Global Economy and Corporate Responsibility
Human rights are the hereditary rights to all human beings, regardless of the
nationality, inhabitant, sex, national or ethnic ancestry, religion, language, or all
other status. Everyone is entitled to human rights without discrimination (“What
are Human Rights?” 1996-2013). Human rights are entitled and should not be
seized.
There are certain situations, in which human rights should be taken away, such as
the 14th Amendment, due process. Due process protection is extended with the
14th Amendment, to all state governments, agencies, and courts (Mount, 2010).
According to Mount 2010, “In the Magna Carta, due process is referred to as “law of
the land” and “legal judgment of peers.” In general, due process guarantees: 1) The
right to a fair and public trial conducted in a competent manner, 2) The right to be
present at trial, 3) the right to an impartial jury, 4) the right to be heard in one's
own defense, 5) the laws must be written so that a reasonable person can
understand what is criminal behavior, 6) taxes may only be taken for public
purposes, 7) property may be taken by the government only for public purposes,
and 8) owners of taken property must be fairly compensated.
Moreover, “in 1948, the United Nation expressed the world’s feelings of outrage,
remorse, and shame when it preserve the principles of postwar consecrated
conscience in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (Schoenberger, pp. 9-10).
Everyone should enjoy freedom of speech, belief and freedom from fear. Human
rights should be protected by the rule of law (Schoenberger, pp. 9-10). On the
contrary, according to Howard-Hassmann, the spread of capitalism is not connected
to human rights, but it is necessary, even though it is seldom an acceptable estate for
democracy and democracy is the best political system to protect human rights.
Capitalism does not honor one's right to liberty. In regards, “the major industries
such as the world's biggest oil-and-gas firms, measured by reserves are all state
owned or major markets such as state-backed companies account for 80% of the
value China's stock-market and 62% of Russia's” (Harman, 2004). The supporters of
state capitalism believe that it can provide stability, as well as growth. In order for a
company to grow substantially, it must remain stable (Harman, 2004).
In essence, there are many forms of abuse that take place, such as in Hong Kong,
rights advocate, Xu Zhiyong, was held by the public transportation police and was
charged with “assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public place,” however, Mr.
Xu has been under informal house arrest for more than three months (Buckley,
2013). In addition, the major abuse that takes place is the invasion of privacy and
other unlawful activities. In Beijing, China dissidents have been accustomed to
invasion of privacy in daily routines for a long time. When human rights activists
venture outside of residency, the telephone conversations are monitored, e-mails
are read and public security agents (Jacobs, 2013). According to Erlanger 2013, Navi
Pillay, the United Nations human rights commissioner, called the human rights
situation in North Korea “the worst in the whole world” during an interview news
agency Reuter. There were indeed human rights violations in North Korea, in which
food deprivation, labor camps for political prisoners and torture (Erlanger, 2013).
While other forms of abuse are withholding of food, persecution, and political
prisoner’s labor camps, in which these individual's work as slaves. These are all
violations of human rights.
In addition, the Nazi Holocaust in World War II, were people in which lives were
unimportant, or amongst those who should just be killed without cause. A portion of
the Nazi policy was to murder civilians in masses, specifically targeting Jews. As the
war progressed the policy increased into Hitler’s “final Solution,” called the
complete slaughter of the Jews (“World War II,” 2011). Jews were held as prisoners
in concentration camps, where these prisoners experienced torment, deprivation of
food and proper health care. There were hundreds of thousands of people sick and
starving and locked in with thousands of dead bodies. The Nazi’s killed millions of
people, mainly Jews. Then, continued within government facilities, whose sole
purpose was to systematically murder and dispose of massive amounts of people
(“World War II,” 2011). In regards, survivors of the Holocaust, which was the Nazi’s
slave camps, filed class action law suits claiming billions of dollars in compensation
for the forced labor, in which was completed at factories owed by German industrial
giants (Schoenberger, pp. 8). According to, the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities sets the international human rights standards for all persons with
disabilities. It protects those individuals with disabilities from discrimination and
gives these persons legal rights. Although, persons with disabilities are sometimes
invisible in society, segregated or ignored. If these individual’s rights are not
respected, the Optional Protocol to the Conventions allows these persons to
complain (“What are Human Rights?” 1996-2013). The Human Rights of the Jewish
community were abused in several ways.
