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Spirits
of freedom, solidarity to bolster
human rights: Amartya
FE
Report
December 13, 2002
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Nobel
laureate economist Amartya
Sen said Thursday freedom
and values of solidarity are
very important elements required
for establishing human rights
in South Asia. Addressing
a meeting on "A Citizens
Social Charter for South Asia"
at the Brac Centre in the
city, he observed that plurality
was an important matter in
the practice of human rights
theories. Jointly organised
by the South Asia Centre for
Policy Studies (SACEPS) and
Centre for Policy Dialogue
(CPD), the meeting was addressed,
among others by, former chief
of the caretaker government
Justice Habibur Rahman and
eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain
with CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan
in the chair. Describing laws
as the child of human rights,
Amartya said real laws take
root from real life. Imaginary
laws are for the imaginary
life, he added. He also pointed
out that nurturing, monitoring
and advocacy were the effective
ways for establishing human
rights. Laying utmost emphasis
on freedom and solidarity,
the Nobel winner said individual
freedom and values of solidarity
between one human being and
another are needed to cope
with the challenges against
human rights. He, however,
felt that legalisation was
not the only solution towards
the establishment of human
rights. Giving an account
of their efforts to establish
broad-based cooperation among
the South Asian nations, Rehman
Sobhan said a strong civil
society has been working to
achieve the stated objectives.
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