IHL and Peace Studies

AB Political Science 3A September 27, 2023

Depoliticizing Human Rights Conversation

Human rights, while constrained by conventions and treaties, rely heavily on popular
recognition for their full exercise and the primary catalyst for its realization should stem from the
people's influence on the state, an integral part of the social contract. Therefore, the realization of
human rights is contingent on the population's push for the state to do better. However, when the
pull back on human rights comes from the people itself, it now reduces the incentive structure for
the state and human rights are placed on a pedestal.

The problem in the Philippine situation is that human rights have become deeply
entangled to politics that it is now seen as something negotiable rather than a right that should be
an inherent entitlement. Philippine society has become so polarizing that the values of human
rights have been singled out as a political feature, and an attribution to a political actor rather
than a common pursuit present to political actors in a democratic state. This is also partly
because populism has successfully conditioned the people that the functioning of the government
is only able to manifest in strong man rule. Today, human rights are now seen as a burden to the
realization of popular political agenda, rather than an instrument of creating a stable human
condition for a progressive and democratic political agenda.

The change with the public’s perception of human rights must start by a realization that it
is not a dichotomy between political interests. I think that to be able to do that, we must make an
effort to humanize more how we present human rights. Instead of attributing it to elites who are
bound by their own agenda in the larger political arena, it must be seen as a concept closer to the
lives of people. Rather than centering the conversation to the rights of popular figures, it must be
packaged first as something innate to their experiences and how this is reflective of their
individuality. It would come off naturally for people to appreciate human rights if our approach
is from the bottom to top.
 This attempt of depoliticization of human rights can start off with our conversations to
people. While I do recognize that human rights are drawn from the sociopolitical sphere, I do
think that in the status quo, it is an essential prerequisite. When we do not become aggressive,
especially with our tendency to insist on our political beliefs in human rights conversations, we
cater to an average person regardless of their political affiliation. We create a common ground
that will be an easy barrier of entry and from where we can then start elevating our
conversations.

We can only do so much as students, but when we are in a fortunate situation of being
able to assess the bigger social structures in parallel with our incremental interactions, we better
sustain change that starts from those at the ground commensurate to what the larger society
needs. If we are able to change even a number of perceptions, we are already leading to
multiplying the social capital that can insist the significance of human rights.