Nevertheless, according to “World War II,” 2011, the corporation is responsible for
abuses. The Human Rights committee consists of 18 independent experts who are
individuals of high moral character and has recognized competence in the field of
human rights. These people monitor the implementation and the carrying out of
Human Rights. If the corporation does not do everything in its power to prevent
human rights violations and to prosecute human right violators, then the
corporation should be held responsible for the abuse of any person’s human rights
(“World War II,” 2011). The corporation should meet its responsibilities to respect
human rights.
According to Schoenberger, Levi's Children, there are several stories in the past,
including biblical stories where innocent people became modern day parable of
innocent idealism and state evil. In the past, masses of innocent people were killed
due to the refusal to bow down and worship idol gods. People did not have the
freedom of religion, which is truly a violation of human rights. Furthermore,
morality distinguishes right and wrong, while ethnics are conforming to a particular
standard of behavior (Schoenberger, pp. 5-9). In order to distinguish what is wrong
or right is really depends on one's point of view, how it is perceived out of one's
own eye. Some may say this is a selfish way of looking at things. However, most
people are visual and believe in what is seen and taught.
Therefore, the state is accountable and responsible for ensuring that human rights
are implemented and not violated. Due to the lack of not having a common set of
rules and values, causing corporations to figure out how to carry out the human
rights practice within the policy decisions (Schoenberger, pp. 234). The corporation
must implement policies and procedures outlining what human rights are and
consequences to human rights violation. The states duty is to oversee these
companies and corporations to ensure that the human rights are implemented and
followed out through policy (Schoenberger, pp. 234). If it is not followed out through
policy the state must come in to investigate and make a valid decision, whether to
shut the business down or let it continue to run as usual.
Subsequently, corporate responsibility movements are effective, when aggressively
bringing about institutional change and innovation to the markets. The markets are
constitutionally political and filled with people who are not satisfied with the
outcomes of the market and often use the market for social change. The market is
the center of controversial issue of global warming, discrimination and etc (Pearce
and King, pp. 4). Indeed most market movements have obtained state intervention
to prevent markets from causing harmful social or economic outcomes. Often times
market movements seek the state due to its capacity to regulate the industries of
competitive dynamics and social moral ramification of the market growth (Pearce
and King, pp. 4). It is important to ensure that a person’s employment is secure and
the human rights within the market place are not being violated. It is the
corporation responsibility to notify the state when the solution is beyond control.
On the other hand, there are other options one has to ensure that Human Rights are
put in place and kept in place. A person can join a local human rights committee and
actively participate in making valuable decisions to prevent individual’s rights from
being violated. These committee’s are design to protect and prevent the violation of
one’s human rights. If a person’s rights have been violated or allegation of violation
have been brought forth, there will be consequences. At this time this particular
committee will come together and go over the facts that are available for
presentation. Analyze the entire accusation make a decision as to whether one’s
rights were truly violated. Upon discovery of violations of rights, then the
committee must come up with a solution to prevent future violations of rights.
Although, there are many different ways one’s human rights can be violated, there
are also ways that these incidents and situations can be prevented. We have a right
as citizens to join a Human Rights Committee. For example, there is a human rights
committee formed at most companies with group homes to ensure that the provider
does not violate an individual with developmental or intellectual disabilities rights.
These people are guardians, local or community members or various arenas. Often
meet quarterly to discuss the various rights restrictions put in place to ensure
health and safety and after all the votes are casts and the guardian gives approval,
each member signs the Human Rights Consent (HRC) form to ensure a person’s
rights are not violated.
However, when I first came to class I did not know that people overseas in other
countries human rights are currently being violated in today’s society. I learned
through the in class readings, power points, readings, free writes, movies and etc.
that human rights were violated and there were no consequences behind it. People
did not have freedom of speech, religion, and etc. In essence, Schoenberger, Levi’s
Children: Coming to Terms with Human Rights in the Global Marketplace (2000),
pp. 5-37, 47-76, expressed how many were killed because of what they believe and
the ethnic group that they took part in. These readings and in class materials helped
me to clearly understand what my rights are as a human and how to protect my
rights. I also understand the 14th Amendment much better now and how due
process works.
In regards, I strongly feel that not only are the human rights of those individual’s
overseas are being violated, but our human rights here in the United States. The
government controls everything around us and has the ability to tap into our lives,
through devices, such as the media, telephone (especially cell phones), information,
social security cards, license ID, and etc. The government will even input devices,
known as chips into our home, vehicles or even work place to monitor our
conversations and even our every move. Often times this tactics are used on
criminals that may be under the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) surveillance.
In essence, in this global economy I learned that the state has control over small
businesses, corporations, and etc. to ensure that these companies are following state
rules and regulations, forcing all businesses to obtain a license and tax ID number in
order to conduct business within each state. On the other hand, although it is the
states who has control over these businesses; it is the corporate responsibility to
ensure that all employees’ rights are not violated and if violation does occur, there
must be consequences. This is good for most businesses who meet the state
standards, but those who do not can be shut down for extended amounts of time and
even fined. In general, sometimes small business or even corporations go into debt
trying to get started and ultimately become bankrupt. Unfortunately, these
company’s experience “life and debt” before they even begin to capitalize. In my
experience, all companies I have worked for has policies in place to implement
human rights and have consequences for anyone who abuses/violates them. The
consequences are often stated that if violated, one can be terminated. This shows me
that this particular company’s takes discrimination in regards to creed, nationality,
race, and etc. seriously and obeys this right and the due process law.
In conclusion, I believe education is very important in understanding human rights
and when they are violated. Often times, human rights are violated, but we do not
realize it because of the lack of knowledge and understanding of the seriousness of
our rights. Upon gaining knowledge, we should become actively involved in
ensuring that other’s rights are not violated as well and educate them. It is good that
the state regulates businesses to ensure policies are carried out and they hold these
companies to it. The state will not allow the company to go against their very own
policy as well as abide by the states rules and regulation. This ensures protection
and prevention of one’s human’s rights being violated.
References
Buckley, C. “A Leading Chinese Human Rights Advocate Is Detained in Beijing.” The
New York
Times. Asian Pacific. 17 July 2013.
Erlanger, S. “U.N. Panel to Investigate Human Rights Abuses in North Korea.” New
York Times.
21 Mar 2013.
Jacobs, A. “Devices Given to Chinese Legal Advocate had Tracking Spyware, N.Y.U.
Says.” New York
Times. 21 June 2013.
Harman, C. “The Rise of Capitalism.” Internation Socialism Journal. Publish Spring.
2004.
Howard-Hassmann, R.E. “The Great Transformation II: Human Rights Leap-frogging
in the Era of
Globalization.” Wilfrid Laurier University.
Mount, S. “Constitutional Topic: Due Process.” The Constitution. 24 Jan 2010.
Pearce, N. and King, B. “The Contentiousness of Markets: Politics, Social Movements,
and
Institutional Change in Markets.” Northwestern University. 2001.
“The Rise of State Capitalism.” The Economist Newspaper. Limited. 21 Jan 2013.
“What are Human Rights?” United Nations Human Rights: Office of High
Commissioner for Human
Rights. OHCHR. 1996-2013.
“World War II: The Holocaust.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. 16 Oct
2011.
