Explain what Zewei's article from the Week 4 reading was all about
Zewei article looks at the worldview of ancient China and how it was abolished for the country to apply international law. China has a special history and culture that saw it adopt a Confucian worldview. The article discusses how the Confucian worldview was constructed through the Celestial Empire and the Tributary System. It was a system that was quite different from the systems that had been adopted in Western Powers. The author discusses how China’s Confucian colluded with modern international law 1 . It was the Opium War that made China learn about international relations. The article further talks about how Western powers compromised the Confucian world in China so that international law would be adopted. Zebei talks about how the Confucian worldview collapsed in China paving way for the application of international law. The shift from Confucian to International law is what brought modernization in China. Therefore, the article simply discusses how China was modernized and delivered from the archaic cultures.
Based on Steinberg's article from the Week 5 reading, in what ways is NGO influence reflected in Israel?
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According to Steineberg, NGOs play a critical role of protecting human rights even in worst situations. In Israel, NGO influence is reflected through conflict resolutions. 2 The NGOs have helped calm down the political environment in the country that brought about conflicts. They have provided crucial information to the relevant national and international bodies so that they can address human rights issues in the country.
NGOs in Israel were crucial in helping victims of the continuous attacks that hit the country in 2002. The most affected were women and children who needed different types of support. The NGOs were also condemning the attacks that were claiming thousands of innocent lives. It was through the pressures build by NGOs that the Israel security barrier was constructed. This played a critical role in ending the rivalry between Israel and its neighbors.
The best reflection of NGOs in Israel was the turn from the use of hard power to soft power. At times hard power was needed, hence, the NGOs helping in making such critical decisions such as the use of hard power 3 . The NGOs made people and the governments that were colliding understand the importance of peace talks. It is through such efforts that peace agreements were assigned and wars between Israel and his neighbors ended.
Based on the Cragg, Arnold, and Muchlinski article from Week 6, when did "business and human rights" become an international topic? What explains the delay?
Business and human rights became an international topic in the 1980s when UN Code of Conduct on Transactional Corporations was drafted. Academicians started getting interested into the issue in the 1990s 4 . There was a delay in internationalizing business and human rights because of the conventional thinking that the government was solely responsible for advancing and protecting human rights.
With increased globalization, people started thinking about the ability of the government to run businesses and protect human rights. Globalization also opened up countries to interact through trade agreements. NGOs were raising flags on different issues that were brought about by globalization. After the incident that happened in Nigeria, NGOs wanted international businesses to be held accountable for human rights abuses. A major shift in the internationalization of business and human rights was realized in 1998 when the United Nations Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights was tasked to study and report business and human rights 5 . The recommendations that were made by the commission paved the way for business and human rights becoming international issues.
Bibliography
Cragg Wesley, Arnold Denis and Muchlinski Peter. Human Rights and Business. Business Ethics Qaurterly , 2012, 22, 1-7. .
Steinberg, Gerald. The Politics of NGOs, Human Rights and the Arab-Israel Conflict. Israel Studies , 2009, 16(2) – 25-54.
Zewei, Yang. Western International Law and China’s Confucianism in the 19th Century. Collision and Integration. Journal of the History of International Law , 2011, (13) 285-306.
1 Yang, Zewei. Western International Law and China’s Confucianism in the 19th Century. Collision and Integration. ( Journal of the History of International Law , 2011, 13) 285-306
2 Gerald, Steinberg. The Politics of NGOs, Human Rights and the Arab-Israel Conflict. ( Israel Studies , 2009, 16 2) – 25-54.
3 Gerald, Steinberg. The Politics of NGOs, Human Rights and the Arab-Israel Conflict. ( Israel Studies , 2009, 16 2) – 25-54.
4 Wesley Cragg, Arnold Denis and Muchlinski Peter. Human Rights and Business. ( Business Ethics Qaurterly , 2012, 22) 1-7. .
5 Wesley Cragg, Arnold Denis and Muchlinski Peter. Human Rights and Business. ( Business Ethics Qaurterly , 2012, 22), 1-7. .
