CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS (CDHR)

Publication - The Right to Development and the Rights‐Based Approach to Development: A Review of Basic Concepts and Debates Author: Hilary Ferguson
Publication - Primer on Right to Development

The Right to Development (RTD), a concept that emerged in the 1970s, is one of the most debated and contentious issues in international relations. RTD builds on the rights based approach to development, seeking to integrate the norms and principles of human rights with policies and plans to promote development. Despite its importance for the world’s poor and dispossessed, a great deal of definitional confusion still surrounds the concept. This primer introduces the concept of RTD as well as discusses its practical application in the Indian setting. It is divided accordingly into two sections, the first one traces the origins and the evolution of the idea of RTD. This section identifies the defining parameters and content of RTD and focuses especially on the three rights-the rights to food, education and health-that have been identified as a ‘good starting point’ for the implementation of RTD. The last chapter in this section underscores the importance of women’s rights in order to emphasise the need to focus on safeguarding and promoting the human rights of vulnerable groups. Part II covers substantially the Indian situation relating to RTD. The first chapter in this section provides an overview of the legal and institutional mechanism in India for the protection of human rights in general and women’s rights in particular. The next chapter examines the implementation of the rights to food, health and education. The last chapter in this section details the functioning of Public Interest Litigation (PIL)-which has emerged in recent years as an important mechanism for securing social justice-and the challenges and limitations of the mechanism. Providing a comprehensive, lucid and innovative synthesis of current thinking on RTD, this book will be of considerable interest to human rights activists, government departments and planning agencies, and non governmental organisations working in the fields of development and/or human rights, while being of equal interest to researchers in the fields of development, human rights and law. Publication - Reflections on the Right to Development The Right to Development is a new and highly contested right. Its emergence is linked to the demand for a ‘new international economic order’ by developing countries. Composite in nature and integrating civil and political rights with economic, social and cultural rights, the RTD approach underscores participation, a fair sharing of benefits, transparency and non-discrimination. The present volume explores the theoretical and practical aspects of RTD as an alternative to existing approaches to development. It brings together the reflections and insights of some of the finest scholars on the specific aspects of RTD. The essays in the volume are arranged in three sections: • Section I introduces the concept of RTD in its theoretical and historical aspects, and explores its implications for development. • Section II contains empirical studies that throw light on various aspects of RTD. These are an evaluation of Sri Lanka’s development process from the RTD perspective; the shortcomings of existing approaches to poverty and inequality in India; a case study of public action and participation in Kerala; and the relationship between RTD and existing economic regimes. • Section III explores the theoretical underpinnings of social choice theory and its application to RTD. It draws attention to the problems involved in aggregating individual interests with social preferences. An important contribution that enhances our understanding of RTD and provides the basis for further discussion and research on the subject, this volume will be of considerable interest to researchers in the fields of development studies, human rights, law and social policy. Editors Arjun Sengupta (Centre for Development and Human Rights, New Delhi) Archana Negi (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi) And Moushumi Basu (University of Sussex, Brighton) The Contributors Angus Deaton; Jean Dreze; Jayati Ghosh; Godfrey Gunatilleke; Satish K. Jain; K.P. Kannan; Rajeev Malhotra; Stephen P. Marks; Siddiqur Rehman Osmani; N. Vijayamohan Pillai; Arjun Sengupta; Manimay Sengupta



Reflections on the Right to Development
The Right to Development is a new and highly contested right. Its emergence is linked to the demand for a ‘new international economic order’ by developing countries. Composite in nature and integrating civil and political rights with economic, social and cultural rights, the RTD approach underscores participation, a fair sharing of benefits, transparency and non-discrimination. The present volume explores the theoretical and practical aspects of RTD as an alternative to existing approaches to development. It brings together the reflections and insights of some of the finest scholars on the specific aspects of RTD. The essays in the volume are arranged in three sections: • Section I introduces the concept of RTD in its theoretical and historical aspects, and explores its implications for development. • Section II contains empirical studies that throw light on various aspects of RTD. These are an evaluation of Sri Lanka’s development process from the RTD perspective; the shortcomings of existing approaches to poverty and inequality in India; a case study of public action and participation in Kerala; and the relationship between RTD and existing economic regimes. • Section III explores the theoretical underpinnings of social choice theory and its application to RTD. It draws attention to the problems involved in aggregating individual interests with social preferences. An important contribution that enhances our understanding of RTD and provides the basis for further discussion and research on the subject, this volume will be of considerable interest to researchers in the fields of development studies, human rights, law and social policy. Editors Arjun Sengupta (Centre for Development and Human Rights, New Delhi) Archana Negi (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi) And Moushumi Basu (University of Sussex, Brighton) The Contributors Angus Deaton; Jean Dreze; Jayati Ghosh; Godfrey Gunatilleke; Satish K. Jain; K.P. Kannan; Rajeev Malhotra; Stephen P. Marks; Siddiqur Rehman Osmani; N. Vijayamohan Pillai; Arjun Sengupta; Manimay Sengupta

Event – Human Rights Day (December 10, 2011). CDHR participated in this event, which was organized by Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Equal Opportunity Office and the Centre for Promotion of Human Rights Teaching and Research (HURITER: http://www.jnu.ac.in/Huriter/huriter.htm).
Event – Conference on “Abolition of Death Penalty in India” (November 14-15, 2011). This is a conference organized by the Centre for Human Rights Studies of Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, in collaboration with the South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, Human Rights Law Network and the Centre for Development and Human Rights. The event featured many notable speakers, including Justice A.K. Ganguly of the Supreme Court of India, and received intense media coverage, such as by Bar&Bench in the following article: http://barandbench.com/brief/9/1845/justice-ak-ganguly-terms-death-penalty-as-barbaric-anti-life-undemocratic-at-the-jgls-abolition-of-death-penalty-conference
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Event – Final Workshop on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty (HUREP): Held on March 14, 2011, this workshop was organized by CDHR in partnership with the University of Oslo, Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), on the relationship between human rights and extreme poverty, a topic that formed the basis of a four-year joint project (HUREP) between the two institutions. A summary of the proceedings of this conference are available upon request.
Event – RTD Workshop 1: The first Right to Development Project Workshop was held in Delhi on the 7th and 8th April 2002. It was attended by 38 participants from different disciplines such as academics, economists, agricultural scientists, law and development specialists. Objectives of the Workshop The workshop sought to: • Bring together the authors of the country studies of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. • Provide a platform to the researchers to present a detailed out line of their research areas, methodologies and preliminary results. • Provide forum for exchange of ideas on Right to Development. The workshop began with an introductory speech by Dr. Arjun Sengupta in which he welcomed the participants and tabled the agenda for the two day long workshop. Professor Stephen Marks gave an introduction to the Right to Development Project and the core concepts. This was followed by presentations of Bangladesh and India country studies. The day concluded with a discussion on Bangladesh country study. The second day began with the presentation of the Sri Lankan country study. This was followed by a discussion on Sri Lankan and Indian presentation. The workshop ended with a general discussion on the issues that had emerged during the workshop. Finally, a vote of thanks was given by the chairperson of Centre for Development and Human Rights. The presentations and discussions covered a gamut of issues relevant for the Right to Development (RTD) Project and the proposed country studies. These included: • Introduction to RTD Project • Introduction to the concept of RTD • Specific Area Concerns • Presentation of proposed outlines of the Country Studies of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
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Event – RTD Workshop 2: The second Right to Development (RTD) Project Workshop was held in New Delhi from 19th to 22nd October, 2002. The workshop brought together the members of the core team comprising the authors of the country studies and the individual rights (health, food, education) papers. Each of the country papers was presented and subjected to discussion and comments. The main task at hand was to bring the paper authors together to report on their progress and incorporate the feedback from the ensuing discussions. Some issues relating to RTD in general were also presented as supplementary papers. The workshop resulted in the stocktaking of the progress made so far in the project and decisions on future courses of actions.
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Event – RTD Workshop 3: The third Right to Development Project Workshop was conducted jointly by the Harvard University and CDHR on 2nd to 3rd August, 2003, at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Teen Murti Marg, New Delhi 110 001. The workshop was jointly organized by CDHR and the Nehru Memorial Museum. Seventy-five participants attended from different disciplines. Country studies relating to India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were presented in the workshop, besides a number of special studies relating to the rights approach to development in India. The workshop began at 10.00 A.M. on Saturday, 2nd August 2003 at the Nehru Memorial Museum. Country studies and other studies relating to India were presented in the afternoon, followed by reception and dinner at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The concluding session was held in the morning of 3rd August, followed by a wrap-up session in the afternoon. Professor Amartya Sen attended the Workshop on 2nd August.
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