Question 1
Zewei’s article informs us as to how China’s development across its many dynasties was influenced by western world principles, touching on the concepts of international laws and mutual understanding (Zewei, 2011) . He gives a detailed history of the nation’s cultural, historical and political beliefs as part of what scholars call the Confucian ideology. The Celestial Empire was by this time being ruled by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. During Emperor Qin’s reign, the dynasty amassed a lot of power, which gave it an inherent cultural advantage over its neighbors. As a result, the Chinese began to claim that their nation was superior as opposed to her neighbors, who were forced by the rules that it in turn, provided them with. As a consequence of this, all tributary states had to take up Confucianism as an official ideology. In essence, these nations had no option but to oblige due to the many benefits that they had continued to accrue from the tributary system. This system became the uniting factor for the said nations, and it centered on three significant tenets, economic, political, and cultural as well. On the other hand, Europe had continued to rapidly develop as a result of the sovereign and mutual associations that had been bounded by international relations. For this reason, the two political ideologies, Confucianism, and international relations would constantly collide. The celestial empire of China did not however allow these ideas to flourish, acting based upon their selfish interest. However, in the wake of the Opium Wars, China had suffered great damages which compelled it to agree to the 1842 treaty of Nanjing, with devastating effects on the Confucian World. Notably, William Alexander Parson Martin translated international law into Chinese in the year 1864, named it Wanguo Gongfa. Ultimately, China accepted these new laws because they upheld its sovereignty and would provide a conducive environment for its modernization.
Question 2
Sternberg provides us with useful insights as to the significance of NGO’s in today’s world, also noting the influence that NGO’s continue to have over Eastern European and Middle Eastern Countries. He most especially takes note of how NGO’s work to safeguard human rights in relation to their impact on the Arab-Israeli conflict (Steinberg, 2011) . NGO’s, otherwise referred to as not-for profit organizations, were not quite vibrant in the years before the end of the cold war. The effects of the cold war had been such devastating that human rights enthusiasts all across the world felt an urgent need for organizations that would serve to alleviate human suffering. NGO’s would thusly be set up, to help avoid and mitigate conflicts all across the world. To ensure the smoothness of their operations, these bodies would make use of two key tools, namely the “halo effect” and the policy for national security and peace. NGO’s in spite of their many similarities, differ in terms of the sources of their funding and of their modes of organization. Markedly, the key role of all NGO’s is to ensure the preservation of human rights. In localities that they operate in, the basis of their operations are economic, political, and social factors in relation to the impacts that they have on human populations. Their aim is to safeguard, maintain, and improve on the quality of human life in the world today. In the Middle East today, NGO’s continue to call for the cessation of animosities between the states of Israel and Palestine, which are embroiled in territorial conflicts.
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Question 3
Human rights and business ethics became a pressing issue in the 21 st century, specifically in the 1980’s and in the 1990’s. From the onset, they were purposed to act as a mechanism that would prevent international corporations from abusing human rights (Cragg, Arnold & Muchlinski, 2012) . In essence, the issue of human rights in its relationship with business ethics gained traction almost immediately after the second war, but had to wait for the United Nations to implement the human rights charter for it to gain great prominence. For this reason, treaties and national and international laws were signed in view of limiting the manners in which governments control economic situations, and this consequently preserved human rights. Ever since, many countries have become well aware of the notions of business ethics and human rights and have taken time out to pass the implications of these two to small companies, for example, home based ones. As a result, the corporate world has also been charged with the responsibility of human rights on top of their organizational goals. At this point, we must note that, business ethics and human rights had not gained much significance earlier on in History because conventional wisdom had left the mandate of the implementation of the two on state governments all across the world. The corporate world would focus on any of the indirect legal obligations that would have been involved.
References
Cragg, W., Arnold, D., & Muchlinski, P. (2012). Guest Editors’ Introduction: Human Rights and Business. Business Ethics Quarterly , 22 (01), 1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/beq20122212
Steinberg, G. (2011). The Politics of NGOs, Human Rights and the Arab-Israel Conflict. Israel Studies , 16 (2), 24-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.2979/israelstudies.16.2.24
Zewei, Y. (2011). Western International Law and China's Confucianism in the 19th Century. Collision and Integration. Journal Of The History Of International Law / Revue D'histoire Du Droit International , 13 (2), 285-306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718050-13020002
