Development and Human Rights
What are Sen’s three values of democracy? (SA)
Intrinsic: political participation = human freedom
Instrumental: amplifies poor voices; accountability
Constructive: public debate shapes preferences/values
Linked to economic and social outcomes
Example: India (free press, no famine)
Why did the ANC adopt armed struggle in South Africa? (SA)
Peaceful protest failed (Sharpeville massacre, pass laws)
Apartheid regime used lethal force
Mandela: “submit or fight”
MK: military wing, non-racial ideology
Struggle for dignity and representation
Why did the UN adopt Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? (SA)
Move beyond GDP to multidimensional poverty
Link between development, ecology, and inequality
SDGs include: education, gender, climate, clean water
Acknowledge environmental degradation undermines poverty alleviation
Builds on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
What are some “games” that semi-authoritarian regimes play? (Ottaway) (SA)
Hold elections to simulate democracy
Control information (media repression, disinfo)
Blur party/state lines in campaign finance
Change constitutions/institutions to stay in power
Prevent real transfer of power while maintaining international legitimacy
What made the Zapatistas a “post-modern” rebel group? (SA)
Weak militarily, strong symbolically
Uprising timed with NAFTA launch (1994)
Focused on indigenous rights, anti-globalization
Used media savvy (Subcomandante Marcos, press conferences)
Gained international solidarity, not territorial control
What is the Kerala Model? (SA)
Leftist governance + strong social infrastructure
High literacy, gender equality, public health
Effective COVID response: school meals, contact tracing
Proactive welfare state
Shows development ≠ GDP alone
How did apartheid South Africa use counterinsurgency tactics? (SA)
Death squads, surveillance (Joint Management System)
Co-opted rebels ("askaris")
Targeted assassinations (Joe Gqabi, Ruth First)
“Black-on-black” violence to divide communities
Reinforced regime’s control
What are some non-monetary indicators of poverty? (SA)
Infant mortality, life expectancy, literacy
Gender-disaggregated data: female literacy especially key
Better reflect human well-being than income
Reveal disparities missed by GDP
Used by HDI and UN frameworks
Why do human rights change over time? (SA)
Pressure from above (international actors) + from below (civil society)
Initial denial → minor concessions → deeper reform
Armed conflict slows change
Authoritarian regimes resist accountability
Example: Argentina’s long arc from dictatorship to trials (1983–2017)
What does “marketing human rights” mean for social movements?
Limited global attention = competition for visibility
Need charismatic leaders, clear messages
Must resonate with Western narratives
Some deserving causes ignored if they don’t “fit” trends
Zapatistas succeeded; others (e.g. Indigenous struggles) often overlooked
Why is GDP a limited measure of development? (SA)
Ignores inequality and distribution
Doesn’t reflect human well-being
Overlooks gender disparities
Alternatives: HDI, literacy, life expectancy
Can mask underdevelopment in high-output economies
What does Orkin argue about guerrilla motivations? (SA)
Interviewed MK fighters in prison
Not fanatics: rational, moral actors
Motivated by repression, ideology, lived experience
Non-racialism central
Armed struggle as last resort
How does path dependency affect development outcomes? (SA)
Historical legacies: colonization, slavery, war, bad development policy
Shapes human capital, natural capital, institutions
Example: land inequality, lack of infrastructure, weak state capacity
Hard to reverse without major reform or redistribution
Explains persistent underdevelopment despite aid
What does the Philippines under Duterte illustrate about democracy and rights? (SA)
Electoral democracy with widespread abuses
Drug war = extrajudicial killings (12,000+ dead)
Repression of press (Maria Ressa, libel cases)
Disinformation weaponized online
Challenges Sen’s optimism: democracy ≠ protection without institutions
What are the roots of “black-on-black” violence under apartheid? (SA)
Apartheid strategy: divide and conquer
Created mistrust among ethnic groups
Armed and funded “tribal” groups to counter ANC
Used co-opted rebels (askaris) for sabotage
Undermined unity and justified state repression
Is democracy necessary for development? (LA)
Sen: democracy ≠ economic growth but ≠ disasters
Prevents famine via accountability (India vs. China)
Political rights = social protection
Empowers marginalized voices
Opposes Lee Hypothesis (authoritarian growth thesis)
What explains participation in armed struggle? Compare South Africa and El Salvador. (LA)
South Africa: class + race oppression (Orkin)
El Salvador: repression, networks, biography (Viterna)
Multiple paths to mobilization
Role of ideology + state violence
Aftermath: marginalization of women, contested memory
Should development strategies prioritize environmental sustainability? (LA)
SDGs reflect integrated vision: ecology + equity
Unsustainable growth → worsens poverty (deforestation, droughts)
Rural livelihoods depend on natural capital (forests, fisheries)
Kerala Model: renewable energy, school feeding, health
Trade-offs: short-term industrialization vs. long-term resilience
Do elections guarantee democracy? (LA)
Przeworski: elections are necessary, not sufficient
"Fallacy of electoralism" = believing elections = democracy
Semi-authoritarian regimes: hold elections, but repress opposition
Ottaway’s games, Venezuela (Chávez/Maduro), Egypt under Morsi
Democracy also needs rights, rule of law, free press
How do social movements use both local and international strategies to advance their goals? (LA)
Local organizing: networks, grievance framing, cultural ties
International outreach: media, human rights discourse
Zapatistas: post-modern strategy, global anti-globalization movement
ANC: global solidarity (Nordic states, Canada), sanctions campaigns
Visibility ≠ power, but international legitimacy can protect movements
How should we measure development? (LA)
GDP = flawed, overemphasizes output
Human development indicators (Sen, UN SDGs)
Bolsa Familia: poverty reduction via conditional transfers
Kerala model: public investment, education, health
Development = capabilities, not just income
To what extent can violence be a legitimate path to justice? (LA)
Moral ambiguity: Mandela vs. terrorist label
Guerrilla movements: last resort after peaceful routes blocked
Strategic vs. ideological violence
Civilian protection as legitimacy marker
Risk of authoritarian tendencies post-conflict
Is monetary poverty an adequate measure of development? (LA)
$1.90/day line is arbitrary and shallow
Misses vulnerability, inequality, health, education
Non-monetary indicators: infant mortality, maternal death, access to banking
Bolsa Familia (Brazil): shows role of conditional cash + education
Inclusive development requires multidimensional lens
Compare how transitional justice has unfolded in Argentina and South Africa. (LA)
Argentina: trials, pardons, re-trials (Videla era justice from 1983 → 2017)
South Africa: Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), amnesty for truth
Both sought national healing → different approaches (retribution vs. reconciliation)
Role of civil society in demanding justice
Importance of political will, elite bargains, time
How does the legacy of colonialism still shape development in the Global South?
Path dependency: land inequality, infrastructure gaps
Codified gender and racial hierarchies (e.g. India, South Africa)
Forced transitions to market economies post-independence
Environmental degradation + resource extraction patterns
Case studies: Bengal famine (colonial priorities), Latin America’s property laws