Reclaiming universal human rights in a plural global order for critical and comprehensive activism

In the context of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ (UDHR) 70th anniversary, this blog has been the canvas for the thought-provoking contributions of a number of scholars. If we had to outline a conclusion to a number of those interventions, it would surely be this, highlighted by the blog’s editors in their call for submission: “although the UDHR and subsequent UN human rights instruments have undeniably paved the way for the international human rights movement, grave rights violations continue to be perpetrated around the globe”. I would like to add that most of these grave violations are nothing of a novelty and some of them are even more serious than before. A fascinating interview with UQAM Professor Lucie Lamarche a few weeks ago, in which we discussed the problems and challenges of the human rights approach, has in that sense motivated me to choose a more ambitious and provocative topic for this essay. If our goal is to reclaim Universal Human Rights in a Plural Global Order, my proposition is that our reflections need to be brought on the offensive to support demands and strategies with a strong critical perspective on human rights. For this, I would like to highlight some basic ideas: 1) our business is not only legal; 2) we should develop a deeper interdisciplinary approach and not lower our standards; 3) the magnitude of our current challenges demands a comprehensive form of activism.Fil: Cristeche, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin