Globalise this: Human rights

What should globalisation mean for human rights? Clearly, human rights are central to any effort to manage the tide of globalisation to the benefit of all peoples in an equitable manner. But globalisation must not be confined to political and economic forces; it must also apply to social, cultural and civil movements. This means recognising the interdependence of all these aspects. Our clarion call should be "Globalise this human rights!"

It may be hard to believe today that just 40 years ago two Portuguese students were sentenced to seven years in prison simply for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom. it was this incarceration that led to the foundation of Amnesty International in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. Our mandate reflected the clear divide at the time between civil and political human rights, and social, economic and cultural rights. Amnesty was clearly on the civil and political side of the divide, campaigning for the release of prisoners of conscience; fair trials for political prisoners; abolition of the death penalty and an end to torture of prisoners and political killings